Virginia · House Bill · 2025 Regular Session
HB1642
Virginia HB 1642 — An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 19.2 a chapter numbered 1.3, consisting of a section numbered 19.2-11.14, relating to use of artificial intelligence-based tool (Chapter 637)

Status ● Enacted Effective Jul 1, 2025 Passage Likelihood N/A

WHAT THIS BILL REGULATES · 1 REQUIREMENT TYPE

How Is This Bill Enforced

Enforcement Authority
No private right of action created. The statute operates within the existing criminal justice procedural framework. Enforcement is through existing judicial and appellate procedures — challenges and objections to AI-based recommendations are governed by existing procedural law.
Private Right of Action
No private right of action. Enforcement is exclusive to the designated authority.
Penalties
No monetary penalties or damages provisions are specified. The statute operates within the criminal justice system and relies on existing procedural remedies including challenges and objections permitted by law.

What This Bill Requires

Verbatim statutory text on the left; plain-language analysis and a per-section checklist on the right. Numbered markers cross-link to the matching checklist row.

Statutory Text
Analysis & Obligations
Va. Code § 19.2-11.14
Use of artificial intelligence-based tool
Government

(A) As used in this section, "artificial intelligence-based toolArtificial intelligence-based tool"Artificial intelligence-based tool" means any machine-based system or algorithm, including machine learning models, predictive analytics, and decision support systems, that analyze data and generate recommendations or predictions.Va. Code § 19.2-11.14(A)" means any machine-based system or algorithm, including machine learning models, predictive analytics, and decision support systems, that analyze data and generate recommendations or predictions.

(B) 1 All decisions related to the pre-trial detention or release, prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, probation, parole, correctional supervision, or rehabilitation of criminal offenders shall be made by the judicial officer or other person charged with making such decision. No such decision shall be made without the involvement of a human decision-maker. The use of any recommendation or prediction from an artificial intelligence-based toolArtificial intelligence-based tool"Artificial intelligence-based tool" means any machine-based system or algorithm, including machine learning models, predictive analytics, and decision support systems, that analyze data and generate recommendations or predictions.Va. Code § 19.2-11.14(A) shall be subject to any challenge or objection permitted by law.

This section establishes a new chapter in Title 19.2 of the Code of Virginia governing the use of AI-based tools in criminal justice decision-making. It defines artificial intelligence-based tool broadly to encompass machine learning models, predictive analytics, and decision support systems that analyze data and generate recommendations or predictions.

The operative requirement is a mandatory human-in-the-loop rule: all decisions related to pre-trial detention or release, prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, probation, parole, correctional supervision, or rehabilitation must be made by the judicial officer or other authorized person — no such decision may be made without human decision-maker involvement. The section also expressly preserves the right to challenge or object to any AI recommendation or prediction under existing procedural law.

Compliance actions 1 item
1
Judicial officers and other authorized decision-makers must make all criminal justice decisions — including pre-trial detention or release, prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, probation, parole, correctional supervision, and rehabilitation — with human decision-maker involvement. No such decision may be made solely by an artificial intelligence-based toolArtificial intelligence-based tool"Artificial intelligence-based tool" means any machine-based system or algorithm, including machine learning models, predictive analytics, and decision support systems, that analyze data and generate recommendations or predictions.Va. Code § 19.2-11.14(A), and any AI-generated recommendation or prediction must remain subject to challenge or objection permitted by law.
H-01.6

Passage Likelihood

Enacted
Status Enacted

Legislative History

2025-01-03 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25102252D
2025-01-03 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2025-01-12 Assigned Courts sub: Criminal
2025-01-14 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1642)
2025-01-15 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N)
2025-01-17 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
2025-01-17 Committee substitute printed 25105148D-H1
2025-01-21 Read first time
2025-01-22 Read second time
2025-01-22 Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
2025-01-22 Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2025-01-23 Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N)
2025-01-24 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2025-01-24 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2025-02-12 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
2025-02-12 Committee substitute printed 25106969D-S1
2025-02-14 Rules suspended
2025-02-14 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (36-Y 0-N)
2025-02-14 Passed by for the day
2025-02-17 Read third time
2025-02-17 Reading of substitute waived
2025-02-17 Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
2025-02-17 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
2025-02-17 Passed Senate with substitute (39-Y 0-N)
2025-02-18 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1642)
2025-02-18 Senate substitute agreed to by House (96-Y 1-N)
2025-02-20 Enrolled
2025-02-20 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1642ER)
2025-02-20 Signed by Speaker
2025-02-23 Signed by President
2025-02-24 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1642)
2025-03-05 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 5, 2025
2025-03-05 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025
2025-03-24 Governor's recommendation received by House
2025-04-02 House concurred in Governor's recommendation (96-Y 0-N)
2025-04-02 Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)
2025-04-02 Governor's recommendation adopted
2025-04-02 Reenrolled
2025-04-02 Reenrolled bill text (HB1642ER2)
2025-04-02 Signed by Speaker as reenrolled
2025-04-02 Signed by President as reenrolled
2025-04-02 Enacted, Chapter 637 (Effective 07/01/25)
2025-04-02 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0637)

Entry Last Reviewed

2026-05-16
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