Richmond — The Virginia Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education met in Richmond and advanced a package of bills on Oct. 12, 2025, touching governance at Richard Bland College, nursing education pathways, expanded dual‑enrollment through the Virginia Community College System, a solar workforce grant program and changes to tuition assistance for Virginia National Guard members. The subcommittee recommended reporting several measures to the full committee; a separate bill that would have required the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to publish standardized, user‑friendly institutional data failed on a 3‑2 vote.

The most immediate action was on legislation changing governance at Richard Bland College. Senator Head sponsored Senate Bill 742, which removes the authority of the College of William and Mary’s board of visitors to supervise Richard Bland College and establishes a separate nine‑member board of visitors for Richard Bland that would appoint faculty, set salaries and manage college property. The panel recommended reporting the bill (vote recorded in committee as four ayes, zero nays). Jeff Palmore spoke in support on behalf of stakeholders; the transcript notes that President Saito was en route from an appointment.

Why it matters: supporters said the change would make Richard Bland’s governance consistent with an independent community college board and allow focused oversight; the subcommittee did not record opposing testimony for the item during this session.

Senators also approved procedural action to fold Senate Bill 791 into Senate Bill 953, a larger measure that would create a stackable nursing credential pathway (practical nursing → associate registered nursing → Bachelor of Science in Nursing) focused on accelerating LPN‑to‑RN transitions. Committee staff explained the difference between the two bills: SB 791 covered both associate and baccalaureate public institutions, while SB 953 as filed applied to associate‑degree institutions; the patrons agreed to align scope by negotiation and then adopted two clarifying line amendments adding explicit references to baccalaureate institutions where indicated. The motion to roll SB 791 into SB 953 passed by roll call (ayes 5, nays 0) and the substitute for SB 953 was adopted (ayes 5, nays 0).

College and Career Ready Virginia (SB 1063) — which refines last year’s dual‑enrollment bill and limits the free dual‑enrollment program to Virginia Community College System (VCCS) institutions — was advanced after discussion about scope and advisory‑committee membership. Senator Hashmi, the bill’s patron, explained that the measure removes references to the Online Virginia Network Authority (OVN), removes the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond from the advisory committee and excludes Richard Bland College from required free dual‑enrollment delivery because the VCCS is the entity statutorily tasked to operate the program. The VCCS chancellor told the committee the governor’s amended budget includes $35,000,000 to support the program and said the system is “prepared to move forward with implementation of College and Career Ready Virginia in fall of 2025.” The subcommittee recommended reporting SB 1063 (ayes 3, noes 1, 1 abstention). Several senators asked the patron to reconsider advisory‑committee membership for Richard Bland between the subcommittee and the full committee.

SHEV data‑transparency bill fails in committee — Senator Head presented Senate Bill 792, which would have required the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to publish, in an easily accessible format, for each public and eligible nonprofit institution data on tuition and fees, retention and graduation rates, three‑year post‑graduation wages and lists of high‑wage programs. Grace Cotard of CHEV (as recorded in the transcript) told the panel the agency already collects the data and supports publishing it in a more user‑friendly way; she said the information is “already posted on our website, just not in a user friendly format.” After debate over whether codifying the requirement was necessary, the subcommittee first reconsidered a prior vote and then rejected the bill on final roll call (ayes 2, nos 3). Senators raising no votes said they believed the change could be implemented administratively without legislation.

Solar workforce and campus installations (SB 1099) — Senator Hashmi also presented a bill to create the Virginia Solar Workforce Development Incentive Grant Program to encourage VCCS campuses that enter into power‑purchase agreements (PPAs) to pair campus solar installations with paid internships and training. Tony Smith, CEO of Secure Score Futures, detailed a 2022 pilot at Mountain Empire Community College that paid interns roughly $17 per hour, helped several students secure permanent jobs and earned credit hours; he told the committee the bill “drives clean energy, economic growth, workforce development, and community resilience.” The bill proposes grant funding tied to campus PPAs and aims to incentivize solar plus storage installations that proponents say can yield energy savings and leverage private investment. The subcommittee recommended reporting SB 1099 by voice vote.

Virginia National Guard tuition model and recruitment grants — Two related measures affecting the Virginia National Guard advanced. Senate Bill 1106 would revert the tuition assistance model to a pay‑direct arrangement so institutions are paid directly rather than requiring guard members to pay up front and seek reimbursement. Alexis Bose Fryer of the Virginia Department of Military Affairs said the department supports the bill, calling the reimbursement model “cost prohibitive” for many guardsmen; the subcommittee adopted an amendment clarifying that grant funds are disbursed to participating institutions to credit students’ accounts, and recommended reporting the bill.

Senate Bill 767 would raise the annual cap on the Guard’s recruitment grant program from $50,000 to $250,000 to accelerate recruitment; committee members were told the existing $50,000 cap has been exhausted in recent years. The subcommittee recommended reporting SB 767 (committee tally: ayes 2, nays 1, two abstentions in the roll call recorded).

Votes at a glance
- SB 742 (Richard Bland governance): recommended for reporting; committee tally recorded as ayes 4, nays 0.
- SB 771 (Christopher Newport University charter request): recommended for reporting; voice vote recorded as aye.
- SB 797 (Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind campus police): recommended for reporting; voice vote recorded as aye.
- SB 791 → rolled into SB 953 (stackable nursing pathway): motion to roll SB 791 into SB 953 passed (ayes 5, nays 0); substitute for SB 953 adopted (ayes 5, nays 0).
- SB 792 (SHEV data‑display requirement): failed on final roll call (ayes 2, nos 3).
- SB 1063 (College and Career Ready Virginia — VCCS dual‑enrollment cleanup): recommended for reporting (ayes 3, noes 1, 1 abstention).
- SB 1099 (Solar Workforce Development Incentive Grant Program): recommended for reporting (voice vote: aye).
- SB 1106 (Virginia National Guard tuition assistance — return to pay‑direct): amendment adopted; recommended for reporting (voice vote: aye).
- SB 767 (Guard recruitment grants cap increase): recommended for reporting (ayes 2, nos 1, 2 abstentions).

Discussion vs. decision: The subcommittee frequently distinguished discussion points (for example, whether Richard Bland should remain on advisory groups for dual‑enrollment and whether the SHEV transparency measure could be done administratively) from formal action (motions to recommend reporting, roll‑in of SB 791 into SB 953, and adoption of line amendments). On bills with broader stakeholder testimony (SB 1063, SB 1099, SB 1106), the committee received detailed implementation and fiscal context from agency and industry witnesses; in several cases senators requested additional conversations before the full committee.

What’s next: Bills recommended for reporting will go to the full Senate committee for further consideration and potential floor action; the subcommittee chair said 11 bills will return to the subcommittee next week at 8:30 a.m.

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