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2023 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Higher Education

Locke (Chair), Petersen, Cosgrove, Hashmi, Pillion

Staff: J. Bergamini, J. Carlton
Date of Meeting: January 23, 2023
Time and Place: 30 min after Senate Adjourns / Subcommittee Room 2

S.B. 910

Patron: Newman

Public institutions of higher education; threat assessment teams; powers and duties. Requires each threat assessment team at each public institution of higher education, upon a preliminary determination that an individual poses an articulable  and significant threat of violence to others, to (i) obtain criminal history record information and health records for such individual, (ii) notify the campus police department, local law enforcement, and the local attorney for the Commonwealth in writing within 24 hours of obtaining such criminal history record information and health records, and (iii) disclose any specific threat of violence posed by the individual as part of such notification. The bill permits each such threat assessment team to invite non-member representatives from campus to participate in individual cases and specifies that no such representative shall be considered a member of the threat assessment team. The bill requires each threat assessment team member to complete an annual threat assessment training conducted by the Department of Criminal Justice Services or an independent entity approved by the Department. The bill also provides that in the event that a public institution of higher education has knowledge that a student who was determined pursuant to an investigation by the institution's threat assessment team to pose an articulable and significant threat of violence to others is transferring to another institution of higher education, the public institution of higher education from which the student is transferring shall notify the institution of higher education to which the student is transferring of such investigation and determination. Finally, the bill requires the Secretary of Education and Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to convene a task force to determine best practices and develop model policies and procedures for all threat assessment teams at public institutions of higher education and consider and make legislative recommendations on the appropriate qualifications of members of such threat assessment. The task force is required to submit its findings to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Committee for Courts of Justice, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the House Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than December 1, 2023.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-805 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; threat assessment teams; powers and duties.

23103510D

S.B. 991

Patron: Peake

Public institutions of higher education; immunization requirements. Declares that the General Assembly has the sole authority to impose immunization requirements on students enrolled in public institutions of higher education and any policy or any revision to any policy of a public institution of higher education relating to immunization requirements is void to the extent that it is inconsistent with the law of the Commonwealth. The bill also expands the scope of exemptions from such immunization requirements by (i) providing that any student shall be exempt from the immunization requirements or from the health history requirement if the student or, if such student is under the age of 18, the parent of such student objects on the grounds that compliance with the requirement would conflict with the student's or the parent's religious tenets or practices and (ii) removing the exception providing that the religious exemption to any immunization requirement shall not apply if the Board of Health declares an emergency or epidemic of disease.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-800 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; immunization requirements.

23102704D

S.B. 1019

Patron: Edwards

Department of Education; Virginia-based nonprofit organizations; schools for adults to earn credentials, college credit, and high school diplomas. Requires the Department of Education to authorize a Virginia-based nonprofit organization as a local education agency to provide schools for adults to earn (i) (a) an industry-recognized credential or (b) dual college credit and (ii) a high school diploma on one or more diploma pathways set forth in the relevant Board of Education regulation in which enrollment is open, on a space-available basis, to adults who reside throughout the Commonwealth.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-225.1, relating to Department of Education; Virginia-based nonprofit organizations; schools for adults to earn credentials, college credit, and high school diplomas.

23103137D

S.B. 1030

Patron: Norment

Public institutions of higher education; duties of governing board; student tuition and fees; requests for certain information. Requires the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies and procedures requiring the release to each student or, if such student is a dependent, the parent of each student enrolled at such institution of an itemized list of how such student's individual annual tuition and other mandatory fees are allocated, including the exact amount of such student's tuition and mandatory fees that are used to subsidize financial aid grants and scholarships for other students at such institution. The bill requires such policies and procedures to include a provision allowing any student or the parent of any student to opt out of receiving such itemized list.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-1303 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; duties of governing board; requests for certain information relating to student tuition and fees.

23104036D

S.B. 1076

Patron: Ruff

Certain institutions of higher education; financial assistance; noncredit workforce training program; student grants; reimbursement. Increases from $3,000 to $4,000 the maximum amount for which the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall reimburse an eligible institution of higher education per completed noncredit workforce training program per eligible student pursuant to the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program. Current law provides that the Council shall reimburse an eligible institution an amount equal to one-third of the cost of the noncredit workforce training program, not to exceed $3,000, per eligible student upon such eligible student's completion of the program.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-627.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain institutions of higher education; noncredit workforce training program; student grants; reimbursement.

23102978D

S.B. 1098

Patron: Norment

Public institutions of higher education; new programs of instruction; approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and certain legislative committees required. Prohibits any public institution of higher education from implementing a new program of instruction or implementing a new curriculum for an existing program of instruction without first obtaining the approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the House Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-901.1, relating to public institutions of higher education; new programs of instruction; approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and certain legislative committees required.

23101223D

S.B. 1110

Patron: Hashmi


Public institutions of higher education; student accounts; withholding transcripts. Prohibits any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth from conditioning the provision of an academic transcript to a current or former student on the payment of an outstanding debt to such institution if the student is requesting the transcript for the purpose of (i) applying for employment, (ii) applying for financial aid, (iii) pursuing opportunities in the Armed Forces or National Guard, or (iv) pursuing postsecondary opportunities in career or technical job training. The bill also prohibits any public institution of higher education from conditioning the provision or release of a current or former student's academic transcript to another institution of higher education on the student's repayment of an outstanding debt, but permits such institution to provide or release a partial transcript omitting any course credits that such student attempted or completed during a semester or quarter for which the student has an outstanding debt. The bill permits any public institution of higher education to condition the provision of an academic transcript on enrollment in a repayment plan for an outstanding debt or the payment of a fee, provided that (a) any such repayment plan includes a monthly payment amount established with consideration of the current or former student's ability to pay and does not exceed 10 percent of such student's monthly income, (b) any such fee charged shall not be higher for a current or former student as a consequence of having an outstanding debt than the fee charged to any current or former student not owing a debt, and (c) no current or former student receives any other less favorable treatment as a consequence of such student having an outstanding debt. Finally, the bill requires each public institution of higher education to clearly and prominently indicate on any materials or webpages relating to academic transcript requests the purposes and conditions dictating the provision of an academic transcript to a current or former student with an outstanding debt.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-411.1, relating to public institutions of higher education; student accounts; withholding transcripts.

23101392D

S.B. 1130

Patron: Hashmi

Institutions of higher education; Get Skilled, Get a Job, Get Ahead Program. Authorizes the Virginia Community College System (the System), in collaboration with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council), each participating comprehensive community college and baccalaureate public institution of higher education, and the Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE), to select the degree and certificate programs eligible for financial assistance under the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Get Ahead (G3) Program. Current law requires the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, in consultation with the System, the Council, and the staffs of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, to make recommendations on any high demand fields that should be made eligible for financial assistance under the G3 Program to the Governor and General Assembly. The bill also expands degree and certificate programs eligible for financial assistance under the G3 Program to include any associate degree program transferable for course credit at a baccalaureate institution of higher education. The bill requires the System, the Council, the president of each participating baccalaureate public institution of higher education, and the VOEE to submit an annual report to the General Assembly no later than December 1 of each year identifying any additions or changes to the degree and certificate programs deemed eligible for financial assistance under the G3 Program.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-2911.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to institutions of higher education; Get Skilled, Get a Job, Get Ahead Program; qualifying degree and certificate programs.

23102479D

S.B. 1358

Patron: Norment

Public institutions of higher education; duties of governing boards; student enrollment growth. Directs the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies providing that the percentage of students enrolled at such public institution of higher education must be capped at a two percent increase over a biennium.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-1303 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; duties of governing boards; student enrollment growth.

23101221D

S.B. 1386

Patron: Deeds

Public institutions of higher education; tuition and financial aid; dependency override application form. Requires each public institution of higher education to create and maintain a form by which a student may apply for a dependency override, defined in the bill as the documented determination by a financial aid administrator pursuant to relevant federal law that, for the purposes of tuition and financial aid eligibility determinations, a student is an independent student by reason of other unusual circumstances. The bill requires such form to (i) be published electronically on the financial aid page of the institution's website; (ii) clearly explain, in language understandable to a student enrolled at the institution, the purposes of a dependency override, potential circumstances that may qualify a student for a dependency override, and common circumstances that do not qualify a student for a dependency override; (iii) explicitly include, in language understandable to a student enrolled at the institution, a statement that institutions of higher education are permitted to accept a range of documents to substantiate dependency override applications, including those documents specified by relevant federal law; and (iv) explicitly include, in language understandable to a student enrolled at the institution, the option to apply for a dependency override based on certain factors enumerated in the bill.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-501.1, relating to public institutions of higher education; tuition and financial aid; dependency override application form.

23103844D

S.B. 1410

Patron: Hashmi

Public institutions of higher education; duties of governing boards; development of policies expanding protection of academic freedom. Directs the governing board of each public institution of higher education to develop policies and institutional regulations increasing protections of academic freedom and freedom of expression in higher education.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-1303 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; duties of governing boards; development of policies expanding protection of academic freedom.

23102027D

S.B. 1422

Patron: Pillion

Certain institutions of higher education; noncredit workforce training program; student grants; reimbursement. Increases from $3,000 to $4,000 the maximum amount for which the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall reimburse an eligible institution of higher education per completed noncredit workforce training program per eligible student pursuant to the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program. Current law provides that the Council shall reimburse an eligible institution an amount equal to one-third of the cost of the noncredit workforce training program, not to exceed $3,000, per eligible student upon such eligible student's completion of the program.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-627.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain institutions of higher education; noncredit workforce training program; student grants; reimbursement.

23101173D

S.B. 1429

Patron: Suetterlein

Virginia College Savings Plan; hybrid schools; classification. Provides that the Virginia College Savings Plan shall consider any hybrid public-private elementary or secondary school to be a public elementary or secondary school or a private elementary or secondary school such that a beneficiary's account under a qualified tuition program established and maintained by the Plan may be used to cover up to $10,000 in expenses in any taxable year for tuition in connection with the beneficiary's enrollment or attendance at such a hybrid school as permitted pursuant to the relevant provision of § 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code.

A BILL to require the classification of hybrid elementary or secondary schools by the Virginia College Savings Plan.

23102734D

S.B. 1434

Patron: Suetterlein

Public institutions of higher education; use of certain endowment fund investment returns. Declares it the public policy of the Commonwealth that any foundation, investment management company, or other asset manager associated with a public institution of higher education that manages endowment funds of such public institution of higher education with a value exceeding $250 million shall be required to allocate at least 15 percent of the investment returns on such endowment funds back to such public institution of higher education on an annual basis for the purpose of ensuring access to and affordability of attending the institution for students.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-101 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; use of certain endowment fund investment returns.

23101490D