Critical Infrastructure Damage Penalties
Summary
Virginia SB743 enacts enhanced criminal penalties for intentional damage to or trespass against critical infrastructure used to provide public services, utilities, cable television, and broadband. The law specifically covers destruction of fixtures, equipment, and information technology systems. It takes effect July 1, 2026, following unanimous passage in both chambers.
What changed
Virginia SB743 expands the existing offense of damage or trespass to public services and utilities by explicitly adding intentional destruction of or damage to fixtures, equipment, or information technology systems used to provide public services, utilities, cable television, broadband, or other critical infrastructure. The bill creates new criminal penalties for such offenses and contains technical amendments.
Utilities, broadband providers, cable operators, and government entities operating critical infrastructure face new or enhanced criminal liability exposure. All affected organizations should review physical and cybersecurity measures, update incident response protocols, and assess compliance readiness before the July 1, 2026 effective date.
What to do next
- Review and enhance physical and IT security for all critical infrastructure assets
- Update incident response plans to address intentional damage and trespass scenarios
- Coordinate with legal counsel on exposure to new criminal penalties
Penalties
Class 1 or Class 2 misdemeanor penalties for intentional damage to or trespass against critical infrastructure (specific fine amounts not specified in available text)
Archived snapshot
Apr 9, 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 / SB743 Enacted SB743 Senate Bill Enacted 2026-04-06
Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties.
Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties. Adds the intentional destruction of or damage to any fixture, equipment, or information technology system that is used to provide, process, transmit, or maintain public services, public utilities, cable television, broadband, or other critical infrastructure, as defined in relevant law, to the existing offense of damage or trespass to public services or utilities. The bill contains technical amendments and is identical to HB 317.
Bill Details
State Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB743
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Lashrecse Aird (Sen - D) Jennifer Boysko (Sen - D)
Action History
2026-04-06 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0106) 2026-04-06 Approved by Governor-Chapter 106 (effective 7/1/2026) 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 2026-03-11 S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB743) 2026-03-10 S Signed by President 2026-03-10 H Signed by Speaker 2026-03-10 S Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB743ER) 2026-03-10 S Enrolled 2026-03-04 H Passed House (99-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-03-04 H Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House 2026-03-04 H Passed House (97-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-03-04 H Read third time 2026-03-03 H Read second time 2026-03-02 H Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) 2026-02-24 H Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 2026-02-24 H Read first time 2026-02-24 H Placed on Calendar 2026-02-16 S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB743) 2026-02-13 S Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-13 S Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-13 S Rules suspended 2026-02-13 S Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote) 2026-02-13 S Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to 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 (15-Y 0-N) 2026-02-06 S Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/6/2026 10:52 am) 2026-02-06 S Committee substitute printed 26105842D-S1 2026-02-04 S Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) 2026-02-04 S Senate committee offered 2026-01-21 S Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/21/2026 11:05 am) 2026-01-19 S Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 2026-01-19 S Presented and ordered printed 26104434D
Votes
2026-02-04 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) Yea: 15 Nay: 0 2026-02-11 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) Yea: 15 Nay: 0 2026-02-12 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0 2026-02-13 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 38 Nay: 0 2026-02-13 Read third time and passed Senate (38-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 38 Nay: 0 2026-03-02 Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) Yea: 22 Nay: 0 2026-03-04 Passed House (97-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 97 Nay: 0 2026-03-04 Passed House (99-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 99 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-19 S Courts of Justice 2026-02-04 S Finance and Appropriations 2026-02-24 H Courts of Justice
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-19 Introduced 2026-02-04 Comm Sub 2026-02-06 Comm Sub 2026-03-10 Enrolled 2026-04-06 Chaptered Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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