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.

Children Education Elections Healthcare Labor

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Salim
Last action: 2026-05-20
Official status: Governor's Veto
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary text does not provide specific details about the bill's impact on immigrant families' protection, leaving this claim unsupported.

Prohibiting Immigration Enforcement at Certain Places

This act stops certain federal civil immigration activities within courthouses, polling places, hospitals, schools, and other public buildings in Virginia.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits federal civil immigration enforcement actions within 40 feet of polling places or local electoral board meeting rooms during election results meetings.
Prohibits civil arrests based on administrative warrants in courthouses unless the arrest is for child support issues or related to a court proceeding.
Allows school boards to include procedures for notifying parents and staff about immigration enforcement activities on school grounds.
Requires public institutions of higher education to have policies that require federal agents investigating immigration laws to show valid judicial warrants before entering nonpublic areas.

Who It Names or Affects

People involved in federal civil immigration enforcement
Courthouse visitors and workers
School board employees, parents, and students
Public institution of higher education staff and students

Terms To Know

Civil administrative warrant: A legal document issued by a government agency to enforce civil laws.
Judicial warrant or subpoena: An official order from a judge that allows law enforcement to take specific actions, such as making an arrest or searching property.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was vetoed by the Governor due to concerns about potential legal conflicts between state and federal laws.
It does not address how security personnel and local law enforcement should handle situations involving both state and federal laws.

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

2026-05-20 Senate
Governor's Veto Received by Senate
2026-05-20 Governor
Vetoed by Governor
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

(SB351)
GOVERNOR'S VETO
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 351, which would create unavoidable legal liability for security personnel and local law enforcement officers when assessing federal immigration enforcement activities in certain protected areas.
As a former law enforcement officer, I share many Virginians' concerns regarding the dangerous and unchecked federal immigration enforcement actions we have seen across the country. I take seriously how these actions have eroded years of trust built by law enforcement officers within the communities they serve.
I appreciate the goal and intended purpose of this bill, but in practice, this legislation would not achieve the intended goals. It would effectively require security guards and, in some cases, local law enforcement be placed in the untenable position of choosing between violating state law or federal law, rendering this proposal unworkable.
Despite these legal issues, I understand that some people feel signing this bill would send an important signal that in Virginia, we
want
immigrant families to be able to attend to their personal business at courthouses or schools without fear of immigration action. I appreciate that intention. However, communicating that immigrant families are protected from immigration action in places they are not by virtue of federal law would put families at risk.
I provided amendments that sought to make this legislation legally workable and clear, but unfortunately, these amendments were rejected by the General Assembly.
I look forward to continuing to work with the General Assembly on this issue. Additionally, my Executive Order 16 directs state entities, public institutions, and agencies across the Commonwealth to develop guidelines to help ensure individuals encountering federal immigration enforcement in these locations are equipped with clear protocols and best practices.
Accordingly, I veto this bill.