State Del. Briana D. Sewell has introduced a bill that proposes revisions to how law enforcement and government in Virginia may use unmanned aircraft systems, according to information from the Virginia State House.
The measure, known as HB1219, was introduced Jan. 14, 2026, during the regular 2026 session. It is formally described as: “Unmanned aircraft systems; use by law-enforcement officers, search warrants.”
Below is our summary, based on the full text of the bill, with some interpretation provided for clarity.
This legislation alters Virginia law by maintaining the current search or administrative warrant requirement for police drone use but specifies that a search warrant must be issued at once if reasonable and probable cause is found. It increases exceptions for warrantless drone deployment to include crime scene documentation, emergency public safety calls, training for those uses, real-time aerial support during emergencies, and oversight of large gatherings. The bill also confirms unmanned aircraft may aid government departments in assessing damage, traffic, flooding, wildfires, and in fire and rescue activities. Weaponized drones remain prohibited except at designated federal sites, and evidence gathered in violation of these rules remains inadmissible.
Del. Briana D. Sewell (Democrat, 25th District) and Del. Jackie H. Glass (Democrat, 93rd District) are sponsors of the bill.
Since the session began, Sewell has submitted eight additional bills.
Sewell earned a BA from The College of William and Mary in 2012.
A member of the Democratic Party, Sewell was elected to the House of Delegates in 2024 to serve the 25th House district, succeeding Chris Runion.
The legislative process in Virginia starts with bill introduction in either the House of Delegates or Senate. It is then referred to committees for review and possible changes. If a committee approves, the measure moves to the floor for debate and votes in both chambers. Should both chambers pass it, the governor may sign it, veto it, or allow it to become law without signature. The Virginia General Assembly meets for regular session each year beginning the second Monday in January. Lawmakers propose hundreds of bills per session, but only some are enacted.
| Legislative Session | Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell and Jackie H. Glass | HB1219 | 01/14/2026 | Unmanned aircraft systems; use by law-enforcement officers, search warrants. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Luke E. Torian, Mark C. Downey, Adele Y. McClure, Alex Q. Askew, Alfonso H. Lopez, Amy J. Laufer, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Bonita G. Anthony, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Charlie Schmidt, Charniele L. Herring, Dan I. Helmer, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Garrett McGuire, Gretchen M Bulova, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, Jeion A. Ward, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karrie K. Delaney, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler, Laura Jane Cohen, Lindsey Dougherty, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marcus B. Simon, Margaret A. Franklin, Marty Martinez, May Nivar, Michael B. Feggans, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Patrick A. Hope, Paul E. Krizek, Phil M. Hernandez, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., Shelly A. Simonds, Stacey Annie Carroll, Virgil Thornton, and Vivian E. Watts | HB1207 | 01/14/2026 | Paid family & med. leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Nicole Cole, Alex Q. Askew, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Charlie Schmidt, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jeion A. Ward, Jessica L. Anderson, Joshua E. Thomas, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karen R. “Kacey” Carnegie, Kathy K.L. Tran, Kimberly Pope Adams, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Lindsey Dougherty, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Margaret A. Franklin, Mark C. Downey, May Nivar, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, and Vivian E. Watts | HB1208 | 01/14/2026 | Public education; early childhood care and education, child care access calculations, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Dan I. Helmer, David A. Reid, Garrett McGuire, and Karen Keys-Gamarra | HB1212 | 01/14/2026 | Zoning; small lot residential districts. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Jessica L. Anderson, Lily V. Franklin, and Nicole Cole | HB1221 | 01/14/2026 | Higher ed. financial aid programs; amends provisions, Va. Commonwealth Award established, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1226 | 01/14/2026 | Motor Vehicles, Department of; release of data to certain institutions of higher education, fees. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1230 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, state; sustainable aviation fuel production tax credit. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, John Chilton McAuliff, Paul E. Krizek, Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr., Adele Y. McClure, Betsy B. Carr, Dan I. Helmer, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Kathy K.L. Tran, Nadarius E. Clark, Nicole Cole, Phil M. Hernandez, and Rae Cousins | HB1234 | 01/14/2026 | Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Gretchen M Bulova, Luke E. Torian, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Jackie H. Glass, and Nadarius E. Clark | HB1237 | 01/14/2026 | Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards, owner unknown. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1878 | 01/13/2025 | State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; renaming Director as Executive Director. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Shelly A. Simonds, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, and Rodney T. Willett | HB1881 | 01/13/2025 | Public elementary/secondary schools; enrollment of dependent student of active duty service members. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1882 | 01/13/2025 | Protective orders; military protective orders. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1683 | 01/08/2025 | Motor vehicle dealers; recall and warranty costs, right of first refusal. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1684 | 01/08/2025 | Real estate brokers and salespersons; duties, licensees engaged by buyers. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell and Jackie H. Glass | HB1685 | 01/08/2025 | Early childhood care and education; publicly funded providers. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Shelly A. Simonds, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, and Rodney T. Willett | HB1880 | 01/08/2025 | Public schools; enrollment of certain military children with disabilities; provision of special education services and accommodations. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, Adele Y. McClure, Alex Q. Askew, Alfonso H. Lopez, Amy J. Laufer, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Bonita G. Anthony, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Candi Mundon King, Charniele L. Herring, Dan I. Helmer, David A. Reid, David L. Bulova, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, JJ Singh, Jackie H. Glass, Jeion A. Ward, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karrie K. Delaney, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Laura Jane Cohen, Luke E. Torian, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marcus B. Simon, Mark D. Sickles, Marty Martinez, Michael J. Jones, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Patrick A. Hope, Paul E. Krizek, Phil M. Hernandez, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., Sam Rasoul, Shelly A. Simonds, and Vivian E. Watts | HB2531 | 01/08/2025 | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, Joshua E. Thomas, and Shelly A. Simonds | HB2533 | 01/08/2025 | Counties, cities, and towns; comprehensive plan may include tiny homes or accessory dwelling units. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB2534 | 01/08/2025 | Nonhospitalized individuals; crisis stabilization services. |
Data for this story was sourced from the Virginia State House. See the original dataset here.
