K‑12 subcommittee reports bills on teacher mental‑health training, free breakfast, AI in internet‑safety curriculum and other measures
Summary
The House education committee’s K‑12 subcommittee recommended reporting a package of bills to the full committee, including HB 38 (mental‑health training), HB 96 (mandatory participation in federal meal programs and free breakfast on request), HB 171 (internet safety covering AI content), and others; all were reported by committee vote.
The House Committee on Education received a K‑12 subcommittee report Wednesday that recommended reporting eight bills to the full committee, covering topics from teacher mental‑health training and school meal programs to internet safety that addresses artificial intelligence.
Chair Simons told the committee the subcommittee reviewed HB 38 from Delegate Henson, which would broaden existing mental‑health awareness training for teachers to address needs of youth populations at higher risk for mental‑health challenges; the subcommittee recommended reporting the bill on a 9‑1 vote, and the committee moved to report it to the House.
Also reported was HB 96 (Patron: Delegate Bennett Parker), which the subcommittee said would require each school board to participate in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available at no cost to any student who requests it. The subcommittee recommended reporting and referring HB 96 to the Appropriations Committee; the full committee recorded the bill report as 14‑3.
The committee also reported HB 116 (Delegate Ward), which would require a grievance procedure before dismissal or disciplinary action and extend to school staff the procedures already in place for teachers. The subcommittee recommended reporting on a 10‑0 vote; the committee recorded the bill report as 15‑1.
HB 171 (Delegate Askew) would require internet‑safety instruction to include modern digital‑safety topics, including online scams, misinformation and content generated by artificial intelligence. The subcommittee recommended reporting by a 9‑1 vote; the committee subsequently reported the bill (14‑4).
Chair Simons reported HB 199 (from Chair Russell) would extend the date for the Board of Education to allow school boards to use alternative growth assessments. The transcript records the new date in unclear numeric form; the subcommittee recommended reporting on an 11‑0 vote and the committee reported the bill 16‑1.
HB 206 (Delegate Keys Gamara) would increase transparency requirements for leadership of college partnership laboratory schools; the subcommittee recommended reporting (8‑2) and the committee reported the bill 14‑4. HB 210 (Delegate Price) would require each school board to annually report student meal‑debt amounts to the Department of Education; the subcommittee recommended reporting (10‑0) and the committee reported the bill 17‑1.
Finally, HB 288 (Delegate Anderson) would require the Department of Education to post links on its website to instructional resources on the Indigenous peoples of the commonwealth that are developed and maintained by the Virginia Tribal Education Consortium; the subcommittee recommended reporting (10‑0) and the committee reported the bill 15‑2.
Votes at a glance: HB 38 — reported (subcommittee recommendation 9‑1); HB 96 — reported and referred to Appropriations (committee report 14‑3); HB 116 — reported (15‑1); HB 171 — reported (14‑4); HB 199 — reported (16‑1); HB 206 — reported (14‑4); HB 210 — reported (17‑1); HB 288 — reported (15‑2).
The presiding officer also announced an immediate meeting of the Early Childhood Innovation subcommittee and reminded members that the next full committee meeting is scheduled for Monday but may be canceled if a snowstorm makes travel unsafe.
The committee adjourned following a motion to adjourn.
