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2022 SESSION

22104479D
HOUSE BILL NO. 1275
Offered January 20, 2022
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 1 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-111, relating to Virginia Credential Registry; established.
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Patrons-- Freitas, LaRock and Scott, P.A.
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Referred to Committee on Education
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 1 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-111 as follows:

§ 23.1-111. Virginia Credential Registry.

A. The Council shall create the Virginia Credential Registry (the Registry) for the purpose of ensuring that the general public has access to essential information about all educational and occupational credentials that are delivered, issued, funded, recognized, authorized, overseen, or governed in the Commonwealth. The Registry shall contain the following information:

1. All degrees, certificates, certifications, licenses, apprenticeships, military training, diplomas, and badges that are available in the Commonwealth, including all credentials that are offered by or through state agencies, or overseen for approval or eligibility by state agencies for public funding;

2. The providers or owners of the credentials described in subdivision 1;

3. The competencies, including the knowledge, skills, and abilities, that are associated with the credentials described in subdivision 1;

4. The costs of instruction for the credentials set out in subdivision 1;

5. Learning content and assessments associated with the credentials described in subdivision 1;

6. The processes that an individual is required to go through in order to achieve outcomes-based quality results in achieving or receiving a credential described in subdivision 1;

7. Educational and career pathways that show how credentials earned at one level stack, transfer, or apply to credentials earned at another level;

8. The recommended, recognized, and accepted transfer value of credentials from one provider and sector to another, including the transfer value of credentials earned in the military to civilian education and occupation opportunities; and

9. How credentials described in subdivision 1 link to occupational and job skill frameworks.

B. The Registry shall be a repository of existing linked and open data about the credentials described in subdivision A 1 and shall not contain any information about any individual credential holder.

C. Data in the Registry shall be made publicly available, searchable, and comparable using open specifications and linked, interoperable data format. Such formats shall be aligned with widely recognized and adopted standards and shall allow for open access across state and national borders, sectors, and platforms. Such information shall be human readable, machine-actionable, current, and accurate and shall be maintained on the Council's website. The requirements described in this subsection may be met through utilization of the credential transparency description language specifications.

D. Data in the Registry shall be utilized in tools, services, and platforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the education and training marketplace in the Commonwealth; to ensure that students, workers, and veterans can access and navigate the most efficient pathways and transfer options; and to enhance education and training linkages to jobs and careers.

2. That the Virginia Credential Registry established pursuant to § 23.1-111 of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act, shall be established and populated no later than July 1, 2023. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall report on its progress in implementing the Virginia Credential Registry to the General Assembly no later than October 1, 2023.