2024 Legislative Update

The 2024 General Assembly took up a great deal of legislation addressing issues affecting Pre-K-12 education. This legislative update covers items affecting public education that have become law. 

This video presentation (PDF slides) covers many of these new laws. To further assist you with understanding these laws, VDOE has prepared summaries that explain how they affect school divisions, students, and parents. 

School Division Procedural Changes

• HB 66
  • Increase of fire drills, timing, and frequency
• HB 98
  • Satisfaction in physical education requirement, participation in JROTC
• HB 355/SB 441
  • Staff employment verification; new requirement
• HB 501
  • School building evacuation plans; updates for students with mobility impairments
• HB 937
  • Student transportation; innovative alternatives to school buses
• HB 1076/SB 435
  • Board of Education; through-year growth assessment system; alternatives during 2024-2026 school years
• HB 1221
  • Health education; menstrual education instruction permitted. 
• HB 1231
  • VDOE to notify school boards of any federal legal obligation to participate in JROTC program
• HB 1317/SB 443
  • Public schools; transfer and management of scholastic records; disclosure of information in court notices; transfer of disciplinary records; requirements

VDOE New Topics & Updates

• HB 168
  • Department of Education; resource document on supports and services for homeless students.
• HB 253
  • School boards; enrolled students present at meetings, public comment or citizen participation
• HB 617
  • High school student-athletes; use of name, image, or likeness
• HB 719/SB 379
  • Hazing resources
• HB 777
  • Enrollment of and provision of free public education for certain students; kinship care and foster care
• HB 919
  • Model memorandum of understanding for telehealth providers
• HB 1089/SB 220
  • Special education and related services; definitions, utilization of Virginia IEP
• HB 1473
  • Fentanyl education and awareness information
• HB 1477 - coming soon
  • Local alternative instructional time models permitted (seat time flex)
• SB 707
  • Public middle schools and high schools; student organizations; career and technical education organizations permitted
• SB 60
  • Guidelines for teams relating to age-appropriate IEP Instruction

Licensure

• HB 269
  • Provisional (Career Switcher) license; Special Education
• HB 632/SB 352
  • Changes to provisions relating to licensure reciprocity
• SB 142
  • Issuance of a one-year local eligibility license