SB570 • 2026

Search warrants; unattended deaths.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 19.2-53, 19.2-54, and 19.2-56, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to search warrants; unattended deaths.</p>

Healthcare

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Mulchi
Last action: 2026-02-11
Official status: Continued
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact wording of 'reasonable, articulable suspicion' is critical and differs from plain English 'reasonable suspicion'.

Search Warrants for Unattended Deaths

This bill allows judges to issue search warrants when investigating unattended deaths suspected of being unnatural.

What This Bill Does

Allows a judge to issue a warrant to look for a dead body if the person was not under medical care at the time of death and there is reasonable suspicion that the death was not natural.
Requires reasonable, articulable suspicion that the death was not from natural causes before issuing a warrant.
Changes existing laws about search warrants related to unattended deaths.

Who It Names or Affects

Judges who issue search warrants
Law enforcement officers investigating suspicious deaths

Terms To Know

Search Warrant: A legal document that allows police to look for evidence in a specific place.
Unattended Death: The death of someone who was not being cared for by a doctor at the time they died.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify how long after a death a warrant can be issued.
Does not explain what happens if there is no reasonable suspicion that the death was unnatural.

Amendments

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

SB570ASC1

2026-02-11 • Committee

Courts of Justice Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes Virginia's search warrant laws to require a reasonable suspicion that an unattended death was not due to natural causes before issuing certain types of warrants.

Adds the requirement for law enforcement to have 'reasonable, articulable suspicion' that a death was not from natural causes when seeking specific types of search warrants.

The exact impact and implementation details are unclear without further context on how this change will affect current practices.

Bill History

2026-02-11 Courts of Justice
Continued to 2027 in Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)
2026-02-11 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-09 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB570)
2026-01-14 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103541D
2026-01-14 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Search warrants; unattended deaths.
Authorizes the issuance of a search warrant to search any place for (i) a dead human body where, at the time of death, the decedent was not being attended to by a physician or (ii) evidence of the cause or manner of death of such a body.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB 570

COURTS OF JUSTICE

1. Line 42, introduced, after
physician

strike

the remainder of line 42 and through
body
on line 43

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes

COURTS OF JUSTICE

2. Line 46, introduced, after
physician

strike

the remainder of line 46 and through
body
on line 47

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes

COURTS OF JUSTICE

3. Line 91, introduced, after
physician

strike

,
or evidence of the cause of manner of death of such a body

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes

COURTS OF JUSTICE

4. Line 97, introduced, after
physician

strike

the remainder of line 97 and through
body
on line 98

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes

COURTS OF JUSTICE

5. Line 103, introduced, after
physician

strike

,
or evidence of the cause of manner of death of such a body

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes

COURTS OF JUSTICE

6. Line 227, introduced, after
physician

strike

,
or evidence of the cause of manner of death of such a body

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes

COURTS OF JUSTICE

7. Line 233, introduced, after
physician

strike

the remainder of line 233 and through
body
on line 234

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes

COURTS OF JUSTICE

8. Line 239, introduced, after
physician

strike

,
or evidence of the cause of manner of death of such a body

insert

and there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that such death was not from natural causes