Bill
Bill > HB1385
summary
Introduced
01/21/2026
01/21/2026
In Committee
02/26/2026
02/26/2026
Crossed Over
03/02/2026
03/02/2026
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Regular Session
Bill Summary
Gubernatorial appointments; confirmation process; Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments; membership, duties, and committees of and legal counsel for governing boards of public institutions of higher education. Amends the membership of the Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments to allow for the appointment of up to 15 nonlegislative citizen members; currently the Commission consists of six nonlegislative citizen members. The bill clarifies that the rejection of a gubernatorial appointment by the House or Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections or a subcommittee thereof or other standing committee made responsible by the rules of the applicable house for confirming gubernatorial appointments shall be deemed a refusal to confirm by the General Assembly for purposes of the constitutional prohibition on an appointee serving after such refusal. The bill also establishes provisions relating to the appointment, confirmation, and oath of members of governing boards of public institutions of higher education and quorum requirements for and duties of such governing boards. Finally, the bill requires the Office of the Attorney General to examine the feasibility of requiring the governing board of each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to be responsible for all decisions relating to the employment of legal counsel for such institution. This bill incorporates HB 780, HB 939, and HB 1069.
AI Summary
This bill modifies the confirmation process for gubernatorial appointments to public higher education governing boards, expands the membership of the Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments to up to 15 non-legislative citizen members, and clarifies that a committee's rejection of an appointment counts as a General Assembly refusal for constitutional purposes. It also adjusts term limits for board members to one six-year term, with provisions for serving unexpired terms, and requires the Office of the Attorney General to study the feasibility of having each institution's governing board responsible for hiring its legal counsel. Additionally, the bill mandates that governing boards of baccalaureate institutions and local community college boards appoint non-voting faculty and staff representatives, and that baccalaureate boards appoint a non-voting student representative, all of whom are selected through specific election or nomination processes. The bill also introduces new duties for governing boards, including adopting policies on shared governance and prohibiting actions that restrict expression for partisan objectives or ideological conformity, and requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to develop model shared governance policies and study potential conflicts of interest and recusal requirements for board members.
Committee Categories
Education, Health and Social Services
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Senate substitute rejected by House (1-Y 94-N 0-A) (on 03/04/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1385 |
| Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385) | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190887.PDF |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1385/text/HB1385SC1 |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1385/text/HB1385S1 |
| Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385) | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169828.PDF |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1385/text/HB1385H1 |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1385/text/HB1385HC2 |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1385/text/HB1385HC1 |
| Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385) | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1131948.PDF |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1385/text/HB1385 |
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