SB 579 (De Steph) - This bill would allocate 20 percent of any unissued credits in a fiscal year under the Education Improvement Scholarships tax credit program to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to be allocated to education programs under the Neighborhood Assistance Act (§ 58.1-439.18 et seq.) tax credit program during the next fiscal year. The 20 percent of unissued credits would be added to the current $9 million cap for education programs under the Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit program. A fiscal contigency clause was added to the bill. VSBA is opposed to this bill. The committee reported the bill unanimously (15-0).
SB 869 (De Steph) - This bill would broaden eligibility criteria for students with a disability to include students with an Individualized Instructional Plan (IIP) attending a school for students with a disability licensed by the Department of Education and accredited by an agency approved by Virginia Council of Private Education. Under current law, only students who have obtained an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) may meet the criteria for the Education Improvement Scholarships tax credits program. The remaining criteria for students with a disability (residence in Virginia and family household income not more than 400 percent of the poverty level) would continue to apply regardless of whether the student had an IIP or an IEP.
The bill would also increase the scholarship amount available for an eligible student with a disability from 100 percent to 300 percent of the per-pupil amount distributed to the local school division as the state's share of the standards of quality costs. A fiscal contingency clause was added to the bill. VSBA spoke in opposition to this bill. The committee reported the bill (11-4).
In the afternoon, VSBA staff attended House General Laws Subcommittee #4. Bills of interest to VSBA discussed in committee included:
HB 1 (Wilt) - This bill would clarify that the definition of "scholastic records" in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act includes directory information, but also provides that such directory information may be released to the public only if the student who is the subject of such information, or the student's parent or legal guardian if the student is less than 18 years of age, has expressly consented, in writing, to the release of such information. The bill provides that directory information includes the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height as a member of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and most recent previous educational agency or institution attended. The bill contains technical amendments. VSBA staff worked with the patron to limit the impact of this bill to K-12 education. The subcommittee recommended the bill for reporting with an amendment in the motion of a substitute unanimously (8-0).
HB 147 (Hurst) - This bill would exclude student handheld mobile telephone numbers and student personal email addresses contained in student directories or other scholastic records from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The subcommittee passed the bill by indefinitely (5-3).
HB 655 (Murphy) - This bill would provide that an officer or employee of local government who has a personal interest in a transaction but who is still eligible to participate in the transaction because he is a member of a business, profession, occupation, or group of three or more persons the members of which are affected by the transaction need only declare his interest in the transaction at the first meeting at which the transaction is discussed and at least one subsequent meeting thereafter. Current law requires that such interest be disclosed at each meeting of the governmental or advisory agency at which the transaction is discussed. VSBA Spoke in support of this bill. The subcommittee passed the bill by indefinitely (5-3).
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