A Virginia Senate bill that would explicitly define "Islamophobia" in state law for assault and battery hate crime enhancements has been continued to the 2027 legislative session.

Senate Bill 624, prefiled on January 14, 2026, by Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-Fairfax), amends Section 18.2-57 of the Code of Virginia, which governs assault and battery penalties. The legislation adds "including Islam" to the phrase "religious conviction" in provisions that impose mandatory minimum six-month confinement terms for bias-motivated simple assaults (Class 1 misdemeanor) and assaults causing bodily injury (Class 6 felony).

It introduces a specific definition: "Islamophobia" means "malicious prejudice or hatred directed toward Islam or Muslims." This applies even if the victim is not actually Muslim, as long as the perpetrator targeted them based on perceived adherence to the faith. The bill also requires the Department of State Police, in consultation with the Attorney General's Office and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to incorporate the definition into the state's central hate crime reporting repository.

The measure drew bipartisan co-patrons, including Sens. Aird, Boysko, Carroll, Foy, Jones, Pekarsky, Srinivasan, and VanValkenburg, along with several House delegates. Referred to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, it received a fiscal impact statement but advanced no further. On February 2, 2026, the committee unanimously voted 15-0 to continue the bill to 2027.

Salim emphasized the bill's narrow scope. "The purpose of this legislation is to create a subcategory so the state can track these crimes," he said. He added that it targets criminal actions like assaults, not speech: "If somebody writes something online expressing a viewpoint, that is not what this bill addresses."

David Keating, president of the Institute for Free Speech, agreed the bill does not create new crimes or regulate expression. "It simply directs how information is categorized," he stated, noting Virginia already enhances penalties for religion-based bias crimes.

Some online discussions raised First Amendment concerns, fearing it could chill criticism of Islam. However, supporters and analysts maintain it applies only to physical crimes motivated by malice toward Muslims, such as targeting based on attire or appearance.

Virginia law already provides hate crime enhancements for bias against religion generally, but SB624 singles out Islam with a dedicated term and reporting directive. The 2026 session ended without passage, leaving the proposal for reconsideration next year.