House Education Committee reports dozens of bills on early childhood, K–12 standards, school safety and student services

The Virginia House Committee on Education on the record session reported more than two dozen bills spanning early childhood care, K–12 standards and school operations, advancing multiple measures to the next stage of consideration.

Delegate Doug Figgins presented House Bill 2645, "which expands the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education by adding a representative from the Department of Veterans Services to its non legislative citizen members," saying the change will ensure military and veteran families’ needs are included in early childhood policy. Figgins told the committee the bill "carries no fiscal impact." The committee voted to report the bill 17–0.

The hearing moved through a wide block of higher education and K–12 measures. Subcommittee chairs and bill patrons summarized changes and sponsors’ intent for each measure, and in many cases the committee adopted substitutes or committee amendments before reporting bills out. Several early childhood bills the committee advanced seek to change waiting-list priorities for childcare subsidies, create a phase-out model for subsidy eligibility, and establish a funding formula and a dedicated early childhood fund to calculate minimum slot allocations.

On K–12 policy, the committee approved measures including a two‑year pilot for alternative student transportation for smaller divisions; requirements for age‑appropriate cell‑phone policies; expanded rules on teacher hiring and temporary employees; a pilot restorative‑practice program; and new reporting obligations tied to overdoses and opioid-antagonist treatment at school sites. Other actions included a measure to allow local colleges and universities to establish campus food‑pantry grants, and a substitute that limits a proposed exemption from child‑day program licensure to small horseback‑riding programs with several guardrails.

The committee also addressed student privacy and safety in schools: a substitute for House Bill 2226 directs school divisions to accept a written request from custodial parents that their address not be disclosed to a noncustodial parent and requires notification of that right; that substitute passed on a 19–0 vote. A substitute to HB 2237 on suspension procedures for school employees passed 11–8 after clarifying language was added to address school‑board concerns.

Votes at a glance

- HB 2645 (Figgins): add Department of Veterans Services representative to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education — reported 17–0; fiscal impact: none specified. - HB 2420 (Weber): require intercollegiate athletics coaches at public institutions to complete mental‑health first aid or similar training within one year of duty start — reported 17–0. - HB 2452 (Hodges): direct State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, FOIA Council and the Library of Virginia to develop minimum uniform standards for real‑time access, archiving and minutes for governing‑board meetings — reported 16–2. - HB 2593 (Tran) [transcript references to HB 2493 during roll call]: transfer actuarial surplus funds to a surplus rebate program and establish the Virginia college access and affordability scholarship fund — reported 10–8 (substitute; referred to Appropriations). Note: the transcript uses two bill numbers during the roll call; patron and bill text identified HB 2593. - HB 2053 (Reeser): baseline audit of educator preparation programs on literacy instruction — reported 20–0. - HB 2158 (Carr): consistent education programs across correctional facilities to improve literacy access — reported 16–4 (with amendments). - HB 2679 (Reeser): require parental notification when a student is determined to pose a threat and provide recognition/response materials — reported 16–4. - HB 2733 (Higgins): multi‑platform anonymous reporting app for suspicious activity; reported and referred 13–7 to Appropriations (after a reconsideration and re-vote). - HB 2777 (Resul): changes related to textbooks and high‑quality instructional materials — reported 16–4. - HB 1685 (Resul): clarifies definition of publicly funded early childhood provider for programs funded solely by military child‑care assistance and accredited by DoD‑approved bodies — reported 19–1. - HB 1959 (Bennett Parker): adds a seventh priority to childcare subsidy waiting‑list guidance and requires quarterly updates and a 30‑day target for slot assignment for priority families — reported 19–1; referred amendments and reporting timeline include Oct. 1, 2025 start for quarterly updates. - HB 2538: establishes and maintains an early childhood funding formula, minimum slots per biennium and an early childhood care and education fund; reported as amended 15–5 (committee added a reenactment clause earlier in discussion). - HB 2451 (Glass): requires a phase‑reduction model for childcare subsidy benefits to avoid sudden eligibility loss as family income rises — reported and referred to Appropriations 20–0. - HB 2419 (Weber): as amended, narrows an exemption from child‑day program licensure to horse‑riding programs with guardrails on instructor certification, child counts and supervision; reported with amendments 19–0. - HB 2720 (Austin): pilot program (2 school years) for alternative student transportation for divisions with fewer than 4,500 students, with required reporting — reported 18–1. - HB 2196 (McQuinn): restorative schools pilot administered by the Department of Education — reported with substitute 11–8. - HB 2201 (McQuinn): extend maximum temporary teacher employment from 90 to 180 days (expires July 1, 2027) — reported 11–8 with substitute. - HB 2226 (Cherry): allow custodial parents to request nondisclosure of address to noncustodial parents and require notification of that right; includes notice for DSS for foster custodial parents — reported as substituted 19–0. - HB 2237 (Cousins): clarity on suspension procedures for school employees and continued pay pending hearing unless the board determines otherwise — reported with substitute 11–8. - HB 2240 (Cousins): establishes the Hunger Free Campus food‑pantry grant program for public and eligible private institutions of higher education — reported with amendment 16–3. - HB 2460 (Scott): requires the Board of Education to consider incorporating media literacy and digital citizenship standards into the Standards of Learning — reported 18–1. - HB 2618 (Helmer): requires indoor air‑quality inspection and evaluation on a 5‑year cycle using industry‑recognized standards — reported with substitute 12–7. - HB 2620 (Oates): make certain examinations available to students who meet compulsory attendance; reported with amendments (final roll call listed earlier as 17–2 before a recall motion and further discussion). - HB 2774 (Singh): require notification to parents within 24 hours of a confirmed overdose or opioid‑antagonist treatment at school and related reporting — reported with substitute 16–1.

What changed on committee substitutes and amendments

Committee substitutes or amendments were common: multiple bills were altered to remove mandates and instead set aspirational goals or pilot structures to address fiscal impacts (for example HB 1972/19‑72 substitute changed a mandate to a state goal tied to fiscal concerns). Several bills received reenactment clauses to address timetable or fiscal referral requirements. The committee frequently referred bills with funding implications to Appropriations.

Context and next steps

Most measures were reported out of committee with either committee substitutes or amendments and will proceed to additional committees or full‑chamber consideration as required (some were referred to Appropriations). The committee’s actions move a broad package of early childhood, higher education and K–12 bills forward for further consideration.

Quotes

"I present HB 2645, which expands the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education by adding a representative from the Department of Veterans Services to its non legislative citizen members," Delegate Doug Figgins said in introducing the bill, adding that the change will help address barriers military families face in accessing consistent, high‑quality early childhood education. Figgins also said the bill "carries no fiscal impact."