Penalties for failure to appear; definition, contempt.
Introduced
Moved
Reached a final decision
Became law
Derived from the official record below.
Officially: “An Act to amend and reenact §§ 18.2-456 and 19.2-128 of the Code of Virginia, relating to penalties for failure to appear; contempt.” Read the full text
2026 session
What it does
Penalties for failure to appear; contempt. Provides that a court shall consider certain mitigating factors to determine whether the failure of any person to appear before any court or judicial officer as required was willful. Under current law, no mitigating factors are specified for a court or judicial officer to consider in determining whether a person willfully failed to appear. This bill is identical to SB 283.
From the official legislative record, shown verbatim. Not legal advice.
Where it is
Introduced · Jan 13, 2026
Acts of Assembly Chapter 241 (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
2
sponsors on the bill
Sponsors
Marcus B. SimonRae Cousins
Recorded votes
Senate substitute agreed to by House (64-Y 32-N 0-A)House of Delegates · 2026-02-25 · P · Y 64, N 32, X 3
Passed Senate with substitute (20-Y 18-N 0-A)Senate · 2026-02-23 · P · Y 20, N 18, X 2
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)Senate · 2026-02-20 · P · X 40
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate · 2026-02-20 · P · Y 40
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 5-N)Senate · 2026-02-18 · P · Y 9, X 1, N 5
Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)House of Delegates · 2026-02-10 · P · Y 62, N 35, X 3
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 7-N)House of Delegates · 2026-02-04 · P · Y 15, N 7
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 2-N)House of Delegates · 2026-01-28 · P · Y 7, X 1, N 2
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 241.