House recedes from substitute to SB203 to align with House-passed licensure language; recorded vote 97–0

The House of Delegates agreed to recede from its substitute to Senate Bill 203 on Feb. 26, 2026, aligning the Senate language with a House measure addressing teacher licensure. Delegate Russell (for Roanoke City) moved that the chamber recede from the House’s substitute to SB203 and said doing so would bring the measures in line with a House bill passed the previous day (which he referred to as House Bill 332). The motion was put as a recorded vote and the clerk announced Ayes 97, Noes 0.

Context: The clerk had earlier read a communication from the Senate that it had rejected the House substitute to SB203. Russell told the chamber that rescinding the substitute would place both bills in alignment with the House’s prior action on teacher licensure. A question about the prior House vote was asked by Delegate Kilgore; Russell replied that the comparable House bill (referred to in his remarks) had passed unanimously.

Outcome: The motion to recede from the House substitute to SB203 was agreed to by recorded vote, 97–0. The clerk entered the vote tally into the record and the House proceeded to subsequent morning-hour items.

Provenance: Motion introduced at SEG 048; recorded vote and clerk announcement concluded at SEG 085.