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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia HB 298

Public elementary or secondary school students; evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Cosponsors (8)

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Public elementary and secondary school students; consideration of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices required; exceptions; report. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, as defined in the bill, except in the case of certain enumerated serious offenses or aggravating circumstances, as defined in the bill. The bill requires each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record, as a part of the school's existing disciplinary documentation practices and consistent with the guidelines adopted by the Department of Education (the Department) pursuant to the bill, the rationale for the decision to impose exclusionary discipline, including any factors supporting the decision not to utilize an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice. The bill directs the Department to (i) add the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices to the Student Behavior and Administrative Response survey in order to annually collect and analyze data on the use of such practices and publicly post an annual report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices based on the data collected and (ii) adopt and make available guidelines and support materials for considering, monitoring, and evaluating the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices. The provisions of the bill prohibiting any public school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice and requiring each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record the rationale for such decision, have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:04 PM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 11, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 10, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 6, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 5, 2026
Senate		Reported from Education and Health with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 17, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 13, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reportingpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 13, 2026
House		Reported from AppropriationspassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 11, 2026
House		Reported from Education with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 10, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see

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