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HB489 • 2026

Restorative justice practices; definitions, effect of participation, immunity from civil liability.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 19.2 a chapter numbered 1.4, consisting of sections numbered 19.2-11.15, 19.2-11.16, and 19.2-11.17, relating to restorative justice practices.</p>

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Hope
Last action
2026-03-14
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide specific details on who can be involved in restorative justice practices or how they work, only the protections and rules that apply to them.

Restorative Justice Practices Law

This law sets rules for restorative justice practices, ensuring that participation cannot be used as evidence in legal proceedings and protecting communications from being disclosed.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines what restorative justice practices are.
  • States that taking part in these practices cannot be used to prove guilt or civil liability in any future legal cases.
  • Makes sure that anything said during a restorative justice practice stays private and can't be shared in court or other legal processes unless there is an exception.
  • Protects people who share information from restorative justice practices if they believe it's allowed by the law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved in restorative justice programs
  • Courts and legal proceedings

Terms To Know

Restorative Justice Practices
Programs that help people who did something wrong to make amends without going through the regular court system.
Civil Immunity
Protection from being sued for sharing information in certain situations.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law will not take effect unless it is passed again by the Virginia General Assembly in 2027.
  • It does not specify who can be involved in restorative justice practices or how they work, only what protections and rules apply to them.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB489AS1

2026-03-11 • Member

Senator Surovell Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a condition that the bill's provisions will only take effect if the same law is passed again in the next legislative session in 2027.

  • Adds a clause requiring reenactment of the bill by the 2027 Session for it to become effective.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if the bill is not reenacted in 2027, leaving this detail unclear.
HB489EDOC

2026-03-11 • Senate

Senate Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that the bill's provisions will only take effect if the same changes are passed again in the next legislative session.

  • Adds a clause stating that the bill’s provisions will not become law unless they are reenacted by the General Assembly during the 2027 Session.
  • The amendment does not provide details about what happens if the bill is not reenacted in 2027, leaving this aspect unclear.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-14 House

    No further action taken

  2. 2026-03-14 House

    Failed to Pass from conference

  3. 2026-03-14 House

    Failed to Pass from conference

  4. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Senate requested conference committee

  5. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Senate Conferees: Perry, Favola, McDougle

  6. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Conferees appointed by Senate

  7. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Senate insisted on substitute with amendment

  8. 2026-03-12 House

    Senate substitute with amendment rejected by House (1-Y 95-N 0-A)

  9. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Senate insisted on substitute with amendment Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  10. 2026-03-12 House

    House acceded to request

  11. 2026-03-12 House

    Conferees appointed by House

  12. 2026-03-12 House

    House Conferees: Hope, Keys-Gamarra, Kilgore

  13. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Read third time

  14. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Senator Perry Substitute withdrawn

  15. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  16. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - substitute with amendment

  17. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute with amendment (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  18. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate as amended

  19. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Passed Senate with amendment

  20. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Read third time

  21. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Floor Offered

  22. 2026-03-11 Courts of Justice

    Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to

  23. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  24. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  25. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)

  26. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Senator Surovell Amendment agreed to

  27. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Courts of Justice Substitute passed Senate

  28. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Floor offered

  29. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  30. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  31. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  32. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  33. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Rules suspended

  34. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  35. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  36. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  37. 2026-03-06 Courts of Justice

    Committee substitute printed 26109133D-S1

  38. 2026-03-05 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (8-Y 6-N)

  39. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  40. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  41. 2026-02-18 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  42. 2026-02-17 House

    Read third time and passed House (61-Y 36-N 0-A)

  43. 2026-02-16 House

    Read second time

  44. 2026-02-16 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  45. 2026-02-16 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  46. 2026-02-15 House

    Read first time

  47. 2026-02-13 Courts of Justice

    Committee substitute printed 26107493D-H1

  48. 2026-02-13 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 6-N)

  49. 2026-02-11 Criminal

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N)

  50. 2026-02-11 Criminal

    House subcommittee offered

  51. 2026-02-07 Criminal

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

  52. 2026-01-12 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105104D

  53. 2026-01-12 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Restorative justice practices.
Provides that participation in a restorative justice practice, as defined in the bill, shall not be used as evidence or as an admission of guilt, delinquency, or civil liability in current or subsequent legal proceedings against any participant. The bill also provides that restorative justice communications, defined in the bill, are not admissible in, or subject to discovery for, any legal proceeding, and disclosure of such communications shall not be compelled in any judicial or administrative proceeding, arbitration, or mediation. The bill prohibits any person involved in a restorative justice practice, as defined in the bill, from testifying about any phase of such practice in any judicial or administrative proceeding, arbitration, or mediation except in certain circumstances enumerated in the bill. Lastly, the bill provides civil immunity for any person, who in good faith, discloses any restorative justice communication based on his belief that such disclosure is allowed pursuant to such provisions, provided that such disclosure was limited to solely address any such allowable disclosure.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
(HB489)

AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE

SEN. SUROVELL

1. After line 54, substitute

insert

2. That the provisions of this act shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.