Virginia 2026 Session Status: Introduced

SB71 — Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin.

Last action — Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced December 17, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

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

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB71 on the official Virginia source →

Action History

  1. S Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)

  2. S Rereferred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  3. S Passed by temporarily

  4. S Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)

  5. S Education and Health Amendment agreed to

  6. S Read second time

  7. S Passed by for the day

  8. S Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  9. S Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  10. S Rules suspended

  11. S Reported from Education and Health with amendment (11-Y 2-N 1-A)

  12. S Senate committee offered

  13. S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB71)

  14. S Senate subcommittee offered

  15. S Assigned Education sub: Health

  16. S Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  17. S Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101398D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on · 2 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 147 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice

Passed 14 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 14001
Total 14001
% of votes cast 93%0%0%7%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Not Voting
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

Passed 39 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 39001
Total 39001
% of votes cast 98%0%0%3%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
J.D. "Danny" Diggs — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Luther Cifers, III — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Not Voting
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Yea
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Timmy French — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Reported from Education and Health with amendment

Passed 11 Yea · 2 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11202
Total 11202
% of votes cast 73%13%0%13%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Nay
Jennifer B. Boysko — Not Voting
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Nay
Russet Perry — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Not Voting

Official roll call →

Subjects

civil-rights healthcare
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB71 do?
Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin.
Who sponsors SB71?
SB71 is sponsored by Barbara A. Favola.
What is the current status of SB71?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced December 17, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB71?
Track SB71 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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