Virginia legislature moves to decriminalize suicide

Virginia lawmakers move to abolish the common-law crime of suicide

RICHMOND, VA – A new proposal before the Virginia General Assembly would formally abolish the centuries-old common-law classification of suicide as a crime, a symbolic but significant move to modernize the state’s legal code and align it with current public health and legal practices.

House Bill 43, introduced by Delegates Marcus Simon and Rozia H. Feggans, adds a new section to Virginia’s criminal code explicitly declaring that “the common-law crime of suicide is hereby abolished.” The measure has been referred to the House Committee for Courts of Justice and, if enacted, would take effect on July 1, 2027.

Although suicide has not been prosecuted in modern Virginia courts, the offense technically remains a vestige of English common law. By abolishing it, lawmakers seek to ensure that no legal ambiguity exists when handling cases involving attempted suicide, assisted suicide, or insurance disputes arising from a person’s death.

To address those implications, the bill directs the Bureau of Insurance within the State Corporation Commission to study how eliminating the crime might affect life insurance coverage and related financial matters. The agency must submit a report and recommendations to the House and Senate Courts of Justice Committees by November 1, 2026.

Advocates for mental health reform have long pushed for this change, arguing that retaining suicide as a theoretical crime stigmatizes those in crisis and conflicts with modern approaches to suicide prevention and behavioral health care.

The legislation is part of a growing national trend to remove outdated criminal designations tied to self-harm, replacing them with a framework centered on treatment and crisis response rather than punishment.

Key Points: Virginia lawmakers move to abolish the common-law crime of suicide – Richmond

HB43 would officially eliminate suicide as a common-law crime in Virginia effective July 2027
The Bureau of Insurance must review and report on how the change could affect life insurance policies
Lawmakers say the reform aligns state law with modern public health and mental health practices

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