Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill
HB 1280: State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment & education program, report.
Passed one chamber Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
HB 1280 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 14, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment & education program, report. Primary sponsor: Josh Cole (Democratic). It lists 12 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (March 4, 2026): Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N).
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.
State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment and educational programs; reentry planning. Expands the program assignments in which the Director of the Department of Corrections may place a prisoner while such prisoner is confined in a state correctional facility. The bill requires the Director to place a prisoner in an appropriate program assignment within (i) 90 days of the arrival of a prisoner sentenced to a new term of confinement to a state correctional facility or (ii) 60 days of a prisoner already in custody being transferred to a new state correctional facility and provides that participation in such program assignments shall be for an average of 30 hours per week, calculated individually across the calendar year. Finally, the bill expands upon the requirements for a prisoner's reentry plan, including requiring an assessment, if necessary, of a prisoner's readiness to take a high school equivalency test and any modifications needed for the prisoner to take or improve upon such test, and making available peer and group educational programs developed and led by qualified prisoners.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 11
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Cole | Primary sponsor | Democratic | House | 65 |
| Lashrecse Aird | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 13 |
| Jessica L. Anderson | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Destiny LeVere Bolling | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 80 |
| Stacey Annie Carroll | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Nadarius Clark | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 84 |
| Nicole Cole | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 66 |
| Rae Cousins | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 79 |
| J.R. Henson | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 19 |
| Karen Keys-Gamarra | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 7 |
| Cia Price | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 85 |
| Irene Shin | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 8 |
| Vivian Watts | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 14 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
- Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)
- Committee substitute printed 26108856D-S1
- Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
- Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)
- Read third time and passed House (91-Y 5-N 0-A)
- Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- committee substitute agreed to
- Read second time
- Read first time
Showing 12 most recent of 23 actions. Full history