State Crime Commission


The State Crime Commission is a bipartisan criminal justice agency under the Virginia General Assembly that studies and makes recommendations on protection- and public safety-related issues. The Commission studies causes of, and ways of preventing, crime; compensation of law enforcement personnel; methods of apprehending, trying, punishing, and rehabilitating convicted criminals; etc. It works with other state commissions and agencies, coordinating all legislative proposals affecting crimes, crime control and criminal procedure.
The Commission has power to conduct private and public hearings and take testimony from witnesses. It also has power to appoint an executive director and other staff.
According to the Code of Virginia, "The Commission shall consist of 13 members that include nine legislative members, three nonlegislative citizen members, and one state official".

Studies

After the 2019 Virginia Beach shooting, the State Crime Commission was tasked with studying gun control legislation, in preparation for the General Assembly's next session, in November.