PASSED PAROLE BILLS - 2022
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SB 5 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; Virginia Parole Board member votes.
Introduced by: David R. Suetterlein [R]
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; Virginia Parole Board member votes. Provides that individual votes of the members of the Virginia Parole Board are public records and subject to the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.​
03/11/22 Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 26 (effective 7/1/22)
View bill here.
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SB 547 Virginia Parole Board; monthly reports
Introduced by: Bill DeSteph [R]
Virginia Parole Board; monthly reports. Requires the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) to publish a statement regarding any action taken by the Board on the parole of a prisoner within 30 days of such action and to include in such statement information regarding the length of sentence and the date such sentence was imposed for each prisoner considered for parole.
04/07/22 Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 141 (effective 7/1/22)
View bill here.
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FAILED OR CONTINUED TO 2023
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HB 435 Parole Board; powers and duties. FAILED
Introduced by: Thomas C. Wright, Jr. [R]
Parole Board; powers and duties. Provides that (i) no person shall be released on parole unless the decision to grant parole is made unanimously by the Board; (ii) the frequency for review by the Board of an inmate eligible for parole is changed from at least annually to every three years after the initial review of the case; and (iii) as a part of the investigation before the Board decides to grant or deny parole, the Board shall, if applicable, review in its entirety the transcript from the trial that resulted in the conviction or convictions for which the inmate is currently serving a term of imprisonment.
02/03/22 House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute with amendments HB435EH1
02/04/22 House: VOTE: Passage (52-Y 48-N)
02/07/22 Senate: Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services
02/18/22 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Rehabilitation and Social Services (8-Y 7-N)
View bill here.
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HJ 66 Constitutional amendment; limitations on power of the General Assembly, parole FAILED.
Introduced by: Jason S. Ballard [R]
Constitutional amendment (first reference); limitations on power of the General Assembly; parole. Provides that, with the exception of the eligibility of a person convicted of a felony offense committed while such person was a juvenile, the General Assembly shall not enact any law authorizing the eligibility of a person convicted of a felony offense committed on or after January 1, 1995, and sentenced and committed to the Department of Corrections by a court under the laws
02/15/22 House: Left in Privileges and Elections
View bill here.
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SB 109 Offenders under 21 years of age; parole FAILED
Introduced by: Joseph D. Morrissey [D]
Offenders under 21 years of age; parole. Provides that any person sentenced to a term of life imprisonment for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was under 21 years of age and who has served at least 20 years of such sentence and any person who has active sentences that total more than 20 years for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was under 21 years of age and who has served at least 20 years of such sentences shall be eligible for parole. Under current law, such parole provisions apply only to juvenile offenders.
01/19/22 Senate: Engrossed by Senate (21-Y 19-N)
01/20/22 Senate: Read third time and defeated by Senate (19-Y 21-N)
View bill here.
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SB 110 Juvenile offenders; parole eligibility. FAILED.
Introduced by: Joseph D. Morrissey [D]
Juvenile offenders; parole eligibility. Provides that any person who has active sentences that total more than 20 years for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was a juvenile and who has served the lesser of at least 20 years of such sentences or 30 percent of the term of imprisonment imposed for such sentences shall be eligible for parole. Under current law, such person must have served at least 20 years before becoming parole eligible.
01/06/22 Senate: Referred to Committee on the Judiciary
01/17/22 Senate: Reported from Judiciary (8-Y 7-N)
02/01/22 Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 6-N)
02/10/22 Senate: Read third time and defeated by Senate (19-Y 21-N)
View bill here.
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SB 112 Application of parole statutes for juveniles and persons committed upon felony offenses committed.
Introduced by: Joseph D. Morrissey [D]
Application of parole statutes for juveniles and persons committed upon felony offenses committed on or after January 1, 1995. Repeals the abolition of parole. The bill requires the Virginia Parole Board to establish procedures for consideration of parole for persons who were previously ineligible for parole because parole was abolished and to allow for an extension of time for the scheduling of a parole interview for reasonable cause.
01/31/22 Senate: Continued to 2023 in Judiciary (15-Y 0-N)
View bill here.
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SB 135 Virginia Parole Board; membership; records; report
Introduced by: John S. Edwards [D]
Virginia Parole Board; membership; records; report. Increases from five to 11 the number of members to be appointed to the Virginia Parole Board (the Board). The bill requires the Board to (i) include in its monthly report regarding actions taken by the Board on the parole of prisoners the number of votes in favor of granting or denying parole of each prisoner and (ii) ensure that any records, reports, or other documents used to determine a person's suitability for parole be made available for review by such person or his counsel pursuant to Board regulations. The bill contains technical amendments.
02/04/22 Senate: Continued to 2023 in Rehabilitation and Social Services (11-Y 0-N)
View bill here.
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SB 680 Conditional release of geriatric prisoners FAILED
Introduced by: Mark D. Obenshain [R]
Conditional release of geriatric prisoners. Expands the list of offenses that would prohibit a person from petitioning the Parole Board for conditional release as a geriatric prisoner if the offense was committed on or after July 1, 2022.
02/04/22 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Rehabilitation and Social Services (8-Y 7-N)
View bill here.
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SB 745 Parole; exception to the limitation on the application of parole statutes; felony marijuana. FAILED
Introduced by: Scott A. Surovell [D]
Parole; exception to the limitation on the application of parole statutes; felony marijuana convictions. Provides that a person is eligible to be considered for parole if such person was convicted of certain felony marijuana offenses when such offense was committed on or after January 1, 1995, and the person was committed by a court to the Department of Corrections and remained incarcerated for such offense on July 1, 2022.
02/07/22 Senate: Reported from Judiciary with substitute (9-Y 6-N)
02/07/22 Senate: Committee substitute printed 22106159D-S1
02/07/22 Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
02/07/22 Senate: Incorporates SB518 (Lucas)
02/10/22 Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with amendment (12-Y 4-N)
02/15/22 Senate: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/15/22 Senate: Passed Senate (22-Y 18-N)
03/02/22 House: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 7-N)
03/02/22 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
03/02/22 House: Committee substitute printed 22107177D-H1
03/04/22 House: Tabled in Appropriations (12-Y 10-N)
03/07/22 House: Reconsidered by Appropriations
03/07/22 House: Failed to report (defeated) in Appropriations (10-Y 12-N)
View bill here.