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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB 299

New College Institute; membership and composition of board of directors, report.

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

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

New College Institute; name; membership and composition of board of directors. Renames New College Institute as the West Piedmont Higher Education Center (the Center) and makes several revisions to the membership requirements for the board of directors of the Center, including (i) increasing from 15 to 20 members the total membership of the board of directors; (ii) modifying the composition of the board of directors by adding as required members the Executive Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or his designee, the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System or his designee, and the presidents of George Mason University, Longwood University, Radford University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Virginia State University or their designees; (iii) reducing from 10 to seven the total number of nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor and requiring five of such nonlegislative citizen members to be representatives of West Piedmont public education and area business and industry, including one division superintendent, one public school teacher, and three business and industry leaders; and (iv) adding the president of Patrick & Henry Community College or his designee to serve as an ex officio nonvoting member. The bill also requires the board of directors of the Center, in collaboration with representatives of GO Virginia Region 3, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Patrick & Henry Community College, local school boards, and major regional employers, to develop a sustainability plan, including a comprehensive strategic plan and customer recruitment and expansion strategy, to provide higher education degree and certification programs in accordance with its mission, to review options to achieve the goals stated in such plan, and to report on such options to the Governor, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations no later than August 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 430.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 10, 2026
Senate		Concur House Substitute RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 9, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 4, 2026
House		Reported from Education with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 2, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 16, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 16, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading)passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 13, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 13, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 12, 2026
Senate		Reported from Education and HealthpassSet your home in Virginia to see

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