SB83 • 2026

District or circuit court; possession of portable electronic devices.

An Act to amend and reenact § 53.1-5 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 16.1-69.35:4, 17.1-128.2, 18.2-469.1, 53.1-120.1, and 53.1-127.2:1, relating to security policies for courthouses and local or regional correctional facilities; penalty.

Crime Labor

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Salim
Last action: 2026-05-19
Official status: Governor's Veto
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was vetoed by the Governor, so it did not become law and its provisions are not enforceable.

Courthouse and Jail Security Policies

This act updates Virginia's laws to set new security policies for courthouses regarding portable electronic devices by visitors and establishes minimum standards for jails to ensure prisoners can communicate privately with their attorneys.

What This Bill Does

Requires judges of district and circuit courts to create rules about using portable electronic devices by visitors in courtrooms.
Allows sheriffs to exempt attorneys who display a valid Virginia State Bar-issued bar card and government ID from security screenings at courthouses, but creates penalties for suspended or disbarred lawyers attempting to bypass these checks with fake IDs.
Sets up new minimum standards for jails to ensure that prisoners can communicate privately with their attorneys using phones or the internet.

Who It Names or Affects

Visitors and employees of courthouses in Virginia
Lawyers practicing in Virginia courts
Prisoners in local correctional facilities

Terms To Know

Portable Electronic Devices: Items like smartphones, tablets, or laptops that can be carried around and used to communicate.
Class 1 Misdemeanor: A serious crime in Virginia that is less severe than a felony but more serious than other types of misdemeanors.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was vetoed by the Governor, so it did not become law.
It's unclear if there will be further study or changes to these security policies based on public safety concerns.

Amendments

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

SB83G

2026-04-11 • Governor

Governor's Recommendation

Plain English: (SB83) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION 1.

(SB83) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION 1.
After line 183, enrolled insert 3.
That the provisions of this act shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.

SB83AH1

2026-03-03 • Committee

Courts of Justice Amendment

Plain English: 3/03/2026 SB 83 COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.

3/03/2026 SB 83 COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.
Line 153, engrossed, after facilities strike the remainder of line 153, all of line 154, and through p.m.
on line 155 COURTS OF JUSTICE 2.
Line 164, engrossed, after employees insert or law-enforcement officers, or both, COURTS OF JUSTICE 3.

SB83EDOC

2026-03-04 • House

House Amendments

Plain English: 3/04/2026 (SB83) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE HOUSE COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.

3/04/2026 (SB83) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE HOUSE COURTS OF JUSTICE 1.
Line 153, engrossed, after facilities strike the remainder of line 153, all of line 154, and through p.m.
on line 155 COURTS OF JUSTICE 2.
Line 164, engrossed, after employees insert or law-enforcement officers, or both, COURTS OF JUSTICE 3.

Bill History

2026-05-19 Senate
Governor's Veto Received by Senate
2026-05-19 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
Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (24-Y 15-N 0-A)
2026-04-11 Governor
Governor's recommendation received by Senate
2026-03-14 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
2026-03-14 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-12 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-12 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-12 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-12 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB83ER)
2026-03-12 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83)
2026-03-06 Senate
House amendments agreed to by Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 House
Read third time
2026-03-04 House
committee amendments agreed to
2026-03-04 House
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-03-04 House
Passed House with amendments Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 House
Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
2026-03-04 House
Passed House with amendments Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-03 House
Read second time
2026-03-02 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-23 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83)
2026-02-18 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-18 House
Read first time
2026-02-18 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2026-02-13 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 13-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-12 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)
2026-02-12 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)
2026-02-12 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-02-11 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-11 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-11 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-11 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-10 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
2026-02-02 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)
2026-02-02 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83)
2026-02-02 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute printed 26105369D-S1
2026-01-26 Courts of Justice
Senate committee offered
2026-01-26 Senate
Senate committee offered
2025-12-29 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100784D
2025-12-29 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Security policies for courthouses and local or regional correctional facilities; penalty.
Adds several provisions relating to courthouse and courtroom security. The bill requires the chief judge of each general district court, juvenile and domestic relations district court, and circuit court to set a policy regarding the use and possession of portable electronic devices by visitors to the court. The bill authorizes such chief judge to condition the use and possession of portable electronic devices upon certain limitations.
The bill also provides that if a sheriff allows courthouse employees to bypass any security screening required to enter a courthouse, such sheriff shall also exempt from the security screening any attorney who displays a valid Virginia State Bar-issued bar card and a government-issued identification. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any attorney who has had his license to practice law in the Commonwealth suspended or revoked and who displays a Virginia State Bar-issued bar card in an effort to be exempt from the security screening.
Finally, the bill requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to develop and establish minimum standards to ensure that attorneys have sufficient opportunities to have confidential visits with their clients and requires sheriffs or jail superintendents to provide a telephonic, electronic, or web-based communication method for prisoners in local correctional facilities to communicate with attorneys.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

(SB83)
GOVERNOR'S VETO
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 83.
Without additional study or a clear public safety benefit, I do not support mandating new statewide security screening exemptions for attorneys at courthouses. Any such statewide changes to security protocols should be based on clear evidence that such changes would have no impact on — or ideally, improve — public safety.
Accordingly, I veto this bill.