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Education

Wednesday, February 25, 2026·21m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Virginia House Committee on Education advanced twelve Senate bills on topics ranging from school meal debt and student safety technology to graduation requirements and language access for parents, with SB 42 — which would study requiring school boards to cover uncollectible student meal debts — generating the hearing's only contested public testimony before reporting 11 to 5 and being referred to Rules.

Key Actions

·SB 39 – Technology Tools for Student Risk IdentificationNo Vote

+ 10 more actions

Controversies

SB 42 referral to Rules vs. reporting directly

A speaker's letter (author unnamed in transcript) requested re-referral of SB 42 to Rules, while the subcommittee had recommended reporting the bill 8-2. The full committee ultimately voted 11-5 to report and refer to Rules. The chair noted uncertainty about whether the bill would report at all before Barrett Kindig's student testimony.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“Senate Bill 42 upholds the fundal dignity of any student at Virginia school. In Stafford county, nearly 45% of our 31,000 students are on free and reduced lunch. That's over 14,000 students who may not know where their next meal is coming from.”

Barrett Kindig (senior, Mountain View High School, Stafford County) — Kindig testified in support of SB 42, which would study requiring school boards to cover uncollectible student meal debts, arguing the bill addresses food insecurity among Virginia students.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Report SB 39 and refer to AppropriationsPassed
Report SB 42 and refer to RulesPassed
Report SB 63Passed
Report SB 109 with amendmentsPassed
Report SB 151 with substitutePassed
Report SB 245 with amendmentsPassed
Report SB 264 and refer to AppropriationsPassed
Report SB 685 with substitutePassed
Report SB 724Passed
Report SB 33Passed
Report SB 822Passed
Report SB 824Passed
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TranscriptPreview
The House on Education will come to order. And the clerk shall take the role. Clerk shall close the roll. Okay, I believe we're okay. I think we have a quorum. We will first begin with Chair simons with your K12 subcommittee report. Good morning. The first bill we had was SB 39 from Senator Favola. This bill directs the Department of Education to convene a work group on best practices for the procurement, implementation and use in public schools of technology tools designed to assist with the identification of students at risk of engaging in self harm or intending to inflict harm on others. There are technologies being marketed to schools and schools would like guidance on this. So the committee recommended reporting and referring on appropriations on a vote of 10 to 0 and I so move. Second motion made. Properly seconded to report Senate Bill 39 and referred Appropriations. Members, please cast your vote. Clerk shall close the roll. Bill reports and refers 13 to one delegate Simons. So the next bill we have is SB 42 from Senator Rome that directs the Department of Education to evaluate and submit a report on the impact of requiring…
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