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SB55 • 2026

Sex offenses; prohibiting proximity to children on premises of state parks, penalty.

An Act to amend and reenact § 18.2-370.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty.

Children Crime
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Diggs
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact cost of enforcing the new rule in state parks cannot be determined from the provided information.

Prohibiting Sex Offenders from Being Near Children in State Parks

This law stops adults who have been convicted of certain sex crimes involving children from going near playgrounds, athletic fields, or gyms within state parks where they know children might be present.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the rules for people who are found guilty of specific sex crimes involving children to prohibit them from being within 100 feet of playgrounds, athletic fields, or gymnasiums in state parks if they know about it.
  • Makes breaking this rule a serious crime called a Class 6 felony.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Adults who have been found guilty of certain sex crimes involving children.
  • Children and families visiting playgrounds, athletic fields, or gyms in state parks.

Terms To Know

Class 6 felony
A type of serious crime that can lead to a long prison sentence.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact cost of enforcing this law is not known.
  • It only applies to state parks and does not cover all public places where children gather.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 480 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-08 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0480)

  3. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

  4. 2026-03-14 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  5. 2026-03-13 House

    Signed by Speaker

  6. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Signed by President

  7. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Enrolled

  8. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB55ER)

  9. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB55)

  10. 2026-03-09 House

    Read third time

  11. 2026-03-09 House

    Passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-03-06 House

    Read second time

  13. 2026-03-04 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  14. 2026-03-03 Transportation & Public Safety

    Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

  15. 2026-03-02 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  16. 2026-02-20 Criminal

    Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)

  17. 2026-02-18 Criminal

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

  18. 2026-02-05 House

    Placed on Calendar

  19. 2026-02-05 House

    Read first time

  20. 2026-02-05 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  21. 2026-02-02 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  22. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Read second time

  23. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  24. 2026-01-30 Courts of Justice

    Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to

  25. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  26. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Rules suspended

  27. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  28. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  29. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  30. 2026-01-28 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N)

  31. 2026-01-27 Courts of Justice

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB55)

  32. 2026-01-21 Courts of Justice

    Senate committee offered

  33. 2026-01-21 Courts of Justice

    Committee substitute printed 26105714D-S1

  34. 2026-01-20 Courts of Justice

    Senate committee offered

  35. 2026-01-19 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  36. 2026-01-19 Courts of Justice

    Senate committee offered

  37. 2026-01-07 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB55)

  38. 2025-12-05 Senate

    Fiscal Impact statement From VSCC (12/5/2025 4:08 pm)

  39. 2025-12-05 Senate

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (12/5/2025 4:12 pm)

  40. 2025-11-26 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100464D

  41. 2025-11-26 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty.
Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2026, shall as a part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium he knows or has reason to know is located on the premises of a state park. A violation is a Class 6 felony.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact §
18.2-370.2
of the Code of Virginia, relating to sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
18.2-370.2
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
18.2-370.2
. Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; penalty.
A. "Offense prohibiting proximity to children" means a violation or an attempt to commit a violation of (i) subsection A of §
18.2-47
, clause (ii) or (iii) of §
18.2-48
, subsection B of §
18.2-361
, or subsection B of §
18.2-366
, where the victim of one of the foregoing offenses was a minor, or (ii) clause (iii) of subsection A of §
18.2-61
, §
18.2-63
or
18.2-64.1
, subdivision A 1 of §
18.2-67.1
, subdivision A 1 of §
18.2-67.2
, subdivision A 1 or A 4 (a) of §
18.2-67.3
, §
18.2-370
or
18.2-370.1
, clause (ii) of §
18.2-371
, or §
18.2-374.1
,
18.2-374.1:1
or
18.2-379
. As of July 1, 2006, "offense prohibiting proximity to children" includes a violation of §
18.2-472.1
when the offense requiring registration was one of the foregoing offenses.
B. Every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2000, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from loitering within 100 feet of the premises of any place he knows or has reason to know is a primary, secondary or high school. In addition, every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2006, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from loitering within 100 feet of the premises of any place he knows or has reason to know is a child day program as defined in §
22.1-289.02
.
C. Every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2008, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any place owned or operated by a locality
or, for any offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2026, a state park
that he knows or should know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium.
D. Any person convicted of an offense under the laws of any foreign country or any political subdivision thereof, or the United States or any political subdivision thereof, similar to any offense set forth in subsection A shall be forever prohibited from loitering within 100 feet of the premises of any place he knows or has reason to know is a primary, secondary, or high school or any place he knows or has reason to know is a child day program as defined in §
22.1-289.02
. In addition, he shall be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any place owned or operated by a locality that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium.
He shall also be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium he knows or has reason to know is located on the premises of a state park.
E. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 6 felony.
2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities; therefore, Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025 requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to assign a minimum fiscal impact of $50,000. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $0 for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.