{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/53.1-134.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/53.1-134.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/53.1-134.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/53.1-134.1.html"}],"law_id":57599,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57599,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-134.1","catch_line":"Board decisions; voting requirements","history":"2024, c. 458; 2025, c. 716.","full_text":"In the case of a person serving life imprisonment for murder of the first degree pursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32, the final deliberation and vote of whether to grant such person parole shall be attended by a panel of four or more members of the Board. In all other cases, the final deliberation and vote shall be attended by a panel of no fewer than three members of the Board. The Board shall promulgate rules to ensure that such members are randomly assigned to panels and to serve on an equal number of panels, as is reasonably possible.\n\t\tA decision to grant discretionary parole shall require the concurrence of a majority of members present for the final deliberation and vote, except that in cases of a person serving life imprisonment for murder of the first degree pursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32, a decision to grant discretionary parole shall require the concurrence of four or more of the members present for the final deliberation and vote.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":211055,"text":"In the case of a person serving life imprisonment for murder of the first degree pursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32, the final deliberation and vote of whether to grant such person parole shall be attended by a panel of four or more members of the Board. In all other cases, the final deliberation and vote shall be attended by a panel of no fewer than three members of the Board. The Board shall promulgate rules to ensure that such members are randomly assigned to panels and to serve on an equal number of panels, as is reasonably possible.\n\t\tA decision to grant discretionary parole shall require the concurrence of a majority of members present for the final deliberation and vote, except that in cases of a person serving life imprisonment for murder of the first degree pursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32, a decision to grant discretionary parole shall require the concurrence of four or more of the members present for the final deliberation and vote.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15118,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administration Generally","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12764,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:16","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:16","permalink":{"id":238891,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15118,"identifier":"1","token":"53.1\/4\/1","url":"\/53.1\/4\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12764,"edition_id":1,"name":"Probation and Parole","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12717,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":238889,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12764,"identifier":"4","token":"53.1\/4","url":"\/53.1\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12717,"edition_id":1,"name":"Prisons and Other Methods of Correction","identifier":"53.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":237591,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12717,"identifier":"53.1","token":"53.1","url":"\/53.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":65510,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-134","catch_line":"Virginia Parole Board; appointment of members","url":"\/53.1-134\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-134","metadata":false},{"id":57599,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-134.1","catch_line":"Board decisions; voting requirements","url":"\/53.1-134.1\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-134.1","metadata":false},{"id":65519,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-135","catch_line":"Chairman; Vice-Chairman of Board","url":"\/53.1-135\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-135","metadata":false},{"id":80848,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-136","catch_line":"Powers and duties of Board; notice of release of certain inmates; report","url":"\/53.1-136\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-136","metadata":false},{"id":62737,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-137","catch_line":"Revocation hearings and subpoenas; penalty for disobeying subpoena or hindering hearing","url":"\/53.1-137\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-137","metadata":false},{"id":83000,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-138","catch_line":"Access to prisoners; reports of prison officials","url":"\/53.1-138\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-138","metadata":false},{"id":64646,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-139","catch_line":"Powers and duties of Chairman","url":"\/53.1-139\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-139","metadata":false},{"id":68480,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-139.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/53.1-139.1\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-139.1","metadata":false},{"id":60739,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-140","catch_line":"Powers and duties of Director of Department","url":"\/53.1-140\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-140","metadata":false},{"id":76414,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-140.1","catch_line":"Department to provide services","url":"\/53.1-140.1\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-140.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":65510,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-134","catch_line":"Virginia Parole Board; appointment of members","url":"\/53.1-134\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-134","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":65519,"structure_id":15118,"section_number":"53.1-135","catch_line":"Chairman; Vice-Chairman of Board","url":"\/53.1-135\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-135","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/53.1-134.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2024. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 458<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2025, chapter 716<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":57602,"section_number":"18.2-32","catch_line":"First and second degree murder defined; punishment","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-32\/"}],"permalink":{"id":238897,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57599,"identifier":"53.1-134.1","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-134.1","url":"\/53.1-134.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/53.1-134.1\/","token":"53.1\/4\/1\/53.1-134.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Board decisions; voting requirements","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 53.1-134.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In the case of a person serving life imprisonment for murder<\/span> of the first degree pursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32<\/a>, the final deliberation and vote of whether to grant such person parole<\/span> shall be attended by a panel<\/span> of four or more members of the Board<\/span>. In all other cases, the final deliberation and vote shall be attended by a panel<\/span> of no fewer than three members of the Board<\/span>. The Board<\/span> shall promulgate rules to ensure that such members are randomly assigned to panels<\/span> and to serve on an equal number of panels<\/span>, as is reasonably possible.\n\t\tA decision to grant discretionary parole<\/span> shall require the concurrence of a majority of members present for the final deliberation and vote, except that in cases of a person serving life imprisonment for murder<\/span> of the first degree pursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32<\/a>, a decision to grant discretionary parole<\/span> shall require the concurrence of four or more of the members present for the final deliberation and vote.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nBOARD DECISIONS; VOTING REQUIREMENTS (\u00a7 53.1-134.1)\n\nIn the case of a person serving life imprisonment for murder of the first degree\npursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32, the final deliberation and vote of whether to grant such\nperson parole shall be attended by a panel of four or more members of the Board.\nIn all other cases, the final deliberation and vote shall be attended by a panel\nof no fewer than three members of the Board. The Board shall promulgate rules to\nensure that such members are randomly assigned to panels and to serve on an\nequal number of panels, as is reasonably possible.\n\t\tA decision to grant discretionary parole shall require the concurrence of a\nmajority of members present for the final deliberation and vote, except that in\ncases of a person serving life imprisonment for murder of the first degree\npursuant to \u00a7 18.2-32, a decision to grant discretionary parole shall require\nthe concurrence of four or more of the members present for the final\ndeliberation and vote.\n\nHISTORY: 2024, c. 458; 2025, c. 716.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}