VirginiaHigher educational institutions, public; membership of governing boards.
What it does
Public institutions of higher education; governing boards; membership and duties; work groups. Revises the membership and duties of the governing board of each public institution of higher education by, among other things, increasing from four years to six years the terms of each member of the governing board and requiring the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies defining and implementing shared governance among the components of the institution's organizational structure. The bill also directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene work groups for the purpose of developing model shared governance policies, in accordance with the provisions of the bill, and for the purpose of studying and making recommendations on (i) institutional structures and processes relating to legal counsel; (ii) the current selection and use of outside legal counsel by public institutions of higher education; (iii) a process by which (a) the governing board of any public institution of higher education, the Governor, or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility, upon determining that the legal counsel of a public institution of higher education is not acting in the best interests of the institution, including due to a conflict of interest, failure to defend the lawful authority of the public institution of higher education, or failure to comply with state law, may request the Attorney General to review the adequacy of such legal representation and (b) upon a determination by the Attorney General or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility that such institution is not receiving adequate legal representation, the governing board of any public institution of higher education may request additional representation or approve alternate counsel as necessary to protect the interests of the institution; and (iv) policies for requiring any individual member of a governing board of a public institution of higher education to recuse himself from or not participate in any vote or decision of the governing board on any matter in which he has a personal or pecuniary interest or any partisan or ideological interest that would compromise his ability to vote or act objectively and in accordance with the primary duties set forth in relevant law.
More detail
This bill incorporates SB 381 and is identical to HB 1385.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 13Governor's recommendation received by SenateLatest
- Apr 2Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)
- Mar 31Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 31Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026Minor
- Mar 31Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 30Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 30Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB494ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 14Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)Minor
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt Conference Committee Report R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 14Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)Minor
- Mar 14Conference Report released
- Mar 14Passed by temporarily
- Mar 12House Conferees: Franklin, L.V., Feggans, Austin
- Vote recorded Accede Conference Committee R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 12House Conferees: Franklin of Montgomery, Carr, Zehr
- Mar 12Conferees appointed by House
- Mar 12Senate Conferees: Deeds, Locke, Surovell, Pillion
- Mar 12Conferees appointed by Senate
- Mar 12Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 11House requested conference committeeMinor
- Mar 11House insisted on substituteMajor
- Mar 10House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)
- Vote recorded Concur House Substitute R. Result: fail.Upper
- Mar 9Passed House with substitute (61-Y 35-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 9Engrossed by House - committee substituteMajor
- Mar 9committee substitute agreed toMajor
- Mar 9Read third timeMinor
- Mar 6Read second timeMinor
- Mar 5Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)
- Mar 4Committee substitute printed 26108796D-H1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Education with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 4Reported from Education with substitute (15-Y 6-N)Minor
- Mar 2Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N)Major
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 2House subcommittee offered
- Feb 26Assigned HED sub: Higher EducationMinor
- Feb 24Referred to Committee on EducationMinor
- Feb 24Read first timeMinor
- Feb 24Placed on Calendar
- Feb 23Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)
- Feb 17Read third time and passed Senate (22-Y 18-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 16Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)Major
- Feb 16Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)Major
- Feb 16Read second timeMinor
- Feb 13Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed R. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 13Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 13Rules suspended
- Feb 12Committee substitute printed 26107584D-S1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Education and Health with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 12Incorporates SB381 (Surovell)
- Feb 12Senate committee offered
- Feb 12Reported from Education and Health with substitute (12-Y 0-N 3-A)Minor
- Feb 11Senate subcommittee offered
- Feb 9Senate subcommittee offered
- Feb 9Assigned Education sub: Higher EducationMinor
- Feb 4Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)
- Jan 13Referred to Committee on Education and HealthMinor
- Jan 13Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104667DIntroduced