SB794 Virginia Health Care Protection Act - Protected Health Care Activity
Summary
Virginia Governor signed SB794, establishing the Virginia Health Care Protection Act effective July 1, 2026. The Act prohibits law enforcement in Virginia from investigating, arresting, or assisting in investigations involving protected health care activity that is not prohibited under Virginia law. The bill creates private rights of action for persons aggrieved by unlawful investigations or abusive litigation from other jurisdictions and restricts extradition for charges related to protected health care activities.
What changed
SB794 establishes the Virginia Health Care Protection Act, prohibiting Virginia law enforcement from investigating or assisting in investigations of protected health care activities that are not illegal under Virginia law. The Act creates a private right of action allowing aggrieved persons to seek injunctions or equitable relief against law enforcement officers who violate these provisions, and another private right of action against persons engaging in abusive litigation from other jurisdictions. Additionally, the Act restricts recognition of extradition demands for charges involving protected health care activity unless the conduct would also constitute a criminal offense in Virginia. Subpoenas and witness summons under the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act must include perjury attestations regarding whether they seek information related to protected health care activity.
Affected parties include Virginia law enforcement agencies and officers, who face potential civil liability for investigating protected health care activities. Healthcare providers and patients benefit from new protections against out-of-state prosecutions and litigation. Legal professionals should note the new procedural requirements for interstate subpoenas and the expanded scope of private litigation arising from investigations involving protected health care activity.
What to do next
- Review internal policies on investigations involving protected health care activity
- Ensure compliance with new attestation requirements for subpoenas and summons under the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act
Archived snapshot
Apr 14, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Virginia / SB794 Signed by Governor SB794 Senate Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-13
Virginia Health Care Protection Act; established, prohibition on extradition for certain crimes.
Virginia Health Care Protection Act established; prohibition on extradition for certain crimes; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Health Care Protection Act. The bill provides that no law-enforcement officer acting in the Commonwealth or employed by the Commonwealth or any of its localities or political subdivisions may investigate, arrest, or detain any person, seek the issuance of a warrant, or otherwise assist in or provide support for any investigation involving protected health care activity, as defined in the bill, not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill creates a private right of action for any person who is aggrieved by such unlawful investigation to obtain an injunction or other equitable relief against such law-enforcement officer.The bill creates a private right of action for any person who sustains any injury, damages, or other harm resulting from another person who, under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the Commonwealth, engages or attempts to engage in abusive litigation, as defined in the bill.The bill also provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves protected health care activity within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth.The bill provides that any subpoena under the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act or any summons for a witness for another state in a criminal case shall include an attestation, made under penalty of perjury, stating whether the subpoena or summons seeks documents, information, or testimony related to protected health care activity.
Bill Details
State Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB794
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Sponsors
Russet Perry (Sen - D) Barbara Favola (Sen - D)
Action History
2026-04-13 Approved by Governor-Chapter 905 (effective 7/1/2026) 2026-03-17 S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB794) 2026-03-14 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 2026-03-14 S Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 2026-03-13 S Signed by President 2026-03-13 H Signed by Speaker 2026-03-13 S Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB794ER) 2026-03-13 S Enrolled 2026-03-09 H Passed House (60-Y 35-N 0-A) 2026-03-09 H Read third time 2026-03-06 H Read second time 2026-03-04 H Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) 2026-03-03 H Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety 2026-03-02 H Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) 2026-02-23 H Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N) 2026-02-20 H Assigned HCJ sub: Civil 2026-02-20 H Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 2026-02-20 H Read first time 2026-02-20 H Placed on Calendar 2026-02-16 S Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A) 2026-02-13 S Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) 2026-02-13 S Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) 2026-02-13 S Read second time 2026-02-12 S Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) 2026-02-12 S Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-12 S Rules suspended 2026-02-11 S Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N) 2026-02-10 S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB794) 2026-02-06 S Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/6/2026 11:07 am) 2026-02-06 S Committee substitute printed 26106740D-S1 2026-02-04 S Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 4-N) 2026-02-04 S Senate committee offered 2026-01-23 S Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/23/2026 3:04 pm) 2026-01-23 S Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 2026-01-23 S Presented and ordered printed 26100646D
Votes
2026-02-04 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 4-N) Yea: 9 Nay: 4 2026-02-11 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N) Yea: 10 Nay: 4 2026-02-12 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0 2026-02-16 Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A) Yea: 20 Nay: 19 2026-02-23 Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N) Yea: 7 Nay: 3 2026-03-02 Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) Yea: 15 Nay: 7 2026-03-04 Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) Yea: 15 Nay: 7 2026-03-09 Passed House (60-Y 35-N 0-A) Yea: 60 Nay: 35
Committee Referrals
2026-01-23 S Courts of Justice 2026-02-04 S Finance and Appropriations 2026-02-20 H Courts of Justice 2026-02-20 H Courts of Justice: Civil 2026-03-02 H Appropriations 2026-03-03 H Appropriations: Transportation & Public Safety
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-23 Introduced 2026-02-04 Comm Sub 2026-02-06 Comm Sub 2026-03-13 Enrolled Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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