SB351 • 2026

Courthouses; certain civil arrests prohibited, penalty.

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-327.1, 8.01-327.2, 22.1-279.8, 24.2-604, 24.2-671, and 24.2-802.1 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 8.01 sections numbered 8.01-327.3 and 8.01-327.4, by adding a section numbered 19.2-81.7, and by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 8 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-808.3, relating to prohibiting certain acts in furtherance of federal immigration enforcement in certain protected areas; exceptions; penalties.

Education Healthcare

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Salim
Last action: 2026-04-22
Official status: Awaiting Governor's Action
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific penalties for violations, leaving some uncertainty about enforcement mechanisms and consequences.

Prohibiting Immigration Enforcement in Certain Areas

This act stops federal immigration officers from making arrests or enforcing laws at specific places like courthouses, hospitals, schools, and polling stations unless authorized by a judicial warrant.

What This Bill Does

Stops civil immigration arrests within certain areas such as courthouses, hospitals, schools, and polling places unless a valid judicial warrant is presented.
Allows local school boards to include procedures for notifying parents and staff about the presence of individuals conducting immigration investigations or enforcement on school property.
Requires public institutions of higher education to adopt policies that require federal immigration officers to present a valid judicial warrant before entering nonpublic areas of campus.

Who It Names or Affects

Federal immigration enforcement agents
Local school boards and public institutions of higher education

Terms To Know

Civil Immigration Arrests: Arrests made by federal officers for civil violations related to immigration laws.
Judicial Warrant: A legal document issued by a judge that authorizes law enforcement to arrest someone or search property.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact penalties for violating these restrictions.
It is unclear how this act will be enforced and what happens if an officer violates it.

Amendments

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

SB351AC

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT We, the conferees, appointed by the respective bodies to consider and report upon the disagreeing vote on Senate Bill No.

JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT We, the conferees, appointed by the respective bodies to consider and report upon the disagreeing vote on Senate Bill No.
351 , report as follows: A.
We recommend that the House Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108859D) be rejected.
B.

SB351G

2026-04-12 • Governor

Governor's Recommendation

Plain English: (SB351) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION I approve the general purpose of this bill, but I am returning it without my signature with the request that the attached Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110354D) be accepted.

(SB351) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION I approve the general purpose of this bill, but I am returning it without my signature with the request that the attached Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110354D) be accepted.

SB351S2

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: 2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE 26109956D SENATE BILL NO.

2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE 26109956D SENATE BILL NO.
351 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Joint Conference Committee on March 14, 2026) (Patron Prior to Substitute—Senator Salim) A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-327.1 , 8.01-327.2 , 22.1-279.8 , 24.2-604 , 24.2-671 , and 24.2-802.1 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 8.01 sections numbered 8.01-327.3 and 8.01-327.4 , by adding a section numbered 19.2-81.7 , and by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 8 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-808.3 , relating to prohibiting certain acts in furtherance of federal immigration enforcement in certain protected areas; exceptions; penalties.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1.
That §§ 8.01-327.1 , 8.01-327.2 , 22.1-279.8 , 24.2-604 , 24.2-671 , and 24.2-802.1 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 8.01 sections numbered 8.01-327.3 and 8.01-327.4 , by adding a section numbered 19.2-81.7 , and by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 8 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-808.3 as follows: § 8.01-327.1 .

SB351S3

2026-04-14 • Governor

Governor Substitute

Plain English: 2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE 26110354D SENATE BILL NO.

2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE 26110354D SENATE BILL NO.
351 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Governor on April 12, 2026) (Patron Prior to Substitute—Senator Salim) A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 8.01 a section numbered 8.01-327.3 , relating to performance of civil immigration arrests in certain areas; limitations.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1.
That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 8.01 a section numbered 8.01-327.3 as follows: § 8.01-327.3 .

Bill History

2026-04-22 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-04-22 Senate
Communicated to Governor
2026-04-22 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026
2026-04-22 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-04-12 Governor
Governor's recommendation received by Senate
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB351)
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-30 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB351ER)
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 House
Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)
2026-03-14 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-12 House
House Conferees: Callsen, Simon, Cornett
2026-03-10 Senate
Senate Conferees: Salim, Perry, McDougle
2026-03-10 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-10 Senate
Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-09 House
House insisted on substitute
2026-03-09 House
House requested conference committee
2026-03-06 Senate
House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 House
Read third time
2026-03-04 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-03-04 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-03-04 House
Passed House with substitute (64-Y 35-N 0-A)
2026-03-03 House
Read second time
2026-03-02 Public Safety
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB351)
2026-02-27 Public Safety
Reported from Public Safety with substitute (15-Y 7-N)
2026-02-27 Public Safety
Committee substitute printed 26108859D-H1
2026-02-06 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-06 Public Safety
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
2026-02-06 House
Read first time
2026-02-03 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-02-02 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-02 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)
2026-02-02 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute printed 26106261D-S1
2026-02-02 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)
2026-02-02 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-01-30 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-01-30 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-01-30 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-01-30 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-01-28 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 6-N)
2026-01-28 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-01-13 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101062D
2026-01-13 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting certain acts in furtherance of federal immigration enforcement in certain protected areas; exceptions; penalties.
Prohibits certain federal civil immigration enforcement activities in certain protected areas including any courthouse, within 40 feet of any polling place or building used as a meeting place for the local electoral board while the electoral board meets to ascertain the results of an election, and any place or facility owned by the Commonwealth that is a hospital or other health care facility, a school or public institution of higher education, or an office of the attorney for the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any civil arrest in a courthouse pursuant to a civil administrative warrant, subject to certain exceptions such as service or enforcement of an order for failure to pay child support or for any arrest occurring in connection with a court proceeding that is taking place or is scheduled to take place. The bill provides that such provisions shall not apply when such arrest is authorized by a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena. The bill also authorizes a local school board to include in its written school crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plan a procedure for notifying school board employees and parents of enrolled students of the presence of certain individuals on school property for immigration investigation or enforcement purposes. The bill requires each public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that requires an individual present on campus to investigate compliance with, enforce, or assist in an investigation or enforcement of any federal immigration law to present a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena before accessing any nonpublic area of the campus. This bill is identical to HB 650.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL NO. 351
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the Governor
on April 12, 2026)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Salim)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 8.01 a section numbered
8.01-327.3
, relating to performance of civil immigration arrests in certain areas; limitations.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 8.01 a section numbered
8.01-327.3
as follows:
§
8.01-327.3
.
Performance of
civil
immigration
arrests
in certain locations; limitations
.
A. No person with the lawful authority to perform civil
immigration
arrests shall conduct a civil
immigration
arrest
in any of the following locations unless authorized by a valid
judicial warrant
that such person has in his possession at the time of the arrest:
1. Any state or local courthouse;
2. Any hospital or similar health care facility;
3. Any school, including any preschool, primary or secondary school, vocational school, trade school, or public institution of higher education;
4. Any office of an attorney for the Commonwealth; or
5. Any polling place, meeting of an electoral board, or recount proceeding.
B. No civil action brought as a result of a civil immigration arrest made in violation of this section shall be commenced more than two years after such civil immigration arrest. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate a claim of qualified immunity.