HB244
Robbery; conforms certain provisions of Code to degrees of robbery offenses.
Status:
In Senate
Latest Action:
Feb. 4, 2026
Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
Chief Patron:
Vivian Watts (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Introduced. Robbery.
Conforms certain provisions of the Code referencing robbery to the degrees of robbery offenses established by Chapter 534 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I. These changes include: (i) limiting to the three higher degrees of robbery certain non-robbery crimes for which committing such crime with the ... (More) intent to commit a robbery is an element of the offenses, (ii) limiting the types of robbery that are included in the definition of 'acts of violence' to the two higher degrees of robbery, (iii) clarifying how robbery offenses will be scored on the sentencing guidelines, (iv) allowing persons convicted of the two lesser degrees of robbery to be eligible for conditional release if they are terminally ill and for enhanced earned sentence credits, (v) allowing persons who are ineligible for parole as a result of being convicted of three of certain enumerated offenses to be eligible for parole if convicted of an offense that would constitute robbery by presenting of firearms, and (vi) limiting the application of the three-strikes law to the two higher degrees of robbery and making persons convicted under the three-strikes law eligible for parole if one of the three convictions resulting in the mandatory life sentence would constitute one of the two lesser degrees of robbery. The bill leaves unchanged the current law making all degrees of robbery predicate criminal acts by adding the two lesser degrees of robbery to the definition of 'predicate criminal act' and specifying that the two higher degrees of robbery are included in the definition of 'act of violence.' The bill requires the changes made to the eligibility for conditional release of terminally ill prisoners and enhanced earned sentence credits to apply retroactively if certain criteria are met. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/08/2026 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102503D
- 01/08/2026 - House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
- 01/20/2026 - House: Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
- 01/20/2026 - House: Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda
- 01/22/2026 - House: Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda
- 01/23/2026 - House: House subcommittee offered
- 01/23/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 3-N)
- 01/27/2026 - House: Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda
- 01/28/2026 - House: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (14-Y 6-N)
- 01/30/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/02/2026 - House: Read second time
- 02/02/2026 - House: committee amendments agreed to
- 02/02/2026 - House: Engrossed by House as amended
- 02/03/2026 - House: Read third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 02/04/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- 02/04/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
