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SB804 • 2026

Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report.

An Act to amend and reenact § 17.1-905 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Deeds
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report.

Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report.

What This Bill Does

  • Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report.
  • Provides that the decision of whether to rescind or redact any portion of the annual report submitted by the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission shall be made by consensus of a majority of the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and the ranking members of the minority party serving on such Committees.
  • The bill provides that if no such action to rescind or redact any portion of the annual report is taken, the report shall be published within 30 days of submission.
  • The bill provides that such 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly, and if the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, such period shall be extended to the next day that is not one of those days.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

SB804AHC1

2026-02-27

Courts of Justice Amendment

Plain English: OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/27/2026 SB 804 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

  • OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/27/2026 SB 804 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
  • Line 33, engrossed, after be strike the remainder of line 33 and through released on line 34 insert published.
  • The 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly.
  • If the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, the 30-day period shall be extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed
SB804AHC2

2026-02-27 • Committee

Criminal Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: 2/27/2026 SB 804 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

  • 2/27/2026 SB 804 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
  • Line 33, engrossed, after be strike the remainder of line 33 and through released on line 34 insert published.
  • The 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly.
  • If the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, the 30-day period shall be extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed
SB804AH1

2026-03-02 • Committee

Courts of Justice Amendment

Plain English: 3/02/2026 SB 804 COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.

  • 3/02/2026 SB 804 COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.
  • Line 33, engrossed, after be strike the remainder of line 33 and through released on line 34 insert published.
  • The 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly.
  • If the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, the 30-day period shall be extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed
SB804EDOC

2026-03-04 • House

House Amendment

Plain English: 3/04/2026 (SB804) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE HOUSE COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.

  • 3/04/2026 (SB804) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE HOUSE COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.
  • Line 33, engrossed, after be strike the remainder of line 33 and through released on line 34 insert published.
  • The 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly.
  • If the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, the 30-day period shall be extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 958 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0958)

  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. 2026-03-12 House

    Signed by Speaker

  6. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Signed by President

  7. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Enrolled

  8. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB804ER)

  9. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB804)

  10. 2026-03-06 Senate

    House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  11. 2026-03-04 House

    Read third time

  12. 2026-03-04 House

    committee amendment agreed to

  13. 2026-03-04 House

    Engrossed by House as amended

  14. 2026-03-04 House

    Passed House with amendment Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)

  15. 2026-03-04 House

    Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

  16. 2026-03-04 House

    Passed House with amendment Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A)

  17. 2026-03-03 House

    Read second time

  18. 2026-03-02 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)

  19. 2026-02-27 Criminal

    House subcommittee offered

  20. 2026-02-27 Criminal

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)

  21. 2026-02-24 House

    Placed on Calendar

  22. 2026-02-24 House

    Read first time

  23. 2026-02-24 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  24. 2026-02-24 Criminal

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

  25. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Read second time

  26. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Rules suspended

  27. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  28. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  29. 2026-02-17 Senate

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

  30. 2026-02-16 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice (13-Y 0-N)

  31. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Rules suspended

  32. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  33. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  34. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  35. 2026-02-06 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB804)

  36. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Presented and ordered printed 26105246D

  37. 2026-01-23 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report.
Provides that the decision of whether to rescind or redact any portion of the annual report submitted by the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission shall be made by consensus of a majority of the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and the ranking members of the minority party serving on such Committees. The bill provides that if no such action to rescind or redact any portion of the annual report is taken, the report shall be published within 30 days of submission. The bill provides that such 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly, and if the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, such period shall be extended to the next day that is not one of those days. The bill contains technical amendments.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend and reenact §
17.1-905
of the Code of Virginia, relating to Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
17.1-905
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
17.1-905
. Annual report.
On or before December 1 of each year, the Commission shall submit to the
Chairmen and ranking members
Chairs
of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice
and to the ranking Delegate and Senator of the minority party serving on such Committees
a report detailing the activities of the Commission for the prior year. The report shall include the number of complaints filed with the Commission; the number of complaints originating from attorneys, judges, court employees, or the general public; the number of complaints dismissed based on (i) failure to fall within the jurisdiction of the Commission, (ii) failure to state a violation of the Canons of Judicial Conduct, or (iii) failure of the Commission to reach a conclusion that the Canons were breached; the number of complaints for which the Commission concluded that the Canons of Judicial Conduct were breached; and the number of cases from which the staff or any member of the Commission recused himself due to an actual or possible conflict. The report shall also include (a) the name of any judge who the Commission concluded breached the Canons of Judicial Conduct and took disciplinary action against as a result of such conclusion, if the date on which the Commission reached such conclusion was after the previous annual report was published; (b) the specific Canons of Judicial Conduct breached by such judge; and (c) the disciplinary action taken against such judge by the Commission.
No annual report shall be considered confidential following the
Following
submission
of such report
to the
Chairmen
Chairs
of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice
, no report shall be considered confidential to the extent that such Chairs may release such report to members of the General Assembly and in accordance with the provisions of this section
. The decision of whether to
release
rescind or redact any portion of
such annual report
publicly
shall
be made by the General Assembly
require the consensus of a majority of the Chairs and such ranking members to whom the annual report is submitted pursuant to this section. If no action to rescind or redact any portion of the annual report is taken or if a consensus to take such action cannot be reached within 30 days of submission to the Chairs and ranking members, the annual report shall be
published. The 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly. If the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, the 30-day period shall be extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed
.