Judicial district and circuit courts; maximum number of judges.
Introduced
Moved
Reached a final decision
Became law
Derived from the official record below.
Officially: “An Act to amend and reenact §§ 16.1-69.6:1, 17.1-400, 17.1-402, and 17.1-507 of the Code of Virginia, relating to maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit;” Read the full text
2026 session
What it does
Maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit; maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia; hearing en banc; study to examine organization and boundaries of certain judicial circuits; report. Increases from 17 to 21 the maximum number of authorized judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The bill removes provisions that require the Court of Appeals to sit en banc in certain instances, making the decision of whether to sit en banc entirely discretionary. The
From the official legislative record, shown verbatim. Not legal advice.
Where it is
Introduced · Jan 12, 2026
Acts of Assembly Chapter 615 (latest official status)
Latest official status shown, exactly as the official record states it. The step by step history lives on the official page linked below.
The numbers
1
sponsor on the bill
Sponsors
Patrick A. Hope
Recorded votes
Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)Senate · 2026-03-14 · P · Y 22, N 17, X 1
Conference report agreed to by House (91-Y 5-N 0-A)House of Delegates · 2026-03-14 · P · Y 91, X 3, N 5
Senate insisted on substitute (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate · 2026-03-10 · P · Y 40
Senate substitute rejected by House (1-Y 96-N 0-A)House of Delegates · 2026-03-06 · F · N 96, X 2, Y 1
Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate · 2026-03-04 · P · Y 40
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate · 2026-03-03 · P · Y 40
Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)Senate · 2026-03-03 · P · Y 15
Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N)Senate · 2026-02-18 · P · Y 13, X 2
Read third time and passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A)House of Delegates · 2026-02-10 · P · Y 98, X 2
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N)House of Delegates · 2026-02-04 · P · Y 22
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and rereferred to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)House of Delegates · 2026-02-02 · P · Y 10
Roll-call results shown verbatim from the Virginia legislature’s records. A result reflects that roll call’s own motion, not the bill’s overall outcome.
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record. Last action: Acts of Assembly Chapter 615.