VA HB 131
enactedHigher educational institutions, public; reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs, etc.
Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did VA HB 131 pass?
Yes. VA HB 131 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-04-06): Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0074)
What is VA HB 131 about?
Public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students. Requires each public institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations, as defined in the bill, for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments and to provide and describe in the institution's student handbook or an equivalent document and in the institution's faculty handbook or an equivalent document a grievance procedure for any student to seek redress when the student believes that he has been unreasonably denied such reasonable accommodations for his religious beliefs and practices.
Who sponsors VA HB 131?
Marcus B. Simon is the primary sponsor of VA HB 131.
Description
Public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students. Requires each public institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations, as defined in the bill, for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments and to provide and describe in the institution's student handbook or an equivalent document and in the institution's faculty handbook or an equivalent document a grievance procedure for any student to seek redress when the student believes that he has been unreasonably denied such reasonable accommodations for his religious beliefs and practices.
- Introduced
- 2026-01-03
- Latest action
- 2026-04-06 — Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0074)
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Marcus B. Simonprimary
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-04-06
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0074)
2026-04-06
Approved by Governor-Chapter 74 (effective 7/1/2026)
executive-signature
2026-03-10
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
executive-receipt
2026-03-10
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
enrolled,executive-receipt
2026-03-06
Signed by President
passage
2026-03-06
Signed by Speaker
passage
2026-03-06
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB131)
2026-03-06
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB131ER)
passage
2026-03-06
Enrolled
enrolled
2026-03-02
Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
passage
2026-03-02
Read third time
reading-3
2026-02-27
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-27
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-27
Rules suspended
2026-02-26
Reported from Education and Health (13-Y 0-N 2-A)
committee-passage
2026-02-23
Assigned Education sub: Higher Education
referral-committee
2026-02-04
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
referral-committee
2026-02-04
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-03
Read third time and passed House (94-Y 2-N 0-A)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-02
Read second time and engrossed
reading-2
2026-02-02
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
2026-01-30
Read first time
reading-1
2026-01-28
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB131)
2026-01-28
Reported from Education (21-Y 0-N)
committee-passage
2026-01-27
Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
2026-01-23
Assigned HED sub: Higher Education
referral-committee
2026-01-03
Referred to Committee on Education
referral-committee
2026-01-03
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104369D
filing,introduction
Versions
Documents
Votes
Subcommittee recommends reporting
2026-01-27 · pass · 9-0
Member-level votes (11)
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Delores L. McQuinn: not voting
- Nadarius E. Clark: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- Destiny LeVere Bolling: not voting
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Anne Ferrell Tata: yes
- Phillip A. Scott: yes
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
Reported from Education
2026-01-28 · pass · 21-0
Member-level votes (22)
- Sam Rasoul: yes
- Shelly A. Simonds: yes
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Nadarius E. Clark: yes
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: not voting
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Mike A. Cherry: yes
- Anne Ferrell Tata: yes
- Phillip A. Scott: yes
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: yes
- Eric R. Zehr: yes
- Hillary Pugh Kent: yes
- Madison Whittle: yes
H VOTE:
2026-02-03 · pass · 94-2
Member-level votes (100)
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Terry L. Austin: yes
- Jason S. Ballard: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
- Betsy B. Carr: yes
- Stacey Annie Carroll: not voting
- Mike A. Cherry: yes
- Nadarius E. Clark: yes
- Laura Jane Cohen: yes
- Joshua G. Cole: yes
- Nicole Cole: yes
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
- Mitchell Cornett: yes
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Will Davis: yes
- Karrie K. Delaney: yes
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Mark C. Downey: yes
- Michael B. Feggans: yes
- Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: yes
- Lily V. Franklin: yes
- Margaret A. Franklin: yes
- Debra D. Gardner: yes
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: yes
- Jackie H. Glass: yes
- Timothy P. Griffin: no
- Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
- Karen Hamilton: no
- C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
- Dan I. Helmer: yes
- Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: yes
- Phil M. Hernandez: yes
- Charniele L. Herring: yes
- M. Keith Hodges: yes
- Patrick A. Hope: yes
- Hillary Pugh Kent: yes
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: not voting
- Terry G. Kilgore: yes
- Barry D. Knight: not voting
- Paul E. Krizek: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
- Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
- Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
- Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
- Marty Martinez: yes
- John Chilton McAuliff: yes
- Adele Y. McClure: yes
- Garrett McGuire: yes
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
- Joseph P. McNamara: yes
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
- James W. Morefield: yes
- May Nivar: yes
- Delores Oates: yes
- Israel D. O'Quinn: yes
- Justin Pence: yes
- Eric Phillips: yes
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- David A. Reid: yes
- Chris S. Runion: yes
- Charlie Schmidt: yes
- Don Scott: yes
- Phillip A. Scott: yes
- Holly M. Seibold: yes
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Irene Shin: yes
- Marcus B. Simon: yes
- Shelly A. Simonds: yes
- JJ Singh: yes
- Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
- Anne Ferrell Tata: yes
- Joshua E. Thomas: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Luke E. Torian: yes
- Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
- H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: yes
- Wendell S. Walker: yes
- Jeion A. Ward: yes
- R. Lee Ware: not voting
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Michael J. Webert: yes
- Madison Whittle: yes
- Bill Wiley: yes
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Wren M. Williams: yes
- Tony O. Wilt: yes
- Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: yes
- Scott A. Wyatt: yes
- Eric R. Zehr: yes
Reported from Education and Health
2026-02-26 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- David R. Suetterlein: abstain
- Mark J. Peake: abstain
- Todd E. Pillion: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Lamont Bagby: yes
- Christopher T. Head: yes
- Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
- Tara A. Durant: yes
- Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
- Christie New Craig: yes
- Russet Perry: yes
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)
2026-02-27 · pass · 37-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
- Lamont Bagby: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
- Luther Cifers, III: yes
- Christie New Craig: yes
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Bill DeSteph: yes
- J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
- Tara A. Durant: not voting
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Timmy French: yes
- T. Travis Hackworth: yes
- Christopher T. Head: yes
- Michael J. Jones: yes
- Emily M. Jordan: yes
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- David W. Marsden: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: yes
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
- Mark D. Obenshain: yes
- Mark J. Peake: yes
- Stella G. Pekarsky: not voting
- Russet Perry: yes
- Todd E. Pillion: yes
- Bryce E. Reeves: yes
- Danica A. Roem: not voting
- Aaron R. Rouse: yes
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
- Richard H. Stuart: yes
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
- David R. Suetterlein: yes
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
- Angelia Williams Graves: yes
Passage R
2026-03-02 · pass · 39-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
- Lamont Bagby: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
- Luther Cifers, III: yes
- Christie New Craig: yes
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Bill DeSteph: yes
- J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
- Tara A. Durant: yes
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Timmy French: yes
- T. Travis Hackworth: yes
- Christopher T. Head: yes
- Michael J. Jones: yes
- Emily M. Jordan: yes
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- David W. Marsden: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: yes
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
- Mark D. Obenshain: yes
- Mark J. Peake: yes
- Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
- Russet Perry: yes
- Todd E. Pillion: yes
- Bryce E. Reeves: yes
- Danica A. Roem: yes
- Aaron R. Rouse: yes
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
- Richard H. Stuart: yes
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
- David R. Suetterlein: not voting
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
- Angelia Williams Graves: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:
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