Education Committee Agenda

Chair: Rasoul, Sam

Meeting Date & Time: 02/02/2026 08:00 AM Add to Calendar

Location: House Committee Room A - 008

Testimony/Comments: Sign up to speak or submit comments (opens in a new window)

Notes: Public testimony will only be taken on bills HB877, HB1037, and HB1113.

Additional Resource(s):

Active item: Meeting Adjourned

Video: Archived

Committee Clerk: (804) 698-1945 - Sam Fidler, Clerk

DLS Contact: (804) 698-1820 Ryan Brimmer, Attorney

Administrative Matters

Speakers Letter requesting referral to Public Safety

Bill(s) Patron Title
HB1260 Shin Publ. elementary/secondary schools, etc.; fed. immigration investigation and enforcement activities.

Summary: A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-279.8 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 8 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-808.3, relating to public elementary and secondary schools and public institutions of higher education; certain federal immigration investigation and enforcement activities; certain notifications and prohibitions.

Fiscal Impact

Referred from Education and rereferred to Public Safety (Voice Vote)

Last actions:

  • 2/2/2026 - Referred from Education and referred to Public Safety (Voice Vote)
  • 2/2/2026 - Referred to Committee on Public Safety
  • 2/2/2026 - Referred by Committee
  • 2/3/2026 - Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #3
  • 2/3/2026 - Placed on Public Safety Agenda

Subcommittee #3

Subcommittee recommends incorporating (Voice Vote)

Early Childhood and Innovation Bills

Bill(s) Patron Title
HB211 Gardner Head start, etc., Head Start State Collaboration Office to develop for endorsement a report, etc.

Summary: An Act to require the Head Start State Collaboration Office at the Department of Education to develop and recommend to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education for endorsement a report summarizing the state of Head Start and Early Head Start in the Commonwealth.

Fiscal Impact

Reported from Education with substitute (16-Y 6-N)

Yeas (16): Rasoul, Simonds, McQuinn, Guzman, Sewell, Convirs-Fowler, Askew, Clark, Cousins, Reaser, Laufer, LeVere Bolling, Anderson, Dougherty, Bulova, Whittle

Nays (6): Cherry, Tata, Scott, P.A., Garrett, Zehr, Kent

Last actions:

  • 3/6/2026 - Enrolled
  • 3/6/2026 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB211ER)
  • 3/6/2026 - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB211)
  • 3/6/2026 - Signed by Speaker
  • 3/10/2026 - Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

Senate Committee Actions:

• 2/27/2026 - Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

• 2/27/2026 - Passed by for the day

• 3/2/2026 - Read third time

• 3/2/2026 - Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

• 3/6/2026 - Signed by President

Early Childhood and Innovation

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 2-N)

HB255 Glass School Psychologists, Interstate Compact for; membership of the Commonwealth into Compact.

Summary: An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 22.1 a chapter numbered 30, consisting of a section numbered 22.1-387, relating to Interstate Compact for School Psychologists; membership of the Commonwealth.

Fiscal Impact

Reported from Education (22-Y 0-N)

Yeas (22): Rasoul, Simonds, McQuinn, Guzman, Sewell, Convirs-Fowler, Askew, Clark, Cousins, Reaser, Laufer, LeVere Bolling, Anderson, Dougherty, Bulova, Cherry, Tata, Scott, P.A., Garrett, Zehr, Kent, Whittle

Last actions:

  • 3/14/2026 - Enrolled
  • 3/14/2026 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB255ER)
  • 3/14/2026 - Signed by Speaker
  • 3/16/2026 - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB255)
  • 3/25/2026 - Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026

Senate Committee Actions:

• 3/6/2026 - Passed by for the day

• 3/6/2026 - Passed by for the day

• 3/9/2026 - Read third time

• 3/9/2026 - Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

• 3/14/2026 - Signed by President

Early Childhood and Innovation

Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 1-N)

K-12 Subcommittee Bills

Bill(s) Patron Title
HB462 Cohen Health Ed. SOL; Bd. of Ed. to require literacy instruction in grade 9 & 10 in next revision.

Summary: An Act to direct the Board of Education to require health literacy instruction in grades nine and 10 and remove any duplicative or outdated health instruction in the next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning.

Fiscal Impact

Last actions:

  • 2/9/2026 - committee substitute agreed to
  • 2/9/2026 - Engrossed by House - committee substitute
  • 2/10/2026 - Read third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A)
  • 2/27/2026 - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB462)
  • 3/4/2026 - Senate substitute agreed to by House (64-Y 33-N 0-A)

Senate Committee Actions:

• 3/2/2026 - Read third time

• 3/2/2026 - Read third time

• 3/2/2026 - Education and Health Substitute agreed to

• 3/2/2026 - Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

• 3/2/2026 - Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

K-12 Subcommittee

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 1-N)

HB653 Kent Excused student absences; visitation of immediate family members on active duty military, etc.

Summary: An Act to amend and reenact § 22.1-254 of the Code of Virginia, relating to excused student absences for visitation of immediate family members; active duty military; scheduled for deployment, on leave from deployment, or returning from deployment outside the United States.

Fiscal Impact

Reported from Education with substitute (13-Y 2-N)

Yeas (13): Rasoul, Simonds, Convirs-Fowler, Askew, Laufer, LeVere Bolling, Anderson, Dougherty, Bulova, Cherry, Tata, Kent, Whittle

Nays (2): Sewell, Garrett

Not Voting (7): McQuinn, Guzman, Clark, Cousins, Reaser, Scott, P.A., Zehr

Reported from Education with substitute (21-Y 1-N)

Yeas (13): Rasoul, Simonds, Convirs-Fowler, Askew, Laufer, LeVere Bolling, Anderson, Dougherty, Bulova, Cherry, Tata, Kent, Whittle

Nays (2): Sewell, Garrett

Not Voting (7): McQuinn, Guzman, Clark, Cousins, Reaser, Scott, P.A., Zehr

Last actions:

  • 2/5/2026 - committee substitute agreed to
  • 2/5/2026 - Engrossed by House - committee substitute
  • 2/6/2026 - Read third time and passed House (94-Y 2-N 0-A)
  • 2/9/2026 - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB653)
  • 3/4/2026 - Senate amendment agreed to by House (95-Y 0-N 0-A)

Senate Committee Actions:

• 2/27/2026 - Passed by for the day

• 3/2/2026 - Read third time

• 3/2/2026 - Committee amendment agreed to (Voice Vote)

• 3/2/2026 - Engrossed by Senate as amended

• 3/2/2026 - Passed Senate with amendment Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

K-12 Subcommittee

Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 2-N)

Bills Without Subcommittee Hearings

Bill(s) Patron Title
HB877 Rasoul Public high school students; opportunity to earn transferable meta-major associate degree, etc.

Summary: A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-1, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 22.1-237.2 through 22.1-237.5, 22.1-253.13:1, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 23.1-100, 23.1-907, and 23.1-908 of the Code of Virginia, relating to high school students; postsecondary opportunities; independent dual enrollment; transferable meta-major associate degrees.

Fiscal Impact

Reported from Education (22-Y 0-N)

Yeas (22): Rasoul, Simonds, McQuinn, Guzman, Sewell, Convirs-Fowler, Askew, Clark, Cousins, Reaser, Laufer, LeVere Bolling, Anderson, Dougherty, Bulova, Cherry, Tata, Scott, P.A., Garrett, Zehr, Kent, Whittle

Last actions:

  • 2/2/2026 - Reported from Education (22-Y 0-N)
  • 2/4/2026 - Read first time
  • 2/5/2026 - Read second time and engrossed
  • 2/6/2026 - Read third time and passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A)
  • 2/12/2026 - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB877)

Senate Committee Actions:

• 2/26/2026 - Placed on Education and Health docket for Feb 26, 2026

• 2/26/2026 - Removed from Education and HealthPublic Education docket for Feb 26, 2026

• 2/26/2026 - Reported from Education and Health and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

• 2/26/2026 - Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

• 3/6/2026 - Placed on Finance and Appropriations docket for Mar 06, 2026

HB1037 Carr Instructional materials on climate change & environtl. literacy; model pol. & proced. for selection.

Summary: An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-212.1:3, relating to Board of Education; instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy; model policies and procedures for selection.

Fiscal Impact

Reported from Education (15-Y 7-N)

Yeas (15): Rasoul, Simonds, McQuinn, Guzman, Sewell, Convirs-Fowler, Askew, Clark, Cousins, Reaser, Laufer, LeVere Bolling, Anderson, Dougherty, Bulova

Nays (7): Cherry, Tata, Scott, P.A., Garrett, Zehr, Kent, Whittle

Last actions:

  • 1/30/2026 - Placed on Education Agenda
  • 2/2/2026 - Reported from Education (15-Y 7-N)
  • 2/4/2026 - Read first time
  • 2/5/2026 - Read second time and engrossed
  • 2/6/2026 - Read third time and passed House (65-Y 33-N 0-A)

Senate Committee Actions:

• 2/9/2026 - Referred to Committee on Education and Health

• 2/19/2026 - Assigned Education sub: Public Education

• 2/19/2026 - Removed from Education and Health docket for Feb 19, 2026

• 2/26/2026 - Placed on Education and Health docket for Feb 26, 2026

• 2/26/2026 - Removed from Education and HealthPublic Education docket for Feb 26, 2026

HB1113 Nivar Culturally responsive & language-appropriate mental health support & services; guidance & policies.

Summary: An Act to require guidance and permit policies governing the provision of culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services.

Fiscal Impact

Reported from Education and rereferred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N)

Yeas (15): Rasoul, Simonds, McQuinn, Guzman, Sewell, Convirs-Fowler, Askew, Clark, Cousins, Reaser, Laufer, LeVere Bolling, Anderson, Dougherty, Bulova

Nays (7): Cherry, Tata, Scott, P.A., Garrett, Zehr, Kent, Whittle

Last actions:

  • 2/9/2026 - Placed on Appropriations Agenda
  • 2/9/2026 - Reported from Appropriations (19-Y 3-N)
  • 2/11/2026 - Read first time
  • 2/12/2026 - Read second time and engrossed
  • 2/13/2026 - Read third time and passed House (60-Y 34-N 0-A)

Senate Committee Actions:

• 2/27/2026 - Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

• 2/27/2026 - Passed by for the day

• 3/2/2026 - Read third time

• 3/2/2026 - Read third time

• 3/2/2026 - Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

Elementary and Secondary Subcommittee

Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)