Criminal Subcommittee

Monday, February 9, 2026·1h 20m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Criminal Subcommittee tabled two bills — an animal cruelty database bill and a proposal to allow temporary sealing of criminal complaints — while advancing a Brady List due process bill with amendments and referring an underage alcohol and marijuana decriminalization bill to Appropriations amid unresolved fiscal and implementation concerns.

Key Actions

·HB 853 – Petition for Modification of a SentencePassed

+ 2 more actions

Controversies

Eileen Longenecker's surprise at being assigned to implement HB 673

Delegate McLaughlin presented a substitute for HB 673 as a worked-out solution, but Eileen Longenecker of OES at the Supreme Court stated this was the first she was hearing of the bill, that it would have a fiscal impact, and that OES involvement was not something that could just be easily slipped in — directly contradicting the presentation of the bill as finalized.

+ 6 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“Fundamentally, in Virginia, when we are at the point of saying we are ready to arrest someone and charge them with a crime, that becomes the public, that is the commonwealth, against this individual. And I don't think that fundamentally we want to go down the road of allowing anyone to seal those records.”
Delegate Schmidt — Delegate Schmidt explained his philosophical objection to HB 1029, which would allow prosecutors to ask a judge to temporarily seal written criminal complaints, and then moved to table the bill.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Carry over HB 853Passed

Adopt substitute for HB 673Passed

Lay HB 673 on the tablePassed

Adopt substitute for HB 1029Passed

Lay HB 1029 on the table (moved by Delegate Schmidt)Passed

Adopt line amendments to HB 974Passed

Move to report HB 974 with amendmentsPassed

Adopt substitute for HB 1432Passed

Report HB 1432 and refer to AppropriationsPassed

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TranscriptPreview

But we've all come from many, many other meetings. Yes, Delegate Delaney. So, Madam Chair, kind of perhaps an administrative item. We have House Bill 853 before us. Patron by Delegate Cousins. This bill, I know has been discussed quite a bit this session. I know stakeholders are very close to consensus, but I don't think we're there yet. And so I wanted to make the motion to carry over House Bill 853 so that everyone who is and has been working so hard on this bill can have this next year to really come together to find that consensus on the right way to proceed. And so I would move to carry this bill over. Thank you. And there's a second. So we carry it over and those who are working on it know how they're all going to come together and really keep on working on it. Okay. Excellent. Madam Chair. Further questions. Delegate Williams? Yeah, I was wondering if the patron needed any kind of like letter or follow up or pressure or anything like that. Thank you, Madam Chair. And to the delegate, I think we, we can figure out a path forward. So I'll be…

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