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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB 494

Higher educational institutions, public; membership of governing boards.

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

Sponsors

Cosponsors (1)

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Public institutions of higher education; governing boards; membership and duties; work groups. Revises the membership and duties of the governing board of each public institution of higher education by, among other things, increasing from four years to six years the terms of each member of the governing board and requiring the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies defining and implementing shared governance among the components of the institution's organizational structure. The bill also directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene work groups for the purpose of developing model shared governance policies, in accordance with the provisions of the bill, and for the purpose of studying and making recommendations on (i) institutional structures and processes relating to legal counsel; (ii) the current selection and use of outside legal counsel by public institutions of higher education; (iii) a process by which (a) the governing board of any public institution of higher education, the Governor, or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility, upon determining that the legal counsel of a public institution of higher education is not acting in the best interests of the institution, including due to a conflict of interest, failure to defend the lawful authority of the public institution of higher education, or failure to comply with state law, may request the Attorney General to review the adequacy of such legal representation and (b) upon a determination by the Attorney General or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility that such institution is not receiving adequate legal representation, the governing board of any public institution of higher education may request additional representation or approve alternate counsel as necessary to protect the interests of the institution; and (iv) policies for requiring any individual member of a governing board of a public institution of higher education to recuse himself from or not participate in any vote or decision of the governing board on any matter in which he has a personal or pecuniary interest or any partisan or ideological interest that would compromise his ability to vote or act objectively and in accordance with the primary duties set forth in relevant law. This bill incorporates SB 381 and is identical to HB 1385.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 14, 2026, 8:13 PM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 14, 2026
Senate		Adopt Conference Committee Report RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 14, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet 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 2, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 17, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet 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 Health with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see

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