Bill > HB16

Introduced Session

Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated. Requires a court to establish a program and allow any person upon whom a fine and costs have been imposed to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by earning credits for the performance of community service work or work performed while incarcerated, defined in the bill as any work done on or after July 1, 2023, by a person confined in any penal or corrective institution of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions who is paid a wage that is less than the Virginia minimum wage.The bill requires such program be available during such person's imprisonment in a local, regional, or state correctional facility. The bill provides that a person who is performing work while incarcerated shall be credited at the same rate as the community service work rate less any wages received. Under current law, a court is required to establish a program for providing an option for community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs but offering such option is not mandatory. The bill also requires the local, regional, or state correctional facility to provide confirmation of the hours worked and the credits earned for such work upon request of any person who has performed work while incarcerated or his representative.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Marcia Price (D)*,  Jessica Anderson (D),  Bonita Anthony (D),  Alex Askew (D),  Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D),  Katrina Callsen (D),  Stacey Carroll (D),  Nadarius Clark (D),  Laura Jane Cohen (D),  Nicole Cole (D),  Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D),  Rae Cousins (D),  Michael Feggans (D),  Lily Franklin (D),  Jackie Glass (D),  Patrick Hope (D),  Destiny LeVere Bolling (D),  Fernando Martinez (D),  Atoosa Reaser (D),  Charlie Schmidt (D),  Holly Seibold (D),  Irene Shin (D),  Kathy Tran (D), 

Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) (on 02/25/2026)

Official Document