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Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill

SB 71: Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin.

In committee Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 71 is a bill introduced in the Virginia Senate on December 17, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin. Primary sponsor: Barbara Favola (Democratic). It lists 2 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (February 9, 2026): Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice (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.

Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions; absence of next of kin. Authorizes, for purposes of the Health Care Decisions Act, the patient care consulting committee to make health care decisions for a patient incapable of making informed decisions when no next of kin is reasonably available.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 3

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Barbara FavolaPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate40
Saddam SalimCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate37
Kannan SrinivasanCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate32

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)
  2. Rereferred to Committee for Courts of Justice
  3. Passed by temporarily
  4. Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
  5. Education and Health Amendment agreed to
  6. Read second time
  7. Passed by for the day
  8. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
  9. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
  10. Rules suspended
  11. Reported from Education and Health with amendment (11-Y 2-N 1-A)
  12. Senate committee offered

Showing 12 most recent of 17 actions. Full history

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source