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 HB 780, HB 939, and HB 1069 and is identical to SB 494.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 13Governor's recommendation received by HouseLatest
- 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 (HB1385)
- Mar 30Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 30Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1385ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 14Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 34-N 0-A)Minor
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt Conference Committee Report R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 14Passed by temporarily
- Mar 14Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)Minor
- Mar 14Passed by temporarily
- Mar 14Conference Report released
- Mar 11House Conferees: Franklin of Montgomery, Carr, Zehr
- Mar 11Conferees appointed by House
- Mar 10Senate Conferees: Deeds, Locke, Pillion, Surovell
- Mar 10Conferees appointed by Senate
- Mar 9House acceded to request
- Mar 6Senate requested conference committeeMinor
- Vote recorded Insist & Request R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 6Senate insisted on amendments (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 4Senate substitute rejected by House (1-Y 94-N 0-A)
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: fail.Lower
- Mar 3Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385)
- Mar 2Passed Senate with substitute (20-Y 20-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: fail.Upper
- Mar 2Engrossed by Senate - committee substituteMajor
- Mar 2Education and Health Substitute agreed to
- Mar 2Read third timeMinor
- Feb 27Committee substitute printed 26108794D-S1Major
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 27Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Feb 27Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 27Rules suspended
- Feb 26Reported from Education and Health with substitute (10-Y 5-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Education and Health with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 19Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385)
- Feb 18Referred to Committee on Education and HealthMinor
- Feb 18Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Feb 17Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 16Engrossed by House - committee substituteMajor
- Feb 16committee substitute agreed toMajor
- Feb 16Read second timeMinor
- Feb 13Read first timeMinor
- Feb 11Committee substitute printed 26107251D-H1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Education with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 11Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 7-N)Minor
- Feb 11Incorporates HB939 (Franklin, L.V.)
- Feb 11Incorporates HB780 (Callsen)
- Feb 11Incorporates HB1069 (Laufer)
- Feb 9Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N)Major
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 9House subcommittee offered
- Feb 6Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385)
- Feb 5Assigned HED sub: Higher EducationMinor
- Jan 21Referred to Committee on EducationMinor
- Jan 21Presented and ordered printed 26105297DIntroduced