State Del. Rae Cousins has put forward new legislation that seeks to end legal representation fees for indigent defendants imposed by courts and initiate a formal review of associated costs, with details available from the Virginia State House.
The measure, labeled HB852 and introduced Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, is officially summarized: “Indigent defendant; abolition of fees, legal representation, jury trial costs, report.”
Below, we offer a summary drawn from the bill’s actual text, including clarifications for better understanding of the proposal.
The proposed legislation would prevent courts from assessing legal representation costs to defendants when such services are provided by state or local authorities, and these fees would not be included in court debts or cost statements, covering public defender cases as well. It revises statutes related to appointing and paying counsel, reimbursement for guardians ad litem, and assigning costs to ensure indigent defendants and some parents or guardians are not charged for those legal services. The bill instructs the Indigent Defense Commission to form a group of stakeholders to study the issue and devise a plan for abolishing public defense and jury trial charges by July 1, 2027, with findings to be reported by Nov. 1, 2026.
Rep. Rae Cousins (Democrat-79th District), along with Rep. Bonita G. Anthony (Democrat-92nd District), Rep. Charlie Schmidt (Democrat-77th District), and seven additional lawmakers, are sponsoring the legislation.
Cousins has sponsored 18 additional bills since the session’s start.
Cousins is an alum of the College of William and Mary (BA, 2001) and Howard University School of Law (JD, 2010).
Cousins, a Democrat, began representing Virginia’s 79th House district in 2024 after succeeding Nadarius Clark as state representative.
In Virginia, a bill’s journey begins with introduction in either the House of Delegates or the Senate. The measure is then directed to relevant committees for consideration and amendment. If it clears committee votes, it advances to full chamber debates and votes in both the House and Senate. Successful passage brings the bill to the governor’s desk for signature, veto, or approval without signature. The Virginia General Assembly meets each year for regular session starting the second Monday in January. Legislators introduce hundreds of bills each cycle, but not all become law.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Jackie H. Glass, Marty Martinez, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nadarius E. Clark, Patrick A. Hope, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Virgil Thornton | HB852 | 01/14/2026 | Indigent defendant; abolition of fees, legal representation, jury trial costs, report. |
| Rae Cousins, Katrina Callsen, and Virgil Thornton | HB845 | 01/14/2026 | Unlawful detainer; bifurcation of case, contested rent and damages. |
| Rae Cousins, Charlie Schmidt, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Jackie H. Glass, and Karen Keys-Gamarra | HB848 | 01/14/2026 | Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; material noncompliance by landlord, rent escrow, relief. |
| Rae Cousins and Charlie Schmidt | HB849 | 01/14/2026 | Public school employees; suspension, notice and opportunity for a hearing. |
| Rae Cousins | HB853 | 01/14/2026 | Petition for modification of a sentence; eligibility, procedures, report. |
| Rae Cousins | HB854 | 01/14/2026 | Real property tax; local classification or designation for property, nonprofit organizations. |
| Rae Cousins, Kathy K.L. Tran, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Briana D. Sewell, Charlie Schmidt, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nicole Cole, and Virgil Thornton | HB855 | 01/14/2026 | Medicaid; estate recoveries. |
| Rae Cousins, Delores L. McQuinn, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Jeion A. Ward, Kathy K.L. Tran, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Michelle Lopes Maldonado | HB857 | 01/14/2026 | Home/electronic incarceration program; court shall assign pregnant/postpartum persons to program. |
| Rae Cousins, Paul E. Krizek, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Gretchen M Bulova, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua G. Cole, Karrie K. Delaney, M. Keith Hodges, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nadarius E. Clark, Nicole Cole, Patrick A. Hope, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Sam Rasoul | HB858 | 01/14/2026 | Legal holidays; replaces Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. |
| Rae Cousins, Amy J. Laufer, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Nicole Cole | HB859 | 01/14/2026 | Farm to School Program Task Force; membership requirements. |
| Rae Cousins, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Mark C. Downey | HB860 | 01/14/2026 | Local & Reg. Jails, St. Bd.; standards, etc., regarding lactation policies for incarcerated persons. |
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, and Holly M. Seibold | HB861 | 01/14/2026 | Pregnant & postpartum inmates; reporting requirements of state, regional, & local correctional fac. |
| Rae Cousins | HB862 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), Commission on; structure and responsibilities. |
| Rae Cousins | HB863 | 01/14/2026 | Offenses, certain; elimination of mandatory minimum sentences. |
| Rae Cousins, Adele Y. McClure, Atoosa R. Reaser, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Jessica L. Anderson, John Chilton McAuliff, Karen R. “Kacey” Carnegie, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Kimberly Pope Adams, Laura Jane Cohen, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marty Martinez, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, Patrick A. Hope, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Stacey Annie Carroll | HB865 | 01/14/2026 | Workers’ compensation; presumption of compensability for certain cancers. |
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Marty Martinez, and Patrick A. Hope | HB867 | 01/14/2026 | Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority. |
| Rae Cousins | HB868 | 01/14/2026 | Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty. |
| Rae Cousins | HB869 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase programs for local farm or food products. |
| Rae Cousins, Lamont Bagby, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marty Martinez, and R. Lee Ware | HB872 | 01/14/2026 | Portable electronic devices; possession in district or circuit court, policies set by chief judge. |
Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State House. The source data can be found here.
