VirginiaPublic schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education, discrimination, etc.
What it does
Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education; discrimination based on immigration status prohibited; civil cause of action. Prohibits any child in the Commonwealth from being denied a free public education through secondary school on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and consistent with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill also, among other things, prohibits any school board, public elementary or secondary school, school resource officer employed by a local law-enforcement agency in any public elementary or secondary school, or any individual who is an employee, contractor, or agent of a school board from engaging in certain enumerated actions and practices that involve or result in the denial of a free public education, or denial of the benefits or exclusion from participation in any program or activity thereof, of a child on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents.
More detail
The bill establishes a civil cause of action for violations of the foregoing prohibitions. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop and make available to each school board by August 1, 2026, guidance and resources on developing policies and procedures to implement the requirements set forth in the bill and requires each school board to develop and implement by December 31, 2026, such policies and procedures and to require each public elementary and secondary school principal and administrator in the school division to complete training on compliance with the provisions of the bill as soon as is practicable but not later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year, consistent with the guidance and resources developed and made available by the Department of Education. This bill is identical to HB 836.
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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 13Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0681)Latest
- Apr 13Approved by Governor Abigail Spanberger-Chapter 681 (effective 7/1/2026)Became Law
- 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 31Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB491)
- Mar 30Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 30Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB491ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 13Conference report agreed to by House (64-Y 31-N 0-A)Minor
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt Conference Committee Report R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 13Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)Minor
- Mar 12Conference Report released
- Vote recorded Accede Conference Committee R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 12House Conferees: Rasoul, Cousins, Runion
- Mar 12Conferees appointed by House
- Mar 12Senate Conferees: Pekarsky, Favola, Craig
- 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 (63-Y 34-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 4Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB491)
- Vote recorded Reported from Education with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 4Committee substitute printed 26108808D-H1Major
- Mar 4Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 7-N)Minor
- Mar 3House subcommittee offered
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 3Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N)Major
- Feb 26Assigned HED sub: K-12 SubcommitteeMinor
- Feb 18Referred to Committee on EducationMinor
- Feb 18Read first timeMinor
- Feb 18Placed on Calendar
- Feb 13Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 12Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)Major
- Feb 12Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)Major
- Feb 12Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote)
- Feb 12Read second timeMinor
- Feb 11Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed R. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 11Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 11Rules suspended
- Feb 11Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB491)
- Feb 11Committee substitute printed 26107531D-S2Major
- Feb 10Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (10-Y 5-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 6Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB491)
- Feb 6Committee substitute printed 26106599D-S1Major
- Feb 5Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Education and Health with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 5Senate committee offered
- Jan 29Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB491)
- Jan 22Senate subcommittee offered
- Jan 22Assigned Education sub: Public EducationMinor
- Jan 13Referred to Committee on Education and HealthMinor
- Jan 13Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104918DIntroduced