Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill
HB 885: Court Date Reminder Program; established, 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 885 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 13, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Court Date Reminder Program; established, report. Primary sponsor: Patrick Hope (Democratic). It lists 14 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (March 3, 2026): Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (14-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.
Court Date Reminder Program established. Establishes a Court Date Reminder Program, to be developed or procured by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, for the purpose of reminding criminal defendants to appear at each of their scheduled court appearances. The bill directs the Program to send a text message notification to any defendant with a criminal case in general district court or circuit court for whom the court has a telephone number prior to any scheduled hearing that requires his appearance and allows a defendant to opt out of participating in the Program. The Program has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.The bill also directs the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to convene a Court Date Reminder Program work group to advise on the implementation and expansion of the Program and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice by December 1, 2026.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 12
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Hope | Primary sponsor | Democratic | House | 1 |
| Elizabeth Bennett-Parker | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 39 |
| Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Josh Cole | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 65 |
| Rae Cousins | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 79 |
| Lindsey Dougherty | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 75 |
| Margaret A. Franklin | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| J.R. Henson | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 19 |
| Karen Keys-Gamarra | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 7 |
| May Nivar | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 57 |
| Cia Price | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 85 |
| Charlie Schmidt | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Josh Thomas | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 21 |
| Virgil Thornton | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 86 |
| Kathy Tran | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 18 |
“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 (14-Y 0-N)
- Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N)
- Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Read third time and passed House (96-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- committee substitute agreed to
- Read second time
- Read first time
- Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)
- Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB885)
Showing 12 most recent of 21 actions. Full history