SB673 • 2026

Stalking; using electronically transmitted communication, penalty.

An Act to amend and reenact § 18.2-60.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to stalking by electronically transmitted communication; penalty.

Crime

Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text specifies additional details about notice requirements for victims but does not explicitly state that courts must issue orders stopping contact. This detail was removed as it is not directly supported by the provided official source material.

Stalking by Electronic Communication

This law makes it illegal to stalk someone using electronic communication like phones or computers, and sets penalties for repeat offenders.

What This Bill Does

Defines 'electronically transmitted communication' as including phone calls, computer messages, and other electronic devices for the offense of stalking.
Makes stalking through electronic means a crime punishable by up to one year in jail if it's the first offense.
Increases punishment to five years in prison for a second offense within five years of the first.

Who It Names or Affects

People who stalk others using electronic communication
Victims of stalking

Terms To Know

Electronically transmitted communication: Messages sent through phones, computers, or other electronic devices.
Class 1 misdemeanor: A crime that can result in up to one year in jail and fines.
Class 6 felony: A more serious crime than a misdemeanor, punishable by at least one year in prison.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact cost of enforcing this law is not known.
It does not specify how long the contact ban lasts after someone is convicted.

Amendments

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

SB673AC

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment proposes to reject a previous House Amendment and accept a new one related to penalties for stalking through electronically transmitted communication.

Rejects the previously proposed House Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108651D).
Accepts a new Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26109929D) to address penalties for stalking through electronically transmitted communication.

The specific details of the new amendment are not provided, making it unclear what exact changes will be made to § 18.2-60.3 of the Code of Virginia.
Without the full text of Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26109929D), it is impossible to describe the concrete changes it would make.

SB673S3

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: The amendment changes the penalty for stalking by electronically transmitted communication from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony if it is a second offense within five years.

A person who commits a second offense of stalking through electronic means within five years will be charged with a Class 6 felony instead of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

The amendment text does not provide details on how the change affects existing cases or specific penalties for the new felony charge.
It is unclear if there are additional requirements or changes to enforcement procedures that were omitted from this summary.

Bill History

2026-04-08 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 516 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-08 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0516)
2026-04-01 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB673)
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
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-30 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB673ER)
2026-03-17 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB673)
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Senate
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/14/2026 12:39 pm)
2026-03-14 House
Conference report agreed to by House (96-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-14 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate Conferees: Mulchi, Perry, Favola
2026-03-12 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-12 House
House Conferees: Watts, Thornton, Davis
2026-03-11 House
House insisted on substitute
2026-03-11 House
House requested conference committee
2026-03-10 Senate
House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40- 0-A)
2026-03-09 House
Read third time
2026-03-09 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-03-09 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-03-09 House
Passed House with substitute Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-06 House
Read second time
2026-03-05 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB673)
2026-03-04 Appropriations
Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
2026-03-03 Transportation & Public Safety
Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety
2026-03-03 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute printed 26108651D-H1
2026-03-02 Criminal
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/2/2026 8:44 am)
2026-03-02 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-27 Criminal
House subcommittee offered
2026-02-27 Criminal
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)
2026-02-24 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-24 House
Read first time
2026-02-24 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2026-02-24 Criminal
Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
2026-02-17 Senate
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 8:47 am)
2026-02-17 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-16 Senate
Reading of substitute waived
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed
2026-02-16 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - floor substitute (Voice Vote)
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - floor substitute
2026-02-16 Senate
Reading of substitute waived
2026-02-16 Senate
Floor substitute printed 26108030D-S2 (Mulchi)
2026-02-16 Senate
Floor Offered
2026-02-16 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB673)
2026-02-16 Courts of Justice
Courts of Justice Substitute rejected
2026-02-16 Senate
Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)
2026-02-16 Senate
Senator Mulchi Substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-13 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-12 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-12 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-12 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-11 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 1-N)
2026-02-10 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute printed 26107494D-S1
2026-02-10 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/10/2026 2:07 pm)
2026-02-09 Courts of Justice
Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice
2026-02-09 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 3-N)
2026-02-09 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-04 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-04 Courts of Justice
Senate committee offered
2026-01-26 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-01-24 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB673)
2026-01-20 Senate
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/20/2026 4:40 pm)
2026-01-14 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104517D
2026-01-14 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Stalking by electronically transmitted communication; penalty.
Provides that "electronically transmitted communication" includes communication by telephone, computer, or other electronic device for the offense of stalking, which is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor or, if the second offense occurs within five years of a prior conviction for stalking, is punishable as a Class 6 felony.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend and reenact §
18.2-60.3
of the Code of Virginia, relating to stalking by electronically transmitted communication; penalty.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
18.2-60.3
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
18.2-60.3
. Stalking; penalty.
A.
For purposes of this section:
"Electronically transmitted communication" includes communication by telephone, computer, or other electronic device.
"Family or household member" has the same meaning as provided in §
16.1-228
.
B.
Any person, except a law-enforcement officer, as defined in §
9.1-101
, and acting in the performance of his official duties, and a registered private investigator, as defined in §
9.1-138
, who is regulated in accordance with §
9.1-139
and acting in the course of his legitimate business, who on more than one occasion engages in conduct, either in person or through any other means, including by mail, telephone, or an electronically transmitted communication, directed at another person with the intent to place, or when he knows or reasonably should know that the conduct places that other person in reasonable fear of death, criminal sexual assault, or bodily injury to that other person or to that other person's family or household member is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If the person contacts or follows or attempts to contact or follow the person at whom the conduct is directed after being given actual notice that the person does not want to be contacted or followed, such actions shall be prima facie evidence that the person intended to place that other person, or reasonably should have known that the other person was placed, in reasonable fear of death, criminal sexual assault, or bodily injury to himself

or
a family or household member.
B.
C.
Any person who is convicted of a second offense of subsection
A
B
occurring within five years of a prior conviction of such an offense under this section or for a substantially similar offense under the law of any other jurisdiction is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
C. A person may be convicted under this section in any jurisdiction within the Commonwealth wherein the conduct described in subsection
A
B
occurred, if the person engaged in that conduct on at least one occasion in the jurisdiction where the person is tried or in the jurisdiction where the person at whom the conduct is directed resided at the time of such conduct. Evidence of any such conduct that occurred outside the Commonwealth may be admissible, if relevant, in any prosecution under this section.
D. Upon finding a person guilty under this section, the court shall, in addition to the sentence imposed, issue an order prohibiting contact between the defendant and the victim or the victim's family or household member.
E. The Department of Corrections, sheriff
,
or regional jail director shall give notice prior to the release from a state correctional facility or a local or regional jail of any person incarcerated upon conviction of a violation of this section, to any victim of the offense who, in writing, requests notice, or to any person designated in writing by the victim. The notice shall be given at least 15 days prior to release of a person sentenced to a term of incarceration of more than 30 days or, if the person was sentenced to a term of incarceration of at least 48 hours but no more than 30 days, 24 hours prior to release. If the person escapes, notice shall be given as soon as practicable following the escape. The victim shall keep the Department of Corrections, sheriff
,
or regional jail director informed of the current mailing address and telephone number of the person named in the writing submitted to receive notice.
All information relating to any person who receives or may receive notice under this subsection shall remain confidential and shall not be made available to the person convicted of violating this section.
For purposes of this subsection, "release" includes a release of the offender from a state correctional facility or a local or regional jail (i) upon completion of his term of incarceration or (ii) on probation or parole.
No civil liability shall attach to the Department of Corrections nor to any sheriff or regional jail director or their deputies or employees for a failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection
.
F. For purposes of this section:
"Family or household member" has the same meaning as provided in §
16.1-228
.
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 cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.