HB 936 Students, certain, with limited English proficiency; Board shall make provision in its regulations.

Chief patron: Toscano

Summary as passed House:

Certain students with limited English proficiency; standard diploma; credit flexibility. Requires the Board of Education to make provision in its regulations for flexibility for any student with limited English proficiency to earn the credits required for a diploma. The bill requires such flexibility to permit local school divisions to award credit to such students who have failed reading, writing, or mathematics Standards of Learning assessments by a narrow margin, as defined by the Board.

02/16/16 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/18/16 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/18/16 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB936H1)
02/25/16 Senate: Continued to 2017 in Education and Health (10-Y 5-N)
12/02/16 Senate: Left in Education and Health

HB 1392 School security officers; carrying a firearm in performance of duties.

Chief patron: Lingamfelter

Summary as passed House:

School security officers; carrying a firearm in performance of duties. Authorizes a school security officer to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties if (i) he is a retired law-enforcement officer who retired or resigned in good standing, (ii) he has met the additional training and certification requirements of the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), (iii) the local school board solicits input from the chief law-enforcement officer of the locality regarding the qualifications of the officer, and (iv) the local school board grants him the authority to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties. The bill requires DCJS to establish additional firearms training and certification requirements for school security officers who carry a firearm in the performance of their duties. Existing law requires DCJS to establish minimum training and certification requirements for school security officers.

02/17/17 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB1392S2
02/17/17 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (24-Y 16-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate substitute agreed to by House 17105369D-S2 (75-Y 22-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (75-Y 22-N)

HB 1400 Virginia Virtual School Board; established, report.

Chief patron: Bell, Richard P.

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Virtual School established. Establishes the Board of the Virginia Virtual School (the Board) as a policy agency in the executive branch of state government for the purpose of governing the full-time virtual school programs offered to students enrolled in the Virginia Virtual School (the School). The Secretary of Education is responsible for such agency. The 14-member Board is given operational control of the School and assigned powers and duties. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the bill requires the School to be open to any school-age person in the Commonwealth and to provide an educational program meeting the Standards of Quality for grades kindergarten through 12, with a maximum enrollment of 5,000 students statewide. The bill requires the average state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding for each enrolled student to be transferred to the School.

02/16/17 Senate: Rereferred to Finance
02/16/17 Senate: Reported from Finance (7-Y 4-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 Senate: Read third time
02/21/17 Senate: Passed Senate (22-Y 18-N)

HB 1414 Standards of Learning; DOE to review multipart assessment questions, partial credit, etc.

Chief patron: Austin

Summary as passed House:

Standards of Learning assessments; partial credit. Requires the Department of Education to collaborate with the existing educational advisory committees in the Commonwealth that advise on student assessments to review multipart Standards of Learning assessment questions and determine the feasibility of awarding students partial credit for correct answers on one or more parts of such questions.

02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate with amendment (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate amendment agreed to by House (94-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (94-Y 0-N)

HB 1417 School buses; requirements of drivers approaching or immediately preceding a bus.

Chief patron: Ware

Summary as introduced:
Requirements of drivers approaching or immediately preceding a school bus. Requires drivers both approaching and immediately preceding a school bus stopped for the purpose of taking on or discharging children, the elderly, or mentally or physically handicapped persons to stop and turn on hazard lights.

10/18/16 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100692D
10/18/16 House: Referred to Committee on Transportation
01/13/17 House: Assigned Transportation sub: Subcommittee #1
01/17/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1417)
02/07/17 House: Left in Transportation

HB 1421 High school graduation; standard diploma, career and technical education credential, exception.

Chief patron: Farrell

Summary as introduced:
High school graduation; standard diploma; career and technical education credential; exception. Relieves each high school student in the graduating classes of 2018 through 2021 who pursues a standard diploma of the requirement to earn a career and technical education credential when such student earns a score of 4 or better on an Advanced Placement examination. Beginning with the graduating class of 2022, each high school student has the option of completing an Advanced Placement, honors, or International Baccalaureate course or earning a career and technical education credential to satisfy a specific graduation requirement.

10/27/16 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100794D
10/27/16 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/13/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/13/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1421)
01/16/17 House: Stricken from docket by Education

HB 1437 Public school students; sight and hearing testing, exceptions.

Chief patron: Head

Summary as passed House:

Sight and hearing testing of public school students; exception. Excludes from the requirement that the sight and hearing of public school students be tested any student who has an Individualized Education Program or a Section 504 Plan that documents a defect of vision or hearing or a disease of the eyes or ears when the principal determines that such a test would not identify any previously unknown defect of vision or hearing or a disease of the eyes or ears.

02/17/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Read third time
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)

HB 1498 School boards; assignment of teachers; class size limits.

Chief patron: LeMunyon

Summary as introduced:
School boards; assignment of teachers; class size limits. Reduces from 29 to 28 the maximum class size in kindergarten; from 30 to 28 the maximum class size in grades one, two, and three; and from 35 to 29 the maximum class size in grades four, five, and six.

01/25/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/25/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
01/30/17 House: Impact statement from DHCD/CLG (HB1498)
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 1500 Budget Bill.

Chief patron: Jones

Summary as introduced:
Budget Bill. Amends Chapter 780, 2016 Acts of Assembly.

02/15/17 House: House acceded to request
02/15/17 House: Conferees appointed by House
02/15/17 House: Delegates: Jones, Cox, Landes, O'Bannon, Greason, Torian
02/15/17 Senate: Conferees appointed by Senate
02/15/17 Senate: Senators: Norment, Hanger, Saslaw, Howell, Newman, Ruff, Wagner

HB 1534 Student discipline; long-term suspension.

Chief patron: Bell, Richard P.

Summary as passed House:

Student discipline; long-term suspension. Reduces the maximum length of a long-term suspension from 364 calendar days to 90 school days. The bill prohibits a long-term suspension from extending beyond any 45 school day period unless the school principal or division superintendent finds that aggravating circumstances exist, as defined by the local school board. The bill requires the length of any long-term suspension that extends beyond any 45 school day period shall be reviewed at the end of each such period.

02/20/17 Senate: Senate requested conference committee
02/20/17 Senate: Motion to reconsider insist on substitute agreed to (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed by for the day
02/21/17 Senate: Passed by for the day
02/22/17 Senate: Passed by for the day

HB 1535 Public schools; student discipline.

Chief patron: Bell, Richard P.

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; student discipline. Provides that no student shall receive a long-term suspension or expulsion for disruptive behavior unless such behavior involves intentional physical injury or credible threat of physical injury to another person.

12/27/16 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/13/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Elementary and Secondary Education
01/16/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1535)
01/27/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 1536 Student discipline; suspension or expulsion of students in preschool though grade five.

Chief patron: Bell, Richard P.

Summary as passed House:

Public schools; student discipline. Prohibits students in preschool through grade three from being suspended for more than five school days or expelled except for drug offenses, firearm offenses, or certain criminal acts.

02/20/17 House: House acceded to request
02/21/17 House: Conferees appointed by House
02/21/17 House: Delegates: Bell, Richard P., LeMunyon, Bulova
02/21/17 Senate: Conferees appointed by Senate
02/21/17 Senate: Senators: Newman, Stanley, Lucas

HB 1552 Career and technical education; notification by school board to students and parents of programs.

Chief patron: Bulova

Summary as passed House:

Local school boards; student and parent notification; career and technical education programs. Requires each local school board to implement a plan to notify students and their parents of the availability of career and technical education programs and to include annual notice on its website to enrolled high school students and their parents of the opportunity for such students to obtain a nationally recognized career readiness certificate at a local public high school, comprehensive community college, or workforce center.

02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017
02/20/17 Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 100 (effective 7/1/17)

HB 1561 Public school buses; seat belts.

Chief patron: Krizek

Summary as introduced:
Public school buses; seat belts. Requires the Board of Education to make regulations to require each new public school bus purchased for the transportation of students to be equipped with a seat belt in every seat. The bill requires each school board to ensure that no later than July 1, 2027, each school bus that it uses for the transportation of students is equipped with a seat belt in every seat.

12/29/16 House: Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
01/10/17 House: Assigned MPPS sub: #2
01/16/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1561)
01/19/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Militia, Police and Public Safety

HB 1578 Students who receive home instruction; participation in interscholastic programs (Tebow Bill).

Chief patron: Bell, Robert B.

Summary as introduced:

Students who receive home instruction; participation in interscholastic programs. Prohibits public schools from joining an organization governing interscholastic programs that does not deem eligible for participation a student who (i) receives home instruction; (ii) has demonstrated evidence of progress for two consecutive academic years; (iii) is in compliance with immunization requirements; (iv) is entitled to free tuition in a public school; (v) has not reached the age of 19 by August 1 of the current academic year; (vi) is an amateur who receives no compensation but participates solely for the educational, physical, mental, and social benefits of the activity; (vii) complies with all disciplinary rules and is subject to all codes of conduct applicable to all public high school athletes; and (viii) complies with all other rules governing awards, all-star games, maximum consecutive semesters of high school enrollment, parental consents, physical examinations, and transfers applicable to all high school athletes. The bill provides that no local school board is required to establish a policy to permit students who receive home instruction to participate in interscholastic programs. The bill permits reasonable fees to be charged to students who receive home instruction to cover the costs of participation in such interscholastic programs, including the costs of additional insurance, uniforms, and equipment. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2022.

02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017
02/20/17 Governor: Vetoed by Governor

HB 1605 Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts established.

Chief patron: LaRock

Summary as passed House:

Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts established. Permits the parent of a public preschool, elementary, or secondary school student to apply to the school division in which the student resides for a one-year, renewable Parental Choice Education Savings Account that consists of an amount that is equivalent to a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standards of Quality per pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposes and apportioned to the resident school division in which the student resides, including the per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education funding to which the student is eligible. The bill permits the parent to use the moneys in such account for certain education-related expenses of the student, including tuition, deposits, fees, and required textbooks at a private sectarian, or nonsectarian elementary or secondary school or preschool that is located in the Commonwealth and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The bill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, and reviewing expenses made from such accounts.

02/21/17 Senate: Reading of amendment waived
02/21/17 Senate: Committee amendment agreed to
02/21/17 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute with amendment HB1605S1
02/21/17 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute with amendment (21-Y 19-N)
02/22/17 House: Placed on Calendar

HB 1607 High school graduation requirements; verified credit; recognized high school academic assessments.

Chief patron: Habeeb

Summary as introduced:
High school graduation requirements; verified credit; locally selected, nationally recognized high school academic assessments. Requires the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to provide for the award of verified units of credit for satisfactory scores on locally selected, nationally recognized high school academic assessments approved by the Board in lieu of the correlated Standards of Learning assessments.

01/03/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/13/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/13/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1607)
01/24/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 1660 Study of documents relating to Virginia history and United States Constitution; Federalist Papers.

Chief patron: Greason

Summary as introduced:

Study of documents relating to Virginia history and the United States Constitution; Federalist Papers. Adds the Federalist Papers to a list of documents relating to Virginia history and the United States Constitution that are required to be explained and taught to students in public elementary, middle, and high schools. The bill requires the study of each such document to be incorporated into the appropriate Standards of Learning. The bill also requires the Department of Education to report biennially to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health on how such documents have been incorporated into the appropriate Standards of Learning and into curricula.

01/25/17 House: Passed by for the day
01/26/17 House: Passed by for the day
01/27/17 House: Motion to rerefer to committee agreed to
01/27/17 House: Rereferred to Education
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 1661 Administration of medications to treat adrenal crisis.

Chief patron: Greason

Summary as introduced:
Administration of medications to treat adrenal crisis. Provides that a prescriber may authorize an employee of (i) a school board, (ii) a school for students with disabilities, or (iii) an accredited private school who is trained in the administration of injected medications for the treatment of adrenal crisis resulting from a condition causing adrenal insufficiency to administer such medications to a student diagnosed with a condition causing adrenal insufficiency when the student is believed to be experiencing or about to experience an adrenal crisis pursuant to a written order or standing protocol issued within the course of the prescriber's professional practice and with the consent of the student's parents and provides that an employee of a school board, a school for students with disabilities, or an accredited private school who is trained in the administration of injected medications for the treatment of adrenal crisis resulting from a condition causing adrenal insufficiency who administers or assists in the administration of such medications to a student diagnosed with a condition causing adrenal insufficiency when the student is believed to be experiencing or about to experience an adrenal crisis in accordance with the prescriber's instructions shall not be liable for any civil damages for ordinary negligence in acts or omissions resulting from the rendering of such treatment.

02/17/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Read third time
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)

HB 1663 Northern Va. Community College, et al.; computer science training, etc., for public school teachers.

Chief patron: Greason

Summary as passed House:

Northern Virginia Community College; computer science training and professional development for teachers. Requires Northern Virginia Community College (i) in consultation with the Department of Education, to contract with a § 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to develop, market, and implement high-quality and effective computer science training and professional development activities for public school teachers throughout the Commonwealth for the purpose of improving the computer science literacy of all public school students in the Commonwealth and (ii) to establish an advisory committee for the purpose of advising the college and its nonprofit partner organization on the development, marketing, and implementation of such training and professional development activities.

02/21/17 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB1663S1
02/21/17 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 House: Placed on Calendar

HB 1708 Standards of Accreditation; industry certification credentials obtained by high school students.

Chief patron: Filler-Corn

Summary as passed House:

Board of Education; standards of accreditation; industry certification credentials obtained by high school students. Requires the Board of Education (the Board) to consider for inclusion in the student outcome measures included in the Standards of Accreditation the number of industry certification credentials, as defined by the Board, obtained by high school students.

02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate with amendment (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate amendment agreed to by House (97-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (97-Y 0-N)

HB 1709 School boards; policies and procedures prohibiting bullying, parental notification.

Chief patron: Filler-Corn

Summary as passed House:

School boards; policies and procedures prohibiting bullying; parental notification. Requires the policies and procedures prohibiting bullying that are contained in each school board's code of student conduct to direct the principal to notify the parent of any student involved in an alleged incident of bullying of the status of any investigation within 14 school days of the allegation of bullying.

02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate amendment rejected by House (0-Y 97-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: REJECTED (0-Y 97-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Senate insisted on amendment (40-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Senate requested conference committee

HB 1756 Education improvement scholarships tax credit; eligibility requirements.

Chief patron: Davis

Summary as introduced:
Education improvement scholarships tax credit; eligibility requirements. Eliminates the requirement that a student currently or recently have attended public school in order to qualify for a scholarship from a scholarship foundation that provides tax-credit-derived scholarships. The bill increases the maximum annual scholarship amount from 100 percent of the per pupil amount distributed to the local school division as its share of standards of quality costs (i) for a student with a disability, to 400 percent of such amount and (ii) for a student who has an autism spectrum disorder, to $26,000. The bill adds to the definition of "qualified educational expenses" expenditures made in connection to summer education.

01/08/17 House: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/20/17 House: Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #2
01/24/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1756)
01/25/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Finance

HB 1757 School personnel; staffing ratios; school nurses.

Chief patron: Dudenhefer

Summary as introduced:
School personnel; staffing ratios; school nurses. Requires each local school board to employ at least one full-time equivalent school nurse position in each elementary school, middle school, and high school in the local school division and at least one full-time equivalent school nurse position per 1,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12.

01/25/17 House: Reported from Education with amendments (19-Y 2-N)
01/25/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/25/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 1764 Regional school boards; full-time virtual school programs.

Chief patron: Bulova

Summary as introduced:
Regional school boards; full-time virtual school programs. Requires the establishment of eight regional school boards composed of one member of each local school board that governs each local school division in each of the eight superintendent's regions in the Commonwealth and requires each such regional school board to enter into a contract with at least one approved multidivision online provider to operate a full-time virtual school program for students enrolled in each local school division in such region. The bill contains provisions relating to student eligibility, educational standards, and funding for such full-time virtual school programs. The bill requires each local school board to make the option to participate in a full-time online learning program or full-time virtual school program available to at least two percent of students enrolled in the local school division and permits school boards to satisfy such requirement by providing the option to participate in the full-time virtual school program offered by the relevant regional school board.

01/30/17 House: Committee substitute printed 17104424D-H1
01/30/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/30/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 1770 Teacher licensure; career and technical education, certain local waivers.

Chief patron: Freitas

Summary as passed House:

Teacher licensure; career and technical education; certain local waivers. Permits each local school board or division superintendent to waive certain enumerated licensure requirements for any teacher seeking initial licensure or renewal of a license with an endorsement in the area of career and technical education. This bill is identical to SB 1583.

02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017
02/21/17 House: Governor's recommendation received by House

HB 1805 School divisions, certain; development of plan to fund and phase in full-day kindergarten.

Chief patron: Bell, John J.

Summary as introduced:
Certain school divisions; plan to fund and phase in full-day kindergarten. Requires each local school board that does not offer a full-day kindergarten program for each kindergarten student in the school division to develop a plan to fund and phase in a full-day kindergarten program for each kindergarten student in the school division and submit the plan to the General Assembly in advance of the 2018 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

01/30/17 House: Referred from Education
01/30/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/30/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 1828 School attendance officer; powers and duties.

Chief patron: Dudenhefer

Summary as introduced:
School attendance officer; powers and duties. Authorizes a school attendance officer or local school division superintendent or his designee acting as an attendance officer to complete, sign, and file petitions and motions for the enforcement of certain orders entered by a juvenile and domestic relations district court. The bill also provides that a nonattorney attendance officer or local school division superintendent or his designee acting as an attendance officer performing the powers and duties of an attendance officer is not considered the practice of law.

01/18/17 House: Referred from Education
01/18/17 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/18/17 House: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal Law
01/18/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Courts of Justice

HB 1829 Teacher licensure; certification or training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Chief patron: Dudenhefer

Summary as introduced:
Teacher licensure; certification or training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators; hands-on practice. Specifies that the certification or training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators that is required of every person seeking initial licensure or renewal of a license as a teacher shall include hands-on practice of the skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

02/10/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/16/17 Senate: Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 1-N)
02/17/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Read third time
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 1-N)

HB 1838 Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credits; process of allocating credits.

Chief patron: Orrock

Summary as passed House:

Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credits; Board of Education. Changes the process of allocating credits to neighborhood organizations submitting education proposals. The bill directs the Board of Education to develop regulations that (I) allocate one-half of the credits to neighborhood organizations with education proposals benefiting low-income persons and eligible students with disabilities in underperforming school districts in the Commonwealth, (ii) allow for the input of local leaders regarding the education needs of localities in which the proposed programs are located, and (iii) require the inclusion of performance and accountability measures in such proposals. The bill also allows the Board of Education to adopt regulations to be in effect by March 1, 2018, for the administration of the provisions of the bill. 

02/17/17 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB1838S1
02/17/17 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate substitute agreed to by House 17105530D-S1 (95-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (95-Y 0-N)

HB 1839 School principals; incident reports.

Chief patron: LaRock

Summary as introduced:
School principals; incident reports. Provides that school principals are not required to report criminal misdemeanors or status offenses to law enforcement if in the principal's discretion, based on a totality of the circumstances and consistent with Board of Education guidelines, such report is not warranted. The bill requires the Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Office of the Attorney General, and any interested stakeholders, to update its Student Conduct Policy Guidelines to provide guidance for principals in exercising such discretion.

01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/13/17 House: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal Law
01/19/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1839)
01/30/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Courts of Justice

HB 1843 Principals; student discipline; alternatives to referring incidents of assault.

Chief patron: Mullin

Summary as introduced:
Principals; student discipline; alternatives to referring incidents of assault and assault and battery, without bodily injury, to local law enforcement. Permits principals to refer to the local law-enforcement agency student incidents of assault and assault and battery, without bodily injury, only after such principal takes appropriate alternative disciplinary action or determines that no such appropriate alternative disciplinary action exists.

01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/13/17 House: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal Law
01/17/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1843)
02/01/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Courts of Justice

HB 1888 Wireless telecommunications devices; use by persons driving school buses.

Chief patron: Hugo

Summary as passed:

Use of wireless telecommunications devices by persons driving school buses. Allows school bus drivers to use, in addition to two-way radio devices, wireless telecommunications devices used hands free to communicate with school or public safety officials.

02/17/17 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1888ER)
02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

HB 1907 School security officers; authorized to carry a firearm.

Chief patron: Heretick

Summary as introduced:
School security officers; carrying a firearm. Authorizes a school security officer to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties if he (i) is a retired law-enforcement officer; (ii) was an active law-enforcement officer in the Commonwealth of Virginia within the 10 years immediately prior to being hired by the local school board; (iii) annually participates in the same firearms training and testing and meets the training and qualification standards to carry firearms as is required of an active law-enforcement officer in the Commonwealth; (iv) is granted the authority to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by the local school board; and (v) is not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102703D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/30/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1907)
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 1914 School board members; criminal background checks.

Chief patron: Head

Summary as introduced:
Elected and appointed school board members; criminal history record information and child abuse and neglect data. Requires each individual who is elected or appointed to a school board to (i) submit to fingerprinting and provide personal descriptive information to be forwarded along with his fingerprints by the school board through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information and (ii) provide written consent and the necessary personal information for the school board to obtain a search of the registry of founded complaints of child abuse and neglect maintained by the Department of Social Services and to take reasonable steps to obtain information from each state in which the individual has resided within the prior five years to determine whether such individual is the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse and neglect in any such state. The bill precludes any individual who is found to have been (a) convicted of a felony or any offense involving the sexual molestation, physical or sexual abuse, or rape of a child in the Commonwealth or an equivalent offense in another state or (b) the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse and neglect in the Commonwealth or another state from serving on any school board. The bill requires each entity that administers the school board election or appointment process for each local school division to notify each prospective school board member of the foregoing requirements.

01/27/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1914)
01/30/17 House: Referred from Education
01/30/17 House: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/30/17 House: Assigned P & E sub: Campaigns
02/08/17 House: Left in Privileges and Elections

HB 1923 Virtual Virginia; availability to all public middle and high schools.

Chief patron: Bagby

Summary as introduced:
Virtual Virginia; availability. Requires that the Virtual Virginia program, established by the Department of Education, be made available to all public middle and high schools. The bill provides that such program may be made available to all public elementary schools. Under current law, Virtual Virginia is required to be made available to public high schools only. The bill also replaces the term "statewide electronic classroom" with "online learning program" to more accurately reflect the Virtual Virginia program.

01/30/17 House: Reported from Education (18-Y 3-N)
01/30/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/30/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 1924 Public schools; suspensions.

Chief patron: Bagby

Summary as introduced:

Public schools; suspensions. Directs the Board of Education to establish guidelines for alternatives to short-term and long-term suspension for consideration by local school boards. This bill is identical to SB 829.

02/15/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1924ER)
02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017

HB 1949 Initial licensure fee waiver for certain teachers.

Chief patron: Peace

Summary as introduced:
Initial licensure fee waiver for certain teachers. Requires the Board of Education to waive any fee charged for initial licensure as a teacher for any (i) individual who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, Virginia National Guard, or Virginia Defense Force and who was discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable; (ii) member of the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, Virginia National Guard, or Virginia Defense Force; or (iii) spouse of any member of the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, Virginia National Guard, or Virginia Defense Force.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100391D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 1962 Education improvement scholarships; increases tax credit.

Chief patron: Massie

Summary as introduced:
Education Improvement Scholarships tax credit. Increases the Education Improvement Scholarships tax credit from 65 percent to 90 percent of the value of donations made to nonprofit scholarship foundations, beginning in taxable year 2018.

01/30/17 House: Reported from Finance (12-Y 9-N)
01/31/17 House: Read first time
02/01/17 House: Passed by for the day
02/02/17 House: Read second time
02/02/17 House: Engrossment refused by House

HB 1966 Education improvement scholarships tax credit; eligibility & benefits for certain students.

Chief patron: Massie

Summary as introduced:
Education improvement scholarships tax credit; eligibility requirements and benefits for students with a disability. Expands the education improvement scholarships tax credit program by removing the requirement that a child with a disability be a student enrolled or recently enrolled in public school in order to be eligible. The bill reduces the penalty for failure to fully disburse all donations received from 200 percent to 100 percent of unused donations. The bill increases the scholarship amount available for an eligible child with a disability from 100 percent to 400 percent of the per-pupil amount distributed to the local school division as the state's share of the standards of quality costs.

01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/20/17 House: Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #2
01/24/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1966)
01/25/17 House: Subcommittee recommends striking from docket
01/30/17 House: Stricken from docket by Finance

HB 1981 School Divisions of Innovation; definition, regulatory provisions.

Chief patron: Greason

Summary as passed House:

School Divisions of Innovation. Requires the Board to promulgate regulations for the designation of School Divisions of Innovation in which the local school board in the local school division so designated shall, pursuant to a plan of innovation, be exempted from certain regulatory provisions and be permitted to adopt alternative policies for school administrators, teachers, and staff to meet the diverse needs of students and to improve student learning; educational performance; and college, career, and citizenship readiness skills in the local school division or any portion thereof.

02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate with amendment (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate amendment agreed to by House (96-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (96-Y 0-N)

HB 1982 Graduation requirements; verified units of credit, satisfactory score on the PSAT examination.

Chief patron: Greason

Summary as passed House:

Graduation requirements; verified units of credit; satisfactory score on the PSAT examination. Requires the Board of Education, in establishing graduation requirements, to provide for the award of verified units of credit for a satisfactory score, as determined by the Board, on the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) examination.

02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate substitute agreed to by House 17105556D-S1 (97-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (97-Y 0-N)

HB 1983 School calendar; opening day of school year.

Chief patron: Greason

Summary as introduced:
School calendar; opening day of the school year. Makes local school boards responsible for setting the school calendar and determining the opening day of the school year and eliminates the post-Labor Day opening requirement and "good cause" scenarios for which the Board of Education may grant waivers of this requirement. The bill contains technical amendments.

01/26/17 House: Read third time and passed House (75-Y 24-N)
01/26/17 House: VOTE: PASSAGE (75-Y 24-N)
01/27/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
01/27/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/09/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N)

HB 1991 Local composite index; supplemental basic aid payments.

Chief patron: Webert

Summary as introduced:
Local composite index; supplemental basic aid payments. Repeals a provision that caps the sum of basic aid payments and supplemental basic aid payments received by certain eligible school divisions at a certain historical level of basic aid payments received by the relevant locality.

01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/23/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1991)
01/26/17 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 2-N)
01/26/17 House: Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
01/30/17 House: Failed to report (defeated) in Education (9-Y 12-N)

HB 2007 Students who receive home instruction; dual enrollment courses.

Chief patron: Bell, Robert B.

Summary as passed House:

Students who receive home instruction; dual enrollment courses. Requires each school board to permit any student who receives home instruction and resides in the local school division to apply for enrollment as a part-time student, as defined in the general appropriation act, of the local school division in any dual enrollment course offered pursuant to an agreement for postsecondary degree attainment at a public high school in the local school division or at the comprehensive community college. The bill specifies that no such student shall be required to pay more in tuition or fees than the tuition or fees paid by public school students or the school division of residence on behalf of such students to enroll in such course.

02/07/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/09/17 Senate: Reported from Education and Health (8-Y 7-N)
02/09/17 Senate: Rereferred to Finance
02/10/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2007E)
02/14/17 Senate: Failed to report (defeated) in Finance (8-Y 8-N)

HB 2014 Standards of quality; biennial review by Board of Education.

Chief patron: Keam

Summary as introduced:

Board of Education; biennial review of the standards of quality; odd-numbered years. Changes from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years the biennial review of the standards of quality that is required of the Board of Education.

02/15/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2014ER)
02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017

HB 2031 School calendar; opening day of the school year.

Chief patron: Adams

Summary as introduced:
School calendar; opening day of the school year. Makes local school boards responsible for setting the school calendar and determining the opening day of the school year and eliminates the post-Labor Day opening requirement and "good cause" scenarios for which the Board of Education may grant waivers of this requirement. The bill contains technical amendments.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102729D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/13/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2031)
01/23/17 House: Tabled in Education

HB 2052 School boards; additional funding for qualified instructional and support personnel.

Chief patron: Adams

Summary as introduced:
School boards; instructional and support personnel; additional funding. Declares it the policy of the Commonwealth that school boards that struggle to attract and retain qualified instructional and support personnel in the school division shall receive, to the extent practicable, funds for instructional and support personnel in addition to those state funds that the school board otherwise receives for public school purposes.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102818D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/13/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2052)
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 2054 High school graduation and dropout data; formula, on-time graduation.

Chief patron: Kory

Summary as introduced:
High school graduation and dropout data; formula; on-time graduation. Requires the formula that the Board of Education uses to collect, analyze, report, and make available to the public high school graduation and dropout data to exclude any student who fails to graduate on time because of an extenuating circumstance. The bill requires the Board of Education to enumerate qualifying extenuating circumstances by regulation.

01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/13/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2054)
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Elementary and Secondary Education
01/27/17 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment (8-Y 0-N)
02/01/17 House: Tabled in Education

HB 2082 Standards of quality; biennial review by Board of Education.

Chief patron: Bulova

Summary as introduced:
Board of Education; biennial review of the standards of quality; odd-numbered years. Changes from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years the biennial review of the standards of quality that is required of the Board of Education.

01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/13/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2082)
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/24/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 2089 School boards, local; lead testing of potable water in schools.

Chief patron: Kory

Summary as introduced:
Local school boards; school buildings; potable water; lead testing. Requires each local school board to develop and implement a plan to test potable water from sources identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as high priority as often as is required of the supplying public water system by the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water, giving priority in such testing plan to schools whose school building was constructed, in whole or in part, before 1986. The bill requires such plan and the results of each such test to be posted on the local school board's website and transmitted to and archived by the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water. The bill stipulates that if the result of any such test indicates a level of lead in the potable water that is at or above 20 parts per billion, the school board shall develop, implement, and post on its website a plan to remediate the level of lead in the potable water to below 20 parts per billion and confirm such remediation by retesting the water at two consecutive six-month intervals.

01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Elementary and Secondary Education
01/23/17 House: Impact statement from VDH (HB2089)
01/27/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 2140 Teachers turnover; exit questionnaire.

Chief patron: LeMunyon

Summary as passed House:

Teacher turnover; exit questionnaire; pilot program. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) to develop and oversee a pilot program to administer across five geographically and demographically diverse school divisions the model exit questionnaire for teachers developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (the Superintendent), analyze the results of each such questionnaire, and include such results and analysis in the Superintendent's annual report beginning in 2018. The bill requires the Department to (i) administer such questionnaire to each teacher who ceases to be employed by the relevant school board for any reason and (ii) collect, maintain, and report on the results of each such questionnaire in a manner that ensures the confidentiality of each teacher's name and other personally identifying information. This bill is identical to SB 1523.

02/15/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2140ER)
02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017

HB 2141 Public education; Board of Education to report on condition and needs.

Chief patron: LeMunyon

Summary as introduced:
Board of Education; report on the condition and needs of public education; local school division reports. Requires the Board of Education's annual report on the condition and needs of public education in the Commonwealth to include an explanation of the need to retain or maintain the frequency of any report that local school divisions are required to submit to the Board of Education or any other state agency; any recommendation for the elimination, reduction in frequency, or consolidation of such reports when such elimination, reduction in frequency, or consolidation would require an amendment to the laws of the Commonwealth; and a description of any other such report that the Board has eliminated, reduced in frequency, or consolidated.

02/15/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2141ER)
02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017

HB 2142 High school graduation; delays by one year implementation of redesigned requirements.

Chief patron: LeMunyon

Summary as passed House:

Redesigned high school graduation requirements; implementation; one-year delay. Delays by one year the implementation of the redesigned high school graduation requirements established pursuant to Chapter 750 of the Acts of Assembly of 2016.

02/08/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/08/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/10/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/14/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2142H1)
02/16/17 Senate: Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

HB 2173 Science laboratory classes; establishes a maximum class size of 24 students in grades 6 through 12.

Chief patron: Murphy

Summary as introduced:
Class size limits; grades six through 12; science laboratory classes. Establishes a maximum class size of 24 students in science laboratory classes in grades six through 12.

01/25/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/25/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2173)
01/25/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 2174 School boards; annual report on pupil/teacher ratios in elementary, middle, etc., school classrooms.

Chief patron: Murphy

Summary as passed House:

School boards; pupil/teacher ratios; public report. Requires each school board to annually report to the public the actual pupil/teacher ratios in middle school and high school.

02/21/17 House: Senate amendment agreed to by House (75-Y 21-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (75-Y 21-N)
02/21/17 House: Reconsideration of Senate amendment agreed to by House
02/21/17 House: Senate amendment agreed to by House (58-Y 38-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION #2 (58-Y 38-N)

HB 2191 School boards; procedures for handling sexually explicit instructional materials, etc.

Chief patron: Landes

Summary as passed House:

School boards; procedures; sexually explicit instructional materials or related academic activities. Requires each school board's procedures for handling challenged controversial instructional materials to include procedures for (i) annually notifying the parent of any student enrolled in a course in which the instructional materials or related academic activities may include sexually explicit content of the potential for such sexually explicit content in such course and (ii) providing, as a replacement for instructional materials or related academic activities that include sexually explicit content, nonexplicit instructional materials or related academic activities to any student whose parent so requests. The bill defines "sexually explicit content" as content that involves any criminal sexual assault defined and punishable as a felony under Article 7 (§ 18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2 of the Code of Virginia.

02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate with amendment (22-Y 18-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Pending question ordered
02/21/17 House: Senate amendment agreed to by House (71-Y 25-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (71-Y 25-N)

HB 2195 School attendance officer; powers and duties.

Chief patron: Torian

Summary as introduced:
School attendance officer; powers and duties. Authorizes a school attendance officer or local school division superintendent or his designee acting as an attendance officer to complete, sign, and file petitions and motions for the enforcement of certain orders entered by a juvenile and domestic relations district court. The bill also provides that a nonattorney attendance officer or local school division superintendent or his designee acting as an attendance officer performing the powers and duties of an attendance officer is not considered the practice of law.

01/11/17 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/13/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2195)
01/18/17 House: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal Law
01/18/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Courts of Justice

HB 2205 Students with blindness or visual impairments; changes to certain provisions.

Chief patron: Stolle

Summary as introduced:
Students with blindness or visual impairments. Makes several changes to provisions relating to students with blindness or visual impairments, including (i) requiring a learning media assessment (LMA) to be administered as part of the initial evaluation and each reevaluation of each student with blindness or visual impairments or more frequently, if such student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team so determines and requiring instruction in Braille reading and writing and accommodations for materials in Braille to be included in the IEP of a student with blindness or visual impairments commensurate with his IEP team's determination of his needs based upon the results of such LMA and (ii) requiring the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired to assist the Board of Education and each local school board with ongoing professional development for teachers of students with blindness or visual impairments, including knowledge of and instruction in Braille and the administration and evaluation of LMAs.

01/11/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Elementary and Secondary Education
01/26/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2205)
01/27/17 House: Subcommittee recommends striking from docket
01/30/17 House: Stricken from docket by Education

HB 2218 Public charter school applications and charter agreements; review by the Board of Education.

Chief patron: Miyares

Summary as passed House:

Public charter school applications and charter agreements; findings by the Board of Education. Permits the Board of Education to communicate any Board finding relating to the rationale for the local school board's denial of a public charter school application or revocation of or failure to renew the charter agreement based on documentation submitted by the school board in any school division in which at least half of the schools receive funding pursuant to Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.

02/20/17 Senate: Read third time
02/20/17 Senate: Defeated by Senate (20-Y 20-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Chair votes No
02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N)

HB 2232 Child day programs; exemptions from licensure.

Chief patron: Toscano

Summary as introduced:
Child day programs; exemptions from licensure. Exempts from licensure any child day program that is offered by a local school division, staffed by local school division employees, and attended by children who are enrolled in public school within such school division. The bill provides that such programs shall be subject to safety and supervisory standards established by the local school board.

01/11/17 House: Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions
01/17/17 House: Assigned HWI sub: Subcommittee #3
01/19/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2232)
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends striking from docket
02/07/17 House: Left in Health, Welfare and Institutions

HB 2257 High school family life education curricula; effective and evidence-based programs on consent.

Chief patron: Filler-Corn

Summary as passed:

High school family life education curricula; elements of effective and evidence-based programs on consent. Provides that any high school family life education curriculum offered by a local school division may incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the law and meaning of consent.

02/17/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2257ER)
02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

HB 2282 School board employees, certain; training on prevention of trafficking of children.

Chief patron: Leftwich

Summary as introduced:
Certain school board employees; training on the prevention of trafficking of children. Requires each school board to ensure that each guidance counselor and school nurse that it employs receives training on the prevention of trafficking of children using awareness and training materials provided by the Board of Education and the Department of Social Services.

02/20/17 House: House acceded to request
02/21/17 House: Conferees appointed by House
02/21/17 House: Delegates: Leftwich, Pogge, Bagby
02/21/17 Senate: Conferees appointed by Senate
02/21/17 Senate: Senators: Carrico, Cosgrove, Lucas

HB 2294 Health insurance; credits for retired school division employees.

Chief patron: McQuinn

Summary as introduced:
Health insurance credits for retired school division employees. Requires school divisions to provide a health insurance credit of $4 per year of service to all retired members of local school divisions with at least 15 years of total creditable service. Currently, the $4 per year health insurance credit is provided only to teachers, and non-teacher school division employees are eligible for a credit of $1.50 per year of service, capped at $45 per month, if the locality has elected such coverage. An enactment clause provides that this measure does apply to any local school division employee who retired on disability prior to July 1, 2017, if this measure would reduce the monthly credit currently payable to such former member. Eligible employees who retired prior to July 1, 2017, but who did not receive a health insurance credit prior to that date will only receive the $4 per year health insurance credit prospectively.

01/11/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/16/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement
01/27/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2294)
02/02/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 2332 Teachers; compensation at rate competitive with national average salary.

Chief patron: Tyler

Summary as passed House:

Teacher compensation; goal. Defines, for the purpose of the stated goal of the Commonwealth for teacher compensation that its public school teachers be compensated at a rate that is competitive, the term "competitive" as, at a minimum, at or above the national average teacher compensation.

02/20/17 House: Enrolled
02/20/17 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2332ER)
02/20/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2332ER)
02/21/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

HB 2341 Education, Board of; membership.

Chief patron: Landes

Summary as introduced:
Board of Education; membership. Requires at least two of the nine members of the Board of Education to represent business and industry in the private sector in the Commonwealth.

02/17/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Read third time
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)

HB 2342 Public schools; Board of Education shall only establish regional charter school divisions.

Chief patron: Landes

Summary as passed House:

Public schools; regional charter school divisions. Authorizes the Board of Education (Board) to establish regional charter school divisions consisting of at least two but not more than three existing school divisions in regions in which each underlying school division has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students and one or more schools that have accreditation denied status for two out of the past three years. The bill requires such regional charter school divisions to be supervised by a school board that consists of eight members appointed by the Board and one member appointed by the localities of each of the underlying divisions. The bill authorizes the school board, after a review by the Board, to review and approve public charter school applications in the regional charter school divisions and to contract with the applicant. The bill requires the state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding of the underlying school district in which the student resides transferred to such school.

02/16/17 Senate: Rereferred to Finance
02/16/17 Senate: Reported from Finance (6-Y 4-N 1-A)
02/20/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 Senate: Read third time
02/21/17 Senate: Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N)

HB 2345 Instructional positions; students identified as having limited English proficiency.

Chief patron: Kory

Summary as introduced:
Instructional positions; students identified as having limited English proficiency. Requires state funding to be provided pursuant to the appropriation act to support 20 full-time equivalent instructional positions for each 1,000 students identified as having limited English proficiency. Current law requires state funding to support 17 such positions for each 1,000 such students.

01/14/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/17/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
01/24/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2345)
01/24/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 2352 Teacher licensure by reciprocity; professional teacher's assessments, report.

Chief patron: Freitas

Summary as passed House:

Teacher licensure by reciprocity; professional teacher's assessments. Exempts from any professional teacher's assessment requirements any individual who has obtained a valid out-of-state license, with full credentials and without deficiencies, that is in force at the time the application for a Virginia license is received by the Department of Education, subject to the approval of the division superintendent or the school board in the school division in which such individual is employed. The bill requires the Department of Education to analyze the current requirements for teacher licensure by reciprocity in the Commonwealth, including the statutory and regulatory requirements for such licensure, and report its findings, including any recommendations for changes to such requirements, to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than November 1, 2017.

02/10/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/16/17 Senate: Reported from Education and Health (12-Y 3-N)
02/17/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Read third time
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate (36-Y 4-N)

HB 2355 Students receiving home instruction; participation in AP and PSAT/NMSQT.

Chief patron: Pogge

Summary as passed:

Students receiving home instruction; participation in Advanced Placement and Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test examinations. Requires school boards to (i) make Advanced Placement (AP), Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), and PreACT examinations available to students receiving home instruction; (ii) adopt written policies that specify the date by which such students shall register to participate in such examinations; and (iii) notify such students and their parents of such registration deadline and the availability of financial assistance to low-income and needy students to take such examinations. This bill is identical to SB 1414.

02/17/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2355ER)
02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

HB 2363 Teachers; compensation at rate competitive with national average salary.

Chief patron: Tyler

Summary as introduced:
Teacher compensation; goal. Adds to the stated goal of the Commonwealth for teacher compensation that its public school teachers be compensated at a rate that is competitive with the national average teacher salary.

01/16/17 House: Presented and ordered printed 17104169D
01/16/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee recommends striking from docket
02/01/17 House: Stricken from docket by Education

HB 2378 High school graduation requirements; substitution of computer coding for foreign language credit.

Chief patron: Davis

Summary as introduced:
High school graduation requirements; substitution of computer coding credit for foreign language credit. Requires the Board, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to provide for the substitution of computer coding course credit for any foreign language course credit required to graduate, except in cases in which such foreign language course credit is required to earn an advanced diploma offered by a nationally recognized provider of college-level courses.

01/17/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/18/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2378)
01/20/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/26/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 2395 Public Schools; dyslexia advisor.

Chief patron: Cline

Summary as passed House:

Public schools; dyslexia advisor. Requires one reading specialist in any school division in which the local school board employs such a specialist to have training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder and to serve as an advisor on dyslexia and related disorders.

02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate substitute rejected by House 17105595D-S1 (1-Y 96-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: REJECTED (1-Y 96-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Senate insisted on substitute (40-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Senate requested conference committee

HB 2406 Family life education curricula; instruction shall include personal privacy and personal boundaries.

Chief patron: Filler-Corn

Summary as introduced:
Family life education curricula; personal privacy and personal boundaries. Requires any family life education curriculum offered in any elementary school, middle school, or high school to include instruction on the importance of the personal privacy and personal boundaries of other individuals and tools for a student to use to ensure that he respects the personal privacy and personal boundaries of other individuals.

02/03/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2406)
02/06/17 House: Motion to rerefer to committee agreed to (60-Y 31-N)
02/06/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (60-Y 31-N)
02/06/17 House: Rereferred to Education
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HB 2431 School property; retail fee-based electric vehicle charging stations.

Chief patron: Bulova

Summary as introduced:
School property; retail fee-based electric vehicle charging stations. Permits any school board to locate and operate retail fee-based electric vehicle charging stations on school property, provided that the use of each such station during the school day is restricted to school board employees, students, and authorized visitors and each such station is accompanied by appropriate signage that provides reasonable notice of such restriction.

02/15/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2431ER)
02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017

HB 2432 Teachers and other school personnel; investigation of certain complaints, license revocation.

Chief patron: Bulova

Summary as introduced:
Licensure of school personnel; investigation of certain complaints; license revocation. Requires the Board of Education to include in its regulations governing the licensure of teachers and other school personnel procedures for the immediate and thorough investigation by the division superintendent or his designee of any complaint alleging that a license holder has engaged in conduct that may form the basis for the revocation of his license, including requirements for (i) the division superintendent to petition for the revocation of the license upon completing such investigation and finding that there is reasonable cause to believe that the license holder has engaged in conduct that forms the basis for revocation of a license; (ii) the school board to proceed to a hearing on such petition for revocation within 90 days of the mailing of a copy of the petition to the license holder, unless the license holder requests the cancellation of his license in accordance with Board regulations; and (iii) the school board to provide a copy of the investigative file and such petition for revocation to the Superintendent of Public Instruction at the time that the hearing is scheduled. The bill clarifies that in the case of a teacher who is or becomes the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse and neglect, such teacher shall be dismissed after all rights to any administrative appeal have been exhausted. Current law does not specify that such appeals are administrative in nature.

02/15/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2432ER)
02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017

HB 2434 Community schools; Department of Education to establish taskforce for pilot program.

Chief patron: Rasoul

Summary as introduced:
Department of Education; community schools. Requires the Department of Education to establish an interagency taskforce composed of state and local agencies and entities in the areas of early childhood development, health, social services, community engagement, family engagement, higher education, and workforce development for the purpose of developing a pilot program for the establishment of community schools whereby public elementary and secondary schools serve as centers for the provision of such community programs and services to students and their families as may be necessary based on the unique needs of the student population to be served. The bill requires such pilot program to include a process by which school boards and community partnerships may apply to the Department of Education to designate an elementary or secondary school in the local school division as a community school. The bill also establishes a special nonreverting fund in the state treasury for the purpose of providing planning grants for school boards who seek to apply to the Department of Education through such pilot program for community school designation.

01/19/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
01/23/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
01/27/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2434)
01/31/17 House: Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (3-Y 5-N)
02/07/17 House: Left in Education

HJ 546 Virginia High School League; Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study.

Chief patron: Bell, Richard P.

Summary as introduced:
Study; JLARC; Virginia High School League; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the Virginia High School League (VHSL). The resolution directs JLARC, in conducting its study, to (i) review the usefulness of the functions currently performed by VHSL; (ii) assess how effectively VHSL fulfills its role, including its sanctioning authority; (iii) assess whether there is sufficient transparency and accountability in VHSL executive committee, board, and staff decisions, operations, and funding; (iv) compare the role and operations of VHSL with those of similar organizations in other states; (v) assess whether VHSL as currently structured is the best model for performing the functions that VHSL currently performs; and (vi) review other issues and make recommendations as appropriate.

11/23/16 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100263D
11/23/16 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/26/17 House: Tabled in Rules

HJ 570 Study; JLARC; effectiveness of requiring seat belts on school buses in the Commonwealth; report.

Chief patron: Lingamfelter

Summary as introduced:
Study; JLARC; effectiveness of requiring seat belts on school buses in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the effectiveness of requiring seat belts on every school bus in the Commonwealth.

12/31/16 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102369D
12/31/16 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/26/17 House: Tabled in Rules

HJ 571 Study; Va Polytechnic Institute and State University and Va State University; teacher shortage.

Chief patron: Orrock

Summary as introduced:
Study; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Virginia State University; teacher shortage; report. Requesting Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Virginia State University to jointly study strategies to mitigate the Commonwealth's shortage of career and technical education teachers in the fields of agricultural education, technology education, and family and consumer sciences.

01/02/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101566D
01/02/17 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/12/17 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies
01/26/17 House: Tabled in Rules

HJ 629 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); charter schools.

Chief patron: Bell, Robert B.

Summary as introduced:
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); charter schools. Grants the Board of Education authority, subject to criteria and conditions prescribed by the General Assembly, to establish charter schools within the school divisions of the Commonwealth.

01/09/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100556D
01/09/17 House: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/11/17 House: Assigned P & E sub: Constitutional
01/30/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (4-Y 3-N)
02/08/17 House: Left in Privileges and Elections

HJ 634 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); authority of elected school boards to impose taxes.

Chief patron: Cole

Summary as introduced:
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); authority of elected school boards to impose taxes. Provides that the General Assembly may authorize any elected school board to impose real property taxes.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101131D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/11/17 House: Assigned P & E sub: Constitutional
01/30/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (4-Y 3-N)
02/08/17 House: Left in Privileges and Elections

HJ 676 Study; Department of Education; effect of local use value assessment of certain real estate.

Chief patron: Webert

Summary as introduced:
Study; Department of Education; effect of local use value assessment of certain real estate on the composite index of local ability to pay; report. Requests the Department of Education to (i) determine, for each of the 95 localities that have adopted ordinances to provide for the use value assessment and taxation of certain real estate, the use value of all applicable real estate devoted to (a) agricultural use, (b) horticultural use, (c) forest use, and (d) open-space use, as those terms are defined in the Code of Virginia, and (ii) recalculate the composite index of local ability to pay for each such locality after taking into consideration such use values.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101285D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/12/17 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies
01/26/17 House: Tabled in Rules

HJ 678 Study; directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study teaching profession.

Chief patron: Filler-Corn

Summary as introduced:
Study; directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the teaching profession in Virginia; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (the Commission) to study the teaching profession in Virginia. In conducting its study, the Commission shall (i) evaluate all areas of teacher preparation programs in Virginia, including entry level positions, licensing and certifications, master teachers, school counselors, and administrators; (ii) identify the reasons teachers leave the profession; (iii) review the Department of Education's recent report to the General Assembly concerning teacher shortage disciplines for the 2016-2017 school year and project the shortage rates by subject areas for the next five years; (iv) determine whether disparities exist in compensation and benefits, work environment, turnover, and attrition by region of the Commonwealth and rank the regions where disparities and shortages are poorer; (v) compare the compensation, work environment, turnover, and attrition in Virginia with that of other states; (vi) evaluate current and innovative policies and programs that may contribute to improved student academic achievement and a strong teacher workforce implemented in Virginia and other states; and (vii) consider other issues and make recommendations that the Commission determines necessary for a thorough and comprehensive assessment of the teaching profession in the Commonwealth. The Commission must report its findings to the Governor and the 2018 Session of the General Assembly.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102480D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/26/17 House: Tabled in Rules

HJ 679 Study; Joint Committee to Study the Future of Public Elementary and Secondary Education.

Chief patron: Filler-Corn

Summary as introduced:
Study; Joint Committee to Study the Future of Public Elementary and Secondary Education in the Commonwealth; experiential learning and workforce development opportunities in high-demand fields; report. Directs the Joint Committee to Study the Future of Public Elementary and Secondary Education in the Commonwealth to study experiential learning and workforce development opportunities for high school students in high-demand fields.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102467D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/12/17 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies
01/26/17 House: Tabled in Rules

SB 17 STEM programs; grants for donations to programs at qualified schools.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as introduced:
Grants for donations to science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) programs at qualified schools. Establishes a grant program administered by the Board of Education beginning in 2017 for donations made by STEM organizations to qualified schools. The donations must be used by qualified schools to support STEM programs. The bill defines qualified schools as those public elementary and secondary schools at which at least 40 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Grants are capped at $50,000 per organization per year.

02/24/16 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/24/16 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
03/01/16 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2017
03/01/16 House: Continued to 2017 in Appropriations
12/01/16 House: Left in Appropriations

SB 203 Public schools; Standards of Learning assessments.

Chief patron: Miller

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; Standards of Learning assessments. Reduces the total number and type of required Standards of Learning assessments to the minimum requirements established by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The bill requires the Board of Education to adopt and implement a transition plan over two years beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

02/04/16 Senate: Incorporates SB441
02/04/16 Senate: Incorporates SB498
02/04/16 Senate: Incorporates SB525
02/04/16 Senate: Continued to 2017 in Education and Health (14-Y 0-N)
12/02/16 Senate: Left in Education and Health

SB 428 Standards of Learning assessments; administration time frame.

Chief patron: Miller

Summary as introduced:
Standards of Learning assesments; administration time frame. Provides that, beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, the Standards of Learning assessments in grades three through five shall be administered over two consecutive school days and limited to two hours each day.

01/12/16 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/21/16 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/05/16 Senate: Impact statement from DOE/COO (SB428)
02/11/16 Senate: Continued to 2017 in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)
12/02/16 Senate: Left in Education and Health

SB 505 Standards of Learning assessments; reporting results.

Chief patron: Sturtevant

Summary as introduced:
Standards of Learning assessments; reporting results. Requires the Department of Education to report the results of individual students on the Standards of Learning assessments to the local school divisions by June 30 of each year.

01/12/16 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/21/16 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/08/16 Senate: Impact statement from DOE/COO (SB505)
02/11/16 Senate: Continued to 2017 in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)
12/02/16 Senate: Left in Education and Health

SB 759 Public schools; dyslexia advisor.

Chief patron: Black

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; dyslexia advisor. Requires each local school board to employ one full-time equivalent advisor who specializes in the identification of, and the appropriate interventions accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder.

01/22/16 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/01/16 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/04/16 Senate: Impact statement from DOE/COO (SB759)
02/11/16 Senate: Continued to 2017 in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)
12/02/16 Senate: Left in Education and Health

SB 763 Special education; recording of classrooms.

Chief patron: Dance

Summary as introduced:
Special education; recording of classrooms. Requires a local school division, upon written request by a parent or school board employee, to place, operate, and maintain one or more cameras in each self-contained classroom or other special education setting in which a majority of the students in regular attendance are (i) provided special education and related services and (ii) assigned to a self-contained classroom or other special education setting for at least 50 percent of the instructional day.

01/22/16 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/01/16 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/04/16 Senate: Impact statement from DOE/COO (SB763)
02/11/16 Senate: Continued to 2017 in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)
12/02/16 Senate: Left in Education and Health

SB 828 Family life education; certain curricula and standards of learning.

Chief patron: Wexton

Summary as introduced:
Family life education; child sexual abuse. Requires the Board of Education to include in its standards of learning for family life education standards for age-appropriate instruction in the prevention, recognition, and awareness of child abduction, child abuse, child sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse. The bill also requires such standards to be taught in grades K through 12.

11/10/16 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100202D
11/10/16 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/13/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB828)
01/18/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
01/26/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (8-Y 6-N)

SB 829 Alternatives to suspension; Board of Education shall establish guidelines for local school boards.

Chief patron: Wexton

Summary as introduced:

Public schools; suspensions. Directs the Board of Education to establish guidelines for alternatives to short-term and long-term suspension for consideration by local school boards. This bill is identical to HB 1924.

02/17/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB829ER)
02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 Senate: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

SB 840 Civics Education, Commission on; renamed Commission on Civic Education, extends sunset provision.

Chief patron: Marsden

Summary as passed Senate:

Commission on Civics Education; sunset; name. Renames the Commission on Civics Education as the Commission on Civic Education and extends it from July 1, 2017, to July 1, 2019.

02/16/17 House: Reported from Rules (15-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 House: Read second time
02/21/17 House: Read third time
02/21/17 House: Passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (98-Y 0-N)

SB 900 Budget Bill.

Chief patron: Norment, Hanger

Summary as introduced:
Budget Bill. Amends Chapter 780, 2016 Acts of Assembly.

02/09/17 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/13/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/13/17 House: Read first time
02/13/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/21/17 House: Left in Appropriations

SB 951 School service providers; student access to collected personal information.

Chief patron: Ruff

Summary as passed Senate:

School service providers; student access to collected personal information. Requires school service providers to provide each student's parent with access to a downloadable electronic copy of any student personal information pertaining to such student that has been collected, maintained, used, or shared by the school service provider. The bill permits such electronic copy to be in a machine-readable format.

02/21/17 House: Read second time
02/22/17 House: Read third time
02/22/17 House: Committee substitute agreed to 17105484D-H1
02/22/17 House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB951H1
02/22/17 House: Passed House with substitute BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N)

SB 995 Student discipline; long-term suspension.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as passed Senate:

Student discipline; long-term suspension. Prohibits a long-term suspension from extending beyond 60 school days unless the school board or the superintendent find that the student's behavior could constitute an offense of an enumerated crime if the offense occurred at school, on school property, or at a school-sponsored event. The bill requires the school board or the superintendent to conduct a review of any suspension that exceeds 60 days at the end of each grading period to determine if the student can return to school early.

02/17/17 House: Passed by for the day
02/20/17 House: Read third time
02/20/17 House: Committee substitute agreed to 17105405D-H1
02/20/17 House: Defeated by House (39-Y 56-N)
02/20/17 House: VOTE: DEFEATED (39-Y 56-N)

SB 996 Public schools; student discipline.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; student discipline. Provides that no student shall receive a long-term suspension or expulsion for disruptive behavior unless such behavior involves intentional physical injury or credible threat of physical injury to another person.

01/03/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102845D
01/03/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/16/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB996)
01/18/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/02/17 Senate: Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

SB 997 Public schools; student discipline.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as passed Senate:

Public schools; student discipline. Prohibits students in preschool through grade three from being suspended for more than ten days or expelled except for drug offenses, firearm offenses, certain criminal acts, or if the underlying conduct involves other weapons, inappropriate sexual behavior, or serious bodily injury. 

02/17/17 House: Passed by for the day
02/20/17 House: Read third time
02/20/17 House: Committee substitute agreed to 17105406D-H1
02/20/17 House: Defeated by House (46-Y 50-N)
02/20/17 House: VOTE: DEFEATED (46-Y 50-N)

SB 1015 Public schools; kindergarten instructional time.

Chief patron: Barker

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; kindergarten instructional time. Increases from 540 hours to 990 hours the minimum instructional hours in a school year for students in kindergarten. The bill directs the Board of Education to promulgate regulations by July 1, 2019, establishing standards for accreditation that include a requirement that the standard school day for students in kindergarten average at least 5.5 instructional hours in order to qualify for full accreditation. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2019.

01/04/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102896D
01/04/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/19/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (8-Y 7-N)

SB 1017 School attendance officer; powers and duties.

Chief patron: Barker

Summary as introduced:
School attendance officer; powers and duties. Authorizes a school attendance officer or local school division superintendent or his designee acting as an attendance officer to complete, sign, and file petitions and motions for the enforcement of certain orders entered by a juvenile and domestic relations district court. The bill also provides that a nonattorney attendance officer or local school division superintendent or his designee acting as an attendance officer performing the powers and duties of an attendance officer is not considered the practice of law.

02/13/17 House: Referred from Education
02/13/17 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/14/17 House: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal Law
02/15/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/21/17 House: Left in Courts of Justice

SB 1028 Immunizations; posting of reports on individual school's website.

Chief patron: Dunnavant

Summary as introduced:
School immunization reports; posting on website. Requires a copy of the report schools are required to provide to local health departments regarding student immunizations to be posted on the individual school's website. If a school does not have a website, then a hard copy of such report shall be made available to parents.

01/04/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101467D
01/04/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/13/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1028)
01/19/17 Senate: Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1082 School principals; incident reports.

Chief patron: Wexton

Summary as passed Senate:

School principals; incident reports. Eliminates the requirement that school principals report certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense to law enforcement.

02/08/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
02/10/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Elementary and Secondary Education
02/10/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1082S1)
02/15/17 House: Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (3-Y 5-N)
02/21/17 House: Left in Education

SB 1089 Public schools; Standards of Learning assessments.

Chief patron: Sturtevant

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; Standards of Learning assessments. Reduces the total number and type of required Standards of Learning assessments to the minimum requirements established by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, P.L. 89-10, as amended.

01/06/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100193D
01/06/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/23/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1089)
01/25/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/02/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health with letter (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1098 Standards of Quality; standards for accreditation in public schools.

Chief patron: Newman

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; standards for accreditation. Requires that the regulations establishing standards for accreditation adopted by the Board of Education ensure that the accreditation process is transparent and based on objective measurements and that any appeal of the accreditation status of a school is heard and decided by the Board.

02/17/17 House: Passed House (98-Y 0-N)
02/17/17 House: VOTE: PASSAGE (98-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Enrolled
02/22/17 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1098ER)
02/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1098ER)

SB 1099 Standards of Quality; assessments terms.

Chief patron: Newman

Summary as introduced:
Standards of Quality; assessments; terms. Changes the term used to refer to certain assessments to "locally developed assessments" from "alternative assessments." Under current law, two distinct assessments are referred to as "alternative assessments." To provide further clarity, the bill also requires local school boards, when administering the locally developed assessments, to distinguish between locally developed assessments and Standards of Learning assessments.

02/08/17 House: Read first time
02/08/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
02/10/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Education Innovation
02/14/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/21/17 House: Left in Education

SB 1111 School calendar; adds to "good cause" circumstances for waiver of school opening.

Chief patron: Edwards

Summary as introduced:
School calendar. Adds to the "good cause" circumstances for which school divisions may be granted a waiver from the regular post-Labor Day school opening schedule a school division that has entered into a dual enrollment agreement with a comprehensive community college and, in the school year for which the waiver is sought, participating students are required to attend college credit courses that begin prior to Labor Day.

01/09/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17103781D
01/09/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/13/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1111)
01/26/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (8-Y 7-N)

SB 1116 Public school employees, certain; assistance with student insulin pumps by register nurse, etc.

Chief patron: McPike

Summary as passed Senate:

Certain public school employees; assistance with student insulin pumps. Authorizes, but does not require, local school board employees who are registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or certified nurse aides and who have been trained in the administration of insulin and glucagon to assist a student who is diagnosed with diabetes and who carries an insulin pump with the insertion or reinsertion of the pump or any of its parts, provided that assistance has been authorized by the prescriber and consented to by the student's parent.

02/17/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1116ER)
02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 Senate: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

SB 1117 School counselors; licensure.

Chief patron: McPike

Summary as introduced:
School counselors; licensure. Requires every person seeking initial licensure or renewal of a license with an endorsement as a school counselor to complete training in the recognition of mental health disorder and behavioral distress, including depression, trauma, violence, youth suicide, and substance abuse.

02/09/17 House: Referred to Committee on Education
02/10/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Elementary and Secondary Education
02/15/17 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 House: Reported from Education (22-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: Read second time

SB 1159 Public schools; career and technical education credential.

Chief patron: Reeves

Summary as passed Senate:

Public schools; career and technical education credential. Provides that the career and technical education credential, when required for high school graduation, adult education, or an alternative education plan, may be satisfied with the successful completion of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Under current law, the successful completion of an industry certification, a state licensure examination, a national occupational competency assessment, or the Virginia workplace readiness skills assessment satisfies such credential.

02/17/17 House: Passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
02/17/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Enrolled
02/22/17 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1159ER)
02/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1159ER)

SB 1160 Teacher Education and Licensure, Advisory Board on; increases membership.

Chief patron: Reeves

Summary as passed:

Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure; membership. Adds three legislative members, two of whom shall be members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and one of whom shall be a member of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, to the Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure (Advisory Board). The bill provides an exception to the prohibition against service by legislators on boards within the executive branch for the Advisory Board.

02/15/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N)
02/17/17 Senate: House amendments agreed to by Senate (32-Y 8-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Enrolled
02/22/17 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1160ER)
02/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1160ER)

SB 1162 Teacher licensure; industry certification credential, local waiver.

Chief patron: Reeves

Summary as introduced:
Teacher licensure; industry certification credential; local waiver. Permits the division superintendent or the local school board to waive the requirement that prospective teachers in the school division seeking an initial license with an endorsement in the area of career and technical education have an industry certification credential in the area in which the teacher seeks endorsement.

01/09/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101001D
01/09/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/13/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1162)
01/26/17 Senate: Incorporated by Education and Health (SB1583-Suetterlein) (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1163 School principals; incident reports.

Chief patron: Reeves

Summary as introduced:
School principals; incident reports. Provides that school principals are not required to report criminal misdemeanors or status offenses to law enforcement if in the principal's discretion, based on a totality of the circumstances and consistent with Board of Education guidelines, such report is not warranted. The bill requires the Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Office of the Attorney General, and any interested stakeholders, to update its Student Conduct Policy Guidelines to provide guidance for principals in exercising such discretion.

01/09/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101122D
01/09/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/18/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
01/19/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1163)
02/02/17 Senate: Incorporated by Education and Health (SB1082-Wexton) (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1167 Education programs; allocation of unissued tax credits.

Chief patron: DeSteph

Summary as introduced:
Tax credits related to education; aggregate cap. Allocates 20 percent of any unissued credits in a fiscal year under the Education Improvement Scholarships tax credit program to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to be allocated to education programs under the Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit program during the next fiscal year. The 20 percent of unissued credits would be added to the current $9 million cap for education programs under the Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit program.

01/09/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101262D
01/09/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from TAX (SB1167)
01/31/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Finance (14-Y 1-N)

SB 1214 School health services; training in administration of insulin, etc.

Chief patron: Stuart

Summary as introduced:
School health services; insulin pump training. Requires school employees who are required to have training in the administration of insulin and glucagon to also have training in the use and insertion of insulin pumps.

01/10/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100736D
01/10/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/13/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1214)
01/18/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
01/26/17 Senate: Incorporated by Education and Health (SB1116-McPike) (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1215 Public schools; possession of glucagon.

Chief patron: Stuart

Summary as introduced:
Public schools; possession of glucagon. Requires local school boards to adopt and implement policies for the possession and administration of glucagon in every school that one or more students with diabetes attend and requires the Board of Education to adopt and implement policies for the possession and administration of glucagon in every school for students with disabilities that one or more students with diabetes attend. The bill allows a school nurse, an employee of the school board, an employee of a local governing body, an employee of a local health department, or an employee of the school for students with disabilities who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of glucagon to any student diagnosed with diabetes believed to be suffering from or about to suffer from life-threatening hypoglycemia.

01/10/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100737D
01/10/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/13/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1215)
01/18/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
01/26/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1235 Family life education; implementation of SOL for program.

Chief patron: Ebbin

Summary as introduced:
Family life education; required. Requires each local school board to implement the Standards of Learning for the family life education program developed by the Board of Education or a family life education program consistent with the guidelines developed by the Board.

01/26/17 Senate: Reported from Education and Health (8-Y 7-N)
01/27/17 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
01/30/17 Senate: Motion to recommit to committee agreed to
01/30/17 Senate: Recommitted to Education and Health
02/02/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (8-Y 7-N)

SB 1240 Virginia Virtual School established.

Chief patron: Dunnavant

Summary as passed Senate:

Virginia Virtual School established. Establishes the Board of the Virginia Virtual School (the Board) as a policy agency in the executive branch of state government for the purpose of governing the full-time virtual school programs offered to students enrolled in the Virginia Virtual School (the School). The Secretary of Education is responsible for such agency. The 14-member Board is given operational control of the School and assigned powers and duties. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the bill requires the School to be open to any school-age person in the Commonwealth and to provide an educational program meeting the Standards of Quality for grades kindergarten through 12, with a maximum enrollment of 5,000 students statewide. The bill requires the average state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding for each enrolled student to be transferred to the School.

02/20/17 House: Passed House (59-Y 37-N)
02/20/17 House: VOTE: PASSAGE (59-Y 37-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Enrolled
02/22/17 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1240ER)
02/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1240ER)

SB 1243 Va. Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts; established, definitions, report, effective clause.

Chief patron: Dunnavant

Summary as introduced:
Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts established. Permits the parent of a public preschool, elementary, or secondary school student who meets certain criteria to apply to the school division in which the student resides for a one-year, renewable Parental Choice Education Savings Account that consists of an amount that is equivalent to a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standards of Quality per pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposes and apportioned to the resident school division in which the student resides, including the per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education funding to which the student is eligible. The bill permits the parent to use the moneys in such account for certain education-related expenses of the student, including tuition, deposits, fees, and required textbooks at a private, sectarian or nonsectarian elementary or secondary school or preschool that is located in the Commonwealth and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The bill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, and reviewing expenses made from such accounts.

02/03/17 Senate: Printed as engrossed 17104318D-ES1
02/06/17 Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N)
02/06/17 Senate: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/06/17 Senate: Defeated by Senate (20-Y 20-N)
02/06/17 Senate: Chair votes No

SB 1245 Public education; economics education and financial literacy.

Chief patron: Dunnavant

Summary as passed:

Public education; economics education and financial literacy. Requires the Board of Education (Board) to include evaluating the economic value of postsecondary studies, including the net cost of attendance, potential student loan debt, and potential earnings, in the Board's objectives for economics education and financial literacy. The bill requires the Board to amend such objectives by July 1, 2018.

02/17/17 House: Committee amendments agreed to
02/17/17 House: Engrossed by House as amended
02/17/17 House: Passed House with amendments BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
02/17/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 Senate: House amendments agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)

SB 1246 At-Risk Youth and Families, Comprehensive Services for; special education programs.

Chief patron: Stuart

Summary as introduced:
Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families; special education programs. Grants, for a period of three years, eligibility for funding from the state pool of funds available through the Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families program to children and youth placed for purposes of special education in a public school special educational program established and funded jointly by a local governing body and school board pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement for the purpose of providing special education, related services, or both within a public day program, when the public school special educational program is able to provide services comparable to those of an approved private school special educational program, and the student would require placement in an approved private school special educational program but for the availability of the public school special educational program.

01/10/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102926D
01/10/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/27/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1246)
02/02/17 Senate: Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (14-Y 0-N)

SB 1283 Public schools; Board of Education shall only establish regional charter school divisions.

Chief patron: Obenshain

Summary as passed Senate:

Public schools; regional charter school divisions. Authorizes the Board of Education (Board) to establish regional charter school divisions consisting of at least two but not more than three existing school divisions in regions in which each underlying school division has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students and one or more schools that have accreditation denied status for two out of the past three years. The bill requires such regional charter school divisions to be supervised by a school board that consists of eight members appointed by the Board and one member appointed by the localities of each of the underlying divisions. The bill authorizes the school board, after a review by the Board, to review and approve public charter school applications in the regional charter school divisions and to contract with the applicant. The bill requires the state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding of the underlying school district in which the student resides transferred to such school.

02/15/17 House: Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N)
02/17/17 House: Read second time
02/20/17 House: Read third time
02/20/17 House: Passed House (54-Y 43-N)
02/20/17 House: VOTE: PASSAGE (54-Y 43-N)

SB 1335 Electronic textbooks; prohibits local school boards from requiring use in any course in grades 6-12.

Chief patron: Surovell

Summary as introduced:
Access to electronic textbooks and adequate connectivity. Prohibits local school boards from requiring the use of any electronic textbook in any course in grades six through 12 unless the school board adopts a plan to ensure that by July 1, 2019, (i) each student enrolled in such course will have access to a personal computing device capable of supporting such textbooks and (ii) the relevant school has adequate connectivity, which the bill defines as bandwidth of at least one megabit per second per student.

01/10/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100609D
01/10/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/02/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health with letter (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1336 Sales and use tax; school supplies and hurricane preparedness sales tax holidays.

Chief patron: Surovell

Summary as introduced:
School supplies and hurricane preparedness sales tax holidays. Adds to the existing sales tax holiday for school supplies, clothing, and footwear an exemption for computers sold at $700 or less. The bill removes from the hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday the exemption for generators.

The bill extends the sunset dates for the school supplies and hurricane preparedness sales tax holidays from 2017 to 2022.

01/10/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17101098D
01/10/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from TAX (SB1336)
01/31/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Finance (11-Y 5-N)

SB 1359 School boards, local; lead testing of potable water in schools.

Chief patron: McPike

Summary as passed Senate:

Local school boards; school buildings; potable water; lead testing. Requires each local school board to develop and implement a plan to test potable water from sources identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as high priority, giving priority in such testing plan to schools whose school building was constructed, in whole or in part, before 1986. The bill stipulates that if the result of any such test indicates a level of lead in the potable water that is at or above 20 parts per billion, the school board shall develop, implement, and post on its website a plan to remediate the level of lead in the potable water to below 20 parts per billion and confirm such remediation by retesting the water.

02/10/17 House: Assigned Education sub: Elementary and Secondary Education
02/15/17 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 1-N)
02/20/17 House: Reported from Education (20-Y 2-N)
02/21/17 House: Read second time
02/22/17 House: Passed by for the day

SB 1380 Regional school boards; full-time virtual school programs.

Chief patron: Petersen

Summary as introduced:
Regional school boards; full-time virtual school programs. Requires the establishment of eight regional school boards composed of one member of each local school board that governs each local school division in each of the eight superintendent's regions in the Commonwealth and requires each such regional school board to enter into a contract with at least one approved multidivision online provider to operate a full-time virtual school program for students enrolled in each local school division in such region. The bill contains provisions relating to student eligibility, educational standards, and funding for such full-time virtual school programs. The bill requires each local school board to make the option to participate in a full-time online learning program or full-time virtual school program available to at least two percent of students enrolled in the local school division and permits school boards to satisfy such requirement by providing the option to participate in the full-time virtual school program offered by the relevant regional school board.

01/11/17 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17103628D
01/11/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/25/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1380)
02/02/17 Senate: Incorporated by Education and Health (SB1240-Dunnavant) (13-Y 0-N)

SB 1414 Students receiving home instruction; participation in AP and PSAT/NMSQT.

Chief patron: Newman

Summary as passed Senate:

Students receiving home instruction; participation in Advanced Placement and Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test examinations. Requires school boards to (i) make Advanced Placement (AP), Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), and PreACT examinations available to students receiving home instruction; (ii) adopt written policies that specify the date by which such students shall register to participate in such examinations; and (iii) notify such students and their parents of such registration deadline and the availability of financial assistance to low-income and needy students to take such examinations. This bill is identical to HB 2355.

02/17/17 House: Passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
02/17/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Enrolled
02/22/17 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1414ER)
02/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1414ER)

SB 1426 Education improvement scholarships; increases tax credit.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as introduced:
Education Improvement Scholarships tax credit. Increases the Education Improvement Scholarships tax credit from 65 percent to 90 percent of the value of donations made to nonprofit scholarship foundations, beginning in taxable year 2018.

01/12/17 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 17103987D
01/12/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/24/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1426)
01/31/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Finance (9-Y 7-N)

SB 1427 Education improvement scholarships tax credit; pre-kindergarten eligibility.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as introduced:
Educational Improvement Scholarships tax credit; pre-kindergarten eligibility. Expands the educational improvement scholarships tax credit program by including as eligible scholarship recipients children enrolled in or attending nonpublic pre-kindergarten programs. The maximum annual scholarship that a child enrolled in or attending a nonpublic pre-kindergarten program will receive is the lesser of the child's actual educational expenses or the state share of the grant per child under the Virginia Preschool Initiative for the locality in which the child resides.

Under current law, tax credits are awarded to individuals and businesses making donations to nonprofit scholarship foundations using the donated funds to award scholarships to certain students in grades K-12 attending nonpublic schools. Eligible scholarship recipients are students in grades K-12 with a finalized individualized education program (IEP) in place or whose annual household income is not in excess of 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

The bill defines an eligible pre-kindergarten child as a child who is (i) a resident of Virginia, (ii) an at-risk four-year-old unserved by Head Start programs, and (iii) enrolled in or attending a nonpublic pre-kindergarten program. In addition, the family of the child (a) cannot have annual household income in excess of 300 percent of the current poverty guidelines or 400 percent of such guidelines if an IEP has been written and finalized for the child, (b) must be homeless as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 11302, or (c) must include parents or guardians of the child who are school dropouts.

The bill defines a nonpublic pre-kindergarten program as a preschool program designed for child development and kindergarten preparation (1) that complies with nonpublic school accreditation requirements administered by the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) or (2) that is participating in Virginia Quality (a partnership between the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the Office of Early Childhood Development of the Department of Social Services) with a current designation of at least Level 3 under such rating system. The bill includes several other curriculum and administrative requirements that must be met by a nonpublic pre-kindergarten program in order for children attending the program to be eligible to receive scholarships under the tax credit program. Under the bill, VCPE or the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation will certify nonpublic pre-kindergarten programs meeting such curriculum and administrative requirements.

02/06/17 House: Read first time
02/06/17 House: Referred to Committee on Finance
02/07/17 House: Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #2
02/08/17 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 4-N)
02/13/17 House: Failed to report (defeated) in Finance (10-Y 12-N)

SB 1428 Education improvement scholarships tax credit; eligibility of students with a disability.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as passed Senate:

Education improvement scholarships tax credit; eligibility requirements and benefits for students with a disability. Expands the education improvement scholarships tax credit program by removing the requirement that a child with a disability be a student enrolled or recently enrolled in public school in order to be eligible. The bill reduces the penalty for failure to fully disburse all donations received from 200 percent to 100 percent of unused donations.

02/08/17 House: Read first time
02/08/17 House: Referred to Committee on Finance
02/09/17 House: Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #3
02/10/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/21/17 House: Left in Finance

SB 1453 Firearms; prohibited at certain preschools and child day centers.

Chief patron: Lucas

Summary as introduced:
Firearms on school property. Adds public, private, or religious preschools and child day centers that are not operated at the residence of the provider or of any of the children to the list of schools where possessing a firearm on school property or on a school bus is prohibited. Under current law, the list of such schools only includes public, private, or religious elementary, middle, or high schools.

01/17/17 Senate: Impact statement from VCSC (SB1453)
01/19/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1453)
01/23/17 Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment (7-Y 6-N 1-A)
01/23/17 Senate: Rereferred to Finance
01/31/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Finance (11-Y 5-N)

SB 1475 Family life education; changes to curriculum guidelines and curricula.

Chief patron: McClellan

Summary as passed Senate:

Family life education; curriculum guidelines and curricula. Makes changes to family life education curriculum guidelines and curricula, including requiring family life education curriculum guidelines to include instruction as appropriate for the age of the student in the value of family relationships and permitting the age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on sexual violence that are required to be incorporated into any high school family life education curriculum offered by a local school division to include instruction that increases student awareness of the fact that consent is required before sexual activity.

02/21/17 House: Read second time
02/22/17 House: Read third time
02/22/17 House: Committee amendments agreed to
02/22/17 House: Engrossed by House as amended
02/22/17 House: Passed House with amendments BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N)

SB 1476 Education, Department of; training for hearing officers in teacher dismissal hearings.

Chief patron: McClellan

Summary as introduced:
Department of Education; training for hearing officers in teacher dismissal hearings; list of trained hearing officers. Requires the Department of Education to (i) develop and make available to each local school board a program of training for hearing officers who preside over teacher dismissal hearings that includes information on the statutory procedure for teacher dismissal hearings and (ii) develop, maintain, and make available to each local school board a list of hearing officers who have completed such program of training.

01/17/17 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 17101834D
01/17/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/27/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1476)
02/02/17 Senate: Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (14-Y 0-N)

SB 1477 Students with blindness or visual impairments; evaluation of students, Braille instruction.

Chief patron: McClellan

Summary as introduced:
Students with blindness or visual impairments. Makes several changes to provisions relating to students with blindness or visual impairments, including (i) requiring a learning media assessment (LMA) to be administered as part of the initial evaluation and each reevaluation of each student with blindness or visual impairments or more frequently, if such student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team so determines and requiring instruction in Braille reading and writing and accommodations for materials in Braille to be included in the IEP of a student with blindness or visual impairments commensurate with his IEP team's determination of his needs based upon the results of such LMA and (ii) requiring the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired to assist the Board of Education and each local school board with ongoing professional development for teachers of students with blindness or visual impairments, including knowledge of and instruction in Braille and the administration and evaluation of LMAs.

01/17/17 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 17101836D
01/17/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/25/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
01/26/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1477)
02/02/17 Senate: Stricken at request of patron in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1493 Virginia Community College System; computer science training, etc., for public school teachers.

Chief patron: McClellan

Summary as passed Senate:

Virginia Community College System; computer science training for public school teachers; advisory committee. Directs the Virginia Community College System, acting through Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), to contract with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to develop and implement computer science training and related professional development activities for public school teachers in the Commonwealth. NVCC, with the approval of the State Board of Community Colleges, shall establish an advisory committee to advise NVCC and the nonprofit organization regarding the computer science program. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding being made available to the Virginia Community College System for this purpose in a general appropriation act.

02/17/17 House: Passed House with substitute BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
02/17/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 Senate: House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N)
02/22/17 House: House insisted on substitute
02/22/17 House: House requested conference committee

SB 1500 School Health Advisory Board; established, report.

Chief patron: Favola

Summary as introduced:
School Health Advisory Board. Establishes the School Health Advisory Board in the executive branch to advise the General Assembly on pending legislation concerning health policy that affects elementary and secondary schools.

01/18/17 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 17104125D
01/18/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/27/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1500)
02/02/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health with letter (13-Y 0-N)

SB 1516 Public Schools; dyslexia advisor.

Chief patron: Black

Summary as passed Senate:

Public schools; dyslexia advisor. Requires one reading specialist employed by each local school board that employs a reading specialist to have training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder and to have an understanding of the definition of dyslexia and a working knowledge of several topics relating to dyslexia.

02/16/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (97-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N)
02/21/17 House: House insisted on substitute
02/21/17 House: House requested conference committee
02/22/17 Senate: Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N)

SB 1517 School transportation; fees.

Chief patron: Black

Summary as introduced:
School transportation; fees. Authorizes a school board to charge a reasonable fee, when it provides transportation to pupils who live outside the school division, to each pupil utilizing such transportation. The bill requires that the school board waive such fee for any pupil whose parent is financially unable to pay it, including any pupil who is eligible for free and reduced lunch. The bill contains technical amendments.

02/06/17 Senate: Reading of amendments waived
02/06/17 Senate: Committee amendments agreed to
02/06/17 Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1517E
02/06/17 Senate: Printed as engrossed 17104089D-E
02/07/17 Senate: Read third time and defeated by Senate (14-Y 26-N)

SB 1523 Teachers turnover; exit questionnaire.

Chief patron: Mason

Summary as passed Senate:

Teacher turnover; exit questionnaire; pilot program. Requires the Department of Education to develop and oversee a pilot program to administer across five geographically and demographically diverse school divisions the model exit questionnaire for teachers developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, analyze the results of each such questionnaire, and include such results and analysis in the Superintendent's annual report beginning in 2018. The bill requires the Department to (i) administer such questionnaire to each teacher who ceases to be employed by the relevant school board for any reason and (ii) collect, maintain, and report on the results of each such questionnaire in a manner that ensures the confidentiality of each teacher's name and other personally identifying information. This bill is identical to HB 2140.

02/17/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1523ER)
02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 Senate: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

SB 1537 School board employees, certain; training program on bullying.

Chief patron: McPike

Summary as introduced:
Certain school board employees; training program on bullying. Requires each school board to require each school board employee in the local school division, including student support positions but excluding all other support services positions, to participate in a three-hour in-person or online training program on identifying, preventing, and responding to incidents of bullying. The bill requires each such training program to include information on bullying that is provided by the National Council for Behavioral Health. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2018.

01/20/17 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 17103997D
01/20/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/02/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N)

SB 1556 Education, Board of; graduation requirements.

Chief patron: Newman

Summary as introduced:
Board of Education; graduation requirements. Requires the Board of Education's graduation requirements to require a student to earn at least one verified credit in each of the following subjects: mathematics, reading, writing, science, and history and social science. The bill requires a student to achieve a passing score on the associated end-of-course Standards of Learning assessment to earn a verified credit. The bill prohibits the associated end-of course Standards of Learning assessment from being diluted or replaced by another assessment.

01/20/17 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 17104103D
01/20/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/25/17 Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
02/02/17 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health with letter (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1570 Virtual Virginia; availability to all public middle and high schools.

Chief patron: Peake

Summary as introduced:
Virtual Virginia; availability. Requires that the Virtual Virginia program, established by the Department of Education, be made available to all public middle and high schools. The bill provides that such program may be made available to all public elementary schools. Under current law, Virtual Virginia is required to be made available to public high schools only. The bill also replaces the term "statewide electronic classroom" with "online learning program" to more accurately reflect the Virtual Virginia program.

01/20/17 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 17104181D
01/20/17 Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/23/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1570)
01/26/17 Senate: Incorporated by Education and Health (SB1240-Dunnavant) (15-Y 0-N)

SB 1583 Teacher licensure; career and technical education, certain local waivers.

Chief patron: Suetterlein

Summary as passed Senate:

Teacher licensure; career and technical education; certain local waivers. Permits each local school board or division superintendent to waive certain enumerated licensure requirements for any teacher seeking initial licensure or renewal of a license with an endorsement in the area of career and technical education. This bill is identical to HB 1770.

02/13/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/14/17 Senate: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 2/14/17
02/14/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 21, 2017
02/14/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1583ER)
02/21/17 Senate: Governor's recommendation received by Senate

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Try using "from", "thru" bill numbers to manage your output.

Counts: HB: 77 HJ: 8 SB: 58