VA HB 478
enactedDiploma seal for excellence in fine arts; established, industry-recognized workforce credential.
Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did VA HB 478 pass?
Yes. VA HB 478 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-04-06): Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152)
What is VA HB 478 about?
Diploma seal for excellence in fine arts established; industry-recognized workforce credential. Requires the Board of Education to establish criteria for awarding a high school diploma seal for excellence in fine arts, which may include a sequence of coursework, cumulative grade point average in such sequence of coursework, or any other performance-based criteria that the Board deems appropriate. The bill also requires the Board to add such diploma seal to its list of industry-recognized workforce credentials for the purpose of satisfying the career and technical education credential option for high school graduation.
Who sponsors VA HB 478?
Vivian E. Watts is the primary sponsor of VA HB 478.
Description
Diploma seal for excellence in fine arts established; industry-recognized workforce credential. Requires the Board of Education to establish criteria for awarding a high school diploma seal for excellence in fine arts, which may include a sequence of coursework, cumulative grade point average in such sequence of coursework, or any other performance-based criteria that the Board deems appropriate. The bill also requires the Board to add such diploma seal to its list of industry-recognized workforce credentials for the purpose of satisfying the career and technical education credential option for high school graduation.
- Introduced
- 2026-01-12
- Latest action
- 2026-04-06 — Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152)
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Vivian E. Wattsprimary
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-04-06
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152)
2026-04-06
Approved by Governor-Chapter 152 (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
2026-03-05
Signed by President
passage
2026-03-05
Signed by Speaker
passage
2026-03-05
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB478)
2026-03-05
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB478ER)
passage
2026-03-05
Enrolled
enrolled
2026-03-02
Passed Senate (40-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 (15-Y 0-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-19
Assigned Education sub: Public Education
referral-committee
2026-02-16
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
referral-committee
2026-02-16
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-13
Read third time and passed House (68-Y 28-N 0-A)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-12
Read second time and engrossed
reading-2
2026-02-11
Read first time
reading-1
2026-02-09
Reported from Education (17-Y 3-N 1-A)
committee-passage
2026-02-04
Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 1-N)
2026-01-30
Assigned HED sub: Early Childhood and Innovation
referral-committee
2026-01-29
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB478)
2026-01-12
Referred to Committee on Education
referral-committee
2026-01-12
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102498D
filing,introduction
Versions
Documents
Votes
Subcommittee recommends reporting
2026-02-04 · pass · 9-1
Member-level votes (11)
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: not voting
- Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Eric R. Zehr: no
- Hillary Pugh Kent: yes
- Madison Whittle: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
Reported from Education
2026-02-09 · pass · 17-3
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: not voting
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Mike A. Cherry: no
- Anne Ferrell Tata: yes
- Phillip A. Scott: no
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: abstain
- Eric R. Zehr: no
- Hillary Pugh Kent: yes
- Madison Whittle: yes
H VOTE:
2026-02-13 · pass · 68-28
Member-level votes (100)
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Terry L. Austin: no
- Jason S. Ballard: no
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: no
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
- Betsy B. Carr: yes
- Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
- Mike A. Cherry: no
- Nadarius E. Clark: not voting
- Laura Jane Cohen: yes
- Joshua G. Cole: yes
- Nicole Cole: yes
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: not voting
- Mitchell Cornett: no
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Will Davis: no
- 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.: no
- Jackie H. Glass: yes
- Timothy P. Griffin: no
- Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
- Karen Hamilton: yes
- 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: no
- Patrick A. Hope: yes
- Hillary Pugh Kent: yes
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Terry G. Kilgore: no
- Barry D. Knight: not voting
- Paul E. Krizek: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- James A. "Jay" Leftwich: no
- 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: no
- Joseph P. McNamara: yes
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
- James W. Morefield: yes
- May Nivar: yes
- Delores Oates: no
- Israel D. O'Quinn: yes
- Justin Pence: no
- Eric Phillips: no
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- David A. Reid: yes
- Chris S. Runion: no
- Charlie Schmidt: yes
- Don Scott: yes
- Phillip A. Scott: no
- Holly M. Seibold: not voting
- 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: no
- Joshua E. Thomas: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Luke E. Torian: yes
- Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
- H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: no
- Wendell S. Walker: no
- Jeion A. Ward: yes
- R. Lee Ware: no
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Michael J. Webert: no
- Madison Whittle: yes
- Bill Wiley: no
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Wren M. Williams: no
- Tony O. Wilt: no
- Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
- Scott A. Wyatt: no
- Eric R. Zehr: no
Reported from Education and Health
2026-02-26 · pass · 15-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- David R. Suetterlein: yes
- Mark J. Peake: yes
- 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 · 40-0
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: yes
- 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
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Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:
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