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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB 491

Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education, discrimination, etc.

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

Sponsors

Cosponsors (4)

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education; discrimination based on immigration status prohibited; civil cause of action. Prohibits any child in the Commonwealth from being denied a free public education through secondary school on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and consistent with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill also, among other things, prohibits any school board, public elementary or secondary school, school resource officer employed by a local law-enforcement agency in any public elementary or secondary school, or any individual who is an employee, contractor, or agent of a school board from engaging in certain enumerated actions and practices that involve or result in the denial of a free public education, or denial of the benefits or exclusion from participation in any program or activity thereof, of a child on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents. The bill establishes a civil cause of action for violations of the foregoing prohibitions. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop and make available to each school board by August 1, 2026, guidance and resources on developing policies and procedures to implement the requirements set forth in the bill and requires each school board to develop and implement by December 31, 2026, such policies and procedures and to require each public elementary and secondary school principal and administrator in the school division to complete training on compliance with the provisions of the bill as soon as is practicable but not later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year, consistent with the guidance and resources developed and made available by the Department of Education. This bill is identical to HB 836.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

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

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 13, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 13, 2026
Senate		Adopt Conference Committee Report RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 12, 2026
Senate		Accede Conference Committee RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 10, 2026
Senate		Concur House Substitute RfailSet 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 3, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 13, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 11, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 10, 2026
Senate		Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 5, 2026
Senate		Reported from Education and Health with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see

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