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Bill > HB1068


VA HB1068

VA HB1068
Higher educational institutions, livestreaming, etc., boards of visitors meetings.


summary

Introduced
01/14/2026
In Committee
01/14/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Regular Session

Bill Summary

Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; livestreaming, recording, and archiving of boards of visitors meetings; closed sessions; guidelines. Requires each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to (i) provide for the livestreaming of each meeting of its full board of visitors in a manner that is accessible to the public in real time and (ii) ensure that recordings of such meetings (a) are made, archived, and made available to the public within five business days following the conclusion of the meeting; (b) remain accessible on the institution's official website for no less than five years from the date of the meeting; and (c) include closed captioning for accessibility and are presented in a format compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The bill requires the board of visitors of each such institution to include a report on the institution's compliance with the foregoing requirements in its statutorily required annual executive summary. The bill also requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to develop and provide to each baccalaureate public institution of higher education guidelines to assist such institutions with complying with the foregoing requirements, including recommendations for technology standards and accessibility features. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

AI Summary

This bill mandates that all public universities in Virginia offering bachelor's degrees must livestream, record, and archive their Boards of Visitors meetings, which are governing bodies for each university. These livestreamed meetings must be accessible to the public in real-time, and recordings must be made available online within five business days, remain accessible for at least five years, and include closed captioning to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, ensuring accessibility for individuals with disabilities. The bill clarifies that these requirements do not alter existing rules regarding closed sessions, which are typically for sensitive discussions. To help universities meet these new obligations, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia will develop guidelines covering technology and accessibility. Furthermore, each university's Board of Visitors will be required to report on its compliance with these new provisions in its annual executive summary. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2027.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Left in Education (on 02/18/2026)

bill text


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