Legislative record
Summary
Assault and battery; definition of "Islamophobia"; penalty. Defines "Islamophobia" as it relates to the crime of assault and battery as malicious prejudice or hatred directed toward Islam or Muslims. This definition applies regardless of whether the victim is actually a practitioner of Islam, provided that the perpetrator targeted such victim based on a perceived adherence to such faith. The bill also clarifies that religious conviction includes Islam. The bill directs the Department of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to include the bill's definition of "Islamophobia" in its hate crime reporting central repository.
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Bill text
The full text of this bill isn't on Heard yet. The official documents are linked below.
- IntroducedOfficial document (PDF)
- IntroducedOfficial document (HTML)
- Courts of Justice SubstituteOfficial document (PDF)
- Courts of Justice SubstituteOfficial document (HTML)
Roll-call record
How representatives voted
0 yea·0 nay
No roll-call votes recorded for this bill yet.
Docket history
Action history
- 7/21/2026Continued from last session
- 2/2/2026Continued to next session in Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N)
- 2/2/2026Senate committee offered
- 1/20/2026Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/20/2026 4:32 pm)
- 1/14/2026Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104940D
- 1/14/2026Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice