[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6357597,"mediaKeyId","2213888-a4123d0f4f9edf5da01afceee9a5931f","parentId",2213888,"title","Courts of Justice subcommittees report multiple civil and criminal bills; votes at a glance","audioSeconds",1088,"startMs",642000,"endMs",1730000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213888-a4123d0f4f9edf5da01afceee9a5931f&start=642&end=1730","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213888-a4123d0f4f9edf5da01afceee9a5931f/thumbnail_642000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6357597/Virginia/Courts-of-Justice-subcommittees-report-multiple-civil-and-criminal-bills-votes-at-a-glance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357597-ef53937712f5746b22866ecfd2f1c987/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147494&Signature=RTiOY1DLYK0a9ukOiDt4lQ6nuTR~wYMzz9YmHo2F~CjcgrWG2~VgDu6XDIntVkeeNzE1PhjieB8mQS0SRzeW5PNYyOHEKJ31eiwh48ZGhKDwrJ-aBVsTToZltM40SRoDUtB062iE2hA7IMjXu1QBvUg-qEnaeXJ-nAORg~OhPL13rD6AxwjLmSzjxe4PK1Fan1c70joE6~5-6X57kPbeHWQFx~QoMWUT~fbNLOZtZUGAxF6Wd59gvD4hsQ-3EuMJ--xhh-QUSGfM1SmgvTlivis1XP-~ElB1kSXf~qM3wLUgsXsclPq9TRH5LWOgy-D4mmRnT8sunv0HMQlE29mFcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Virginia Legislature","date","2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","article","The civil and criminal subcommittees of the House Courts of Justice committee reported a slate of bills to the full committee during the session, advancing measures on public housing tenant protections, voting‑eligibility standards for incapacitated persons, expanded definitions for certain public‑safety offenses and property seizure for financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.

Many bills were reported unanimously or with strong majorities; several received contested votes. Below is a concise summary of the bills discussed and the committee roll results as recorded during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- HB 23‑51 (Delegate Hernandez): Removes the $25,000,000 cap on suspension bonds and irrevocable letters of credit for appellants during appeals. Reported (block) 17‑0.

- HB 24‑31 (substitute): Allows certain graduates who studied law under supervision to sit for the Virginia bar exam (language developed with input from OES, VBBE and SCHEV). Reported (block) 17‑0.

- HB 24‑15 (Delegate Cousins, substitute): Exempts indigent defendants from posting an appeal bond in unlawful detainer actions brought by a public housing authority; restricts public housing authorities from charging tenants for maintenance except when tenant‑caused; requires notices of nonpayment to include recertification information printed on pink or orange paper per federal rules. Reported with substitute on a committee vote of 13‑7.

- HB 27‑46 (Delegate Tran, substitute): Provides that a guardianship finding of incapacity does not automatically equal a finding of mental incompetence for voting eligibility; the court must specifically find a person lacks the capacity to understand voting before depriving voting rights. Reported with substitute 14‑6.

- HB 15‑83 (Delegate Ballard): Adds the threat to discharge a firearm to existing felonies involving threats to bomb, burn or damage a place of assembly or transport; raises the age threshold in one provision (from under 15 to under 18). Subcommittee recommended reporting; final recorded report vote 20‑0.

- HB 17‑15 (patron Watts, substitute): Makes \"veil theft\" a state crime to address increased mail/package theft and related fraud; reported with substitute 20‑0.

- HB 17‑26 (Delegate Price, substitute): Creates a class 4 felony for flying a drone to obtain images of technical information within a contracted defense facility and directs the Crime Commission to study analogous protections for other critical infrastructure. Reported with substitute 20‑0.

- HB 19‑98 (Delegate Walker, substitute): As substituted, creates a class 5 felony for maliciously threatening eviction or other losses to coerce a person into engaging in sexual acts (extortion by threatening to post intimate images), with penalties adjusted by age; reported with substitute 18‑2.

- HB 20‑36 (substitute): Expands reckless driving to include stopping or slowing traffic for street takeovers or exhibition driving, authorizes impound/immobilization and penalizes riding outside passenger compartments; substitute tightened the definition of exhibition driving (now requires five or more spectators) and reduced one penalty from class 1 to class 3 misdemeanor; reported 17‑3.

- HB 21‑23 (Delegate Maldonado, substitute): Allows courts to issue certain protective orders for up to four years if the respondent had a prior protective order within 10 years; also allows two‑year extensions; reported with substitute 18‑2.

- HB 24‑06 (Delegate Scott): Clarifies the definition of \"law enforcement officer\" referenced in certain statutes to resolve conflicting listings; reported 20‑0 after returning the bill to its original form.

- HB 27‑83 (Delegate Simon): Makes placing a [intimidating object/sign] on another's private property or public place with intent to intimidate a class 6 felony; reported 20‑0.

- HB 21‑20 (substitute): Establishes procedures for seizing property used in or derived from financial exploitation of vulnerable adults and clarifies seizure/forfeiture statutes; reported with substitute 20‑0.

Contested items and notable discussion

Committee debate was limited on many bills but surfaced on several criminal‑justice measures. Members discussed the drafting and prosecutorial implications of HB 20‑36 (exhibition driving); Delegate Simon expressed concern that the measure, while well‑intended, could increase opportunities for pretextual stops and pledged to work with the patron to tighten language on the floor. HB 24‑15 (public housing) drew a 13‑7 recorded vote after subcommittee substitution and discussion of tenants’ protections and recertification procedures. HB 27‑46 (voting and incapacity) was debated as it changes the presumption around incapacity findings and the right to vote and was reported 14‑6.

Next steps

Bills reported by subcommittees move forward in the committee process according to the House rules; several of the measures here will be scheduled for full committee consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Courts Of Justice Friday, Jan 31, 2025 5:13 PM - 5:44 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Civil and criminal subcommittees reported a block of bills affecting housing, voting rights, public safety, drones, and protective orders. Most bills were reported unanimously or by strong margins; several contested items recorded closer votes.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature VA, Virginia","taxId",77687,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6357602,"Committee reports House Bill 15‑49 to penalize parents who knowingly allow unlicensed minors to drive",461,170000,631000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213888-a4123d0f4f9edf5da01afceee9a5931f&start=170&end=631","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213888-a4123d0f4f9edf5da01afceee9a5931f/thumbnail_170000.jpg","/articles/6357602/Virginia/Committee-reports-House-Bill-1549-to-penalize-parents-who-knowingly-allow-unlicensed-minors-to-drive","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357602-b849e2391f1232309328f63926093bd8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147494&Signature=YOz9RR5gpSBbAxlPqKeazrzIE3Y0GTG3PfvH91NEY-ep4AcibknjaU3ZJhXwJILbU1fuRzZmEzRPVhK56iqCxw2zl7KSjjgm~8CgCf~D3AI6IbAypBuXzVaFFiXmwcuoM7VPaMqEm1bXZRUEzqaIsdFR0LGPcZSw5o5y48O-LotecVs9GT9rf~uzgncOjIpi3aRteH2WHvMr66m324G5QbEAi~SphOCF51IbcW2juf~iWJU9Rz5aY4rowMobL2iIHFqzxFM3pWlJaEVFx~mu1KgRVLxRq-btBKgV75vVGsaQza1COOOxOA6awXe~JOfR334m8CyVO3zxbPBPtbDJ9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Courts of Justice subcommittee reported House Bill 15‑49, sponsored by Delegate Delia Green, which would make certain parental actions related to allowing unlicensed minors to operate motor vehicles criminally punishable. The substitute before the subcommittee — as amended and reported to the full committee — was adopted and reported by a recorded vote of 20 to 0.

The substitute adds the phrase “or learner’s permit” to the statute’s language and conditions a class 1 misdemeanor on conduct that \"results in a motor vehicle accident that causes injury or death to any person, provided that such violation does not otherwise constitute a felony.\" The provision references Virginia Code §46.2‑335 and applies the amended subsection’s sentence to three enumerated conduct categories in subsection e, including a newly added romanette describing a minor who operates a vehicle without a license or learner’s permit.

The bill was introduced by Delegate Delia Green, who told the committee the measure was born from a fatal crash in York County about five years earlier that killed a teen named Connor Guido. Tammy Guido, identified in the meeting as Connor’s mother, was in the hearing room and was acknowledged by Green for her advocacy on safe driving.

Committee members questioned whether the substitute as drafted would limit prosecution for the conduct listed in the first two romanettes unless an injury-causing accident occurred. Delegate Arnold asked whether the draft unintentionally required an injury or accident before those actions could be charged; committee counsel Hatcher confirmed that, \"as written, [the language] applies to all 3\" romanettes. Arnold said he intended to support the bill but worried the current drafting could remove the ability to punish the conduct in romanettes 1 and 2 unless an accident occurred.

To address that concern, Delegate Arnold offered a friendly amendment to preserve the original penal language for romanettes 1 and 2 while making the new romanette 3 (the minor/learner-permit provision) subject to the accident‑result requirement. Committee counsel Hatcher explained a drafting fix — splitting sentences so that the first two romanettes remain a standalone sentence making them punishable as a class 1 misdemeanor, while the new third romanette would be a separate sentence conditioned on injury or death — could accomplish the requested intent. Delegate Green said her intent was not to make it easier to avoid punishment. The friendly amendment was accepted and adopted by voice vote.

After the drafting adjustment, a motion to report the substitute as amended was made and seconded. The clerk closed the roll and the subcommittee reported the substitute as amended by a recorded vote of 20 to 0. Earlier in the process the bill had moved from the House Transportation Committee and was re-referred to the Courts of Justice committee for this consideration.

The bill now proceeds in the committee process with the substitute as amended, carrying the drafting change that legislative counsel described would preserve criminal penalties for the conduct in the first two romanettes while applying the newly added accident‑result condition to the third romanette only.","The committee advanced a substitute to House Bill 15‑49, sponsored by Delegate Delia Green, that narrows parental liability tied to unlicensed minor drivers and was amended to preserve penalties for certain prior offenses; the substitute as amended was reported 20‑0.","actionData","errors"]

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Courts of Justice subcommittees report multiple civil and criminal bills; votes at a glance

Committee reports House Bill 15‑49 to penalize parents who knowingly allow unlicensed minors to drive