Scored 6/10 on whether it helps or hurts everyday people.
The Restorative Justice Bill
Virginia shields restorative justice talks from courtroom use
Restorative justice practices; definitions, effect of participation, immunity from civil liability.
Mixed: some good, some bad ·
If you participate in a restorative justice program, where people who caused harm meet those harmed to fix things, the state would keep what you say there secret and out of court, unless a judge says otherwise or someone might get seriously hurt.
Our take
What we think, in plain words.
Restorative justice is supposed to help people heal and fix harm outside the regular court system. This bill tries to protect those private conversations from being used as evidence later. That sounds fair, you want people to be honest in those talks without fear of getting sued or convicted. BUT here's the catch: it still requires restorative justice facilitators (the people running these programs) to report child abuse they find out about, even if they learn it during confidential sessions. So the confidentiality isn't absolute. The bill also died in conference committee (failed both houses), so it's not moving forward right now. Worth watching if it comes back because the immunity piece could shield people from lawsuits, but the mandatory reporting carve-out for kids means it's not a total blank check.
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The facts
What the bill actually says, no spin.
- The bill would make statements in restorative justice programs confidential and not usable as evidence in court
- A victim, defendant, and prosecutor would all have to agree in writing for participation to stay off the record
- A judge can still order disclosure if someone might die or get seriously hurt
- Restorative justice facilitators would still have to report suspected child abuse, even if they learn about it during confidential sessions
- The bill failed to pass out of conference committee in March 2026 and has stalled
How they voted
The actual floor vote, and who broke from their own party.
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In the news
Scanning the news for this bill…
Headlines gathered from across the news, starting points to explore, not endorsements. Always read the official text before acting.
Sources
Read it yourself: the official bill and records.
This bill is in the Virginia Bill Book 2026
The best and worst Virginia bills of 2026, one page each — our take on the left, the bill on the right, and room for your notes. No email needed.
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