Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia HB 131
Higher educational institutions, public; reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs, etc.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Marcus B. Simon (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED
Public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students. Requires each public institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations, as defined in the bill, for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments and to provide and describe in the institution's student handbook or an equivalent document and in the institution's faculty handbook or an equivalent document a grievance procedure for any student to seek redress when the student believes that he has been unreasonably denied such reasonable accommodations for his religious beliefs and practices.
Text versions
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:38 PM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2026 Senate | Passage R | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 27, 2026 Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 26, 2026 Senate | Reported from Education and Health | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 3, 2026 House | H VOTE: | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Jan 28, 2026 House | Reported from Education | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Jan 27, 2026 House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
Actions
- Apr 6, 2026
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0074) - Apr 6, 2026
Approved by Governor-Chapter 74 (effective 7/1/2026) - Mar 10, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 - Mar 10, 2026 · House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 - Mar 6, 2026 · Senate
Signed by President - Mar 6, 2026 · House
Signed by Speaker - Mar 6, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB131) - Mar 6, 2026 · House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB131ER) - Mar 6, 2026 · House
Enrolled - Mar 2, 2026 · Senate
Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A) - Mar 2, 2026 · Senate
Read third time - Feb 27, 2026 · Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) - Feb 27, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) - Feb 27, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended - Feb 26, 2026 · Senate
Reported from Education and Health (13-Y 0-N 2-A) - Feb 23, 2026 · Senate
Assigned Education sub: Higher Education - Feb 4, 2026 · Senate
Referred to Committee on Education and Health - Feb 4, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) - Feb 3, 2026 · House
Read third time and passed House (94-Y 2-N 0-A) - Feb 2, 2026 · House
Read second time and engrossed - Feb 2, 2026 · House
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar - Jan 30, 2026 · House
Read first time - Jan 28, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB131) - Jan 28, 2026 · House
Reported from Education (21-Y 0-N) - Jan 27, 2026 · House
Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) - Jan 23, 2026 · House
Assigned HED sub: Higher Education - Jan 3, 2026 · House
Referred to Committee on Education - Jan 3, 2026 · House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104369D