HB15 (Krizek) Requires the Board of Education to make regulations
to require each new public school bus purchased for the transportation of
students to be equipped with a seat belt consisting of a lap belt and shoulder
strap or harness in every seat. The bill requires each school board to ensure
that no later than July 1, 2038, each school bus that it uses for the
transportation of students is equipped with a seat belt in every seat. The bill was reported 14-2.
HB49 (McNamara) Requires the Department of Education and
relevant local school boards to develop and implement a pilot program for the
transition of students who are educated in private school settings pursuant to
Individualized Education Programs to the appropriate public school setting in
the relevant local school division for up to four years in two to eight local
school divisions in the Commonwealth. In developing the pilot, the Department
is required to partner with the appropriate school board employees in each such
local school division to (i) identify the resources, services, and supports
required by each student who resides in each such local school division and who
is educated in a private school setting pursuant to his Individualized
Education Program; (ii) study the feasibility of transitioning each such
student from his private school setting to an appropriate public school setting
in the local school division and providing the identified resources, services,
and supports in such public school setting; and (iii) recommend a process for
redirecting federal, state, and local funds, including funds provided pursuant
to the Children's Services Act, provided for the education of each such student
to the local school division for the purpose of providing the identified
resources, services, and supports in the appropriate public school setting. The
bill requires the Department of Education to make a report to the Governor, the
Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance, and the House Committees
on Education and Appropriations on the findings of the pilot program after two
and four years. The bill was reported
16-0.
HB134 (Runion) Requires the Department of Education to
establish guidelines for individualized education program (IEP) teams to
utilize when developing IEPs for children with disabilities to ensure that IEP
teams consider the need for age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate
instruction related to sexual health, self-restraint, self-protection, respect
for personal privacy, and personal boundaries of others. The bill requires each
local school board, in developing IEPs for children with disabilities, in
addition to any other requirements established by the Board, to ensure that IEP
teams consider such guidelines. The bill
was reported 15-1.
HB145 (Simon) Requires the Department of Education to
develop and make available to each school board, no later than December 31,
2020, model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students in public
elementary and secondary schools that address common issues regarding
transgender students in accordance with evidence-based best practices and
include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to (i)
compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws; (ii) maintenance of a safe
and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for
all students; (iii) prevention of and response to bullying and harassment; (iv)
maintenance of student records; (v) identification of students; (vi) protection
of student privacy and the confidentiality of sensitive information; (vii)
enforcement of sex-based dress codes; and (viii) student participation in
sex-specific school activities, events, and athletics and use of school
facilities. The bill requires each school board to adopt, no later than the
beginning of the 2021–2022 school year, policies that are consistent with but
may be more comprehensive than such model policies developed by the Department
of Education. The bill was reported 12-3.
HB762 (Cole) Expands eligibility for services under the
Children's Services Act to students who transfer from an approved private
school special education program to a public school special education program
established and funded jointly by a local governing body and school division
located within Planning District 16 for the purpose of providing special education
and related services when (i) the public school special education program is
able to provide services comparable to those of an approved private school
special education program and (ii) the student would require placement in an
approved private school special education program but for the availability of
the public school special education program.
The bill was reported 15-0.
HB1491 (Guy) Requires each public high school to provide to
any enrolled student who is of voting age or otherwise eligible to register to
vote access to Virginia voter registration information and applications and the
opportunity to complete such application during the normal course of the school
day. The bill was reported 15-0.
HB1557 (Fowler) Eliminates the annual salary limits for
appointed school board members and permits any appointed school board to pay
each of its members an annual salary that is consistent with the salary
procedures and no more than the salary limits provided for local governments in
Article 1.1 (§ 15.2-1414.1 et seq.) of Chapter 14 of Title 15.2 (Counties,
Cities and Towns) or as provided by charter.
The bill was reported and rereferred to Appropriations 14-1.
HB40 (Samirah) Requires the Board of Education to amend its
regulations to require that each public school create and maintain a mental
health break space within the public school building. The bill requires the
Board of Education to collaborate with the Department of Behavioral Health and
Developmental Services in the creation of regulations for the mental health break
spaces. The bill was carried over to
2021.
HB1336 (Keam) Requires the Board of Education, in conducting
its regular review and revision of the Standards of Learning and curriculum
guidelines for family life education, to consult relevant stakeholders
representing the interests of students, parents, health care providers, faith
communities, and other public interest groups to ascertain and ensure that such
standards and guidelines reflect contemporary community standards. The bill
requires the next such review and revision to be completed no later than June
30, 2021. The bill requires each school board to conduct a review of its family
life education curricula at least once every seven years. The bill was reported 17-0.
