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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 30, 2023
Time and Place: 30 min after Senate adjourns / Senate Subcommittee Room 2

S.B. 1172

Patron: Dunnavant

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; work group on standardized registered nursing curriculum; fast path nursing program. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System, the Board of Nursing, and representatives from for-profit institutions offering RN education and diploma programs to convene a work group to make recommendations for the development of a fast path nursing program for the purpose of establishing a standardized, universally accepted, and transferrable core curriculum for all registered nursing degree or diploma programs offered in each comprehensive community college, baccalaureate institution of higher education, and any other entity offering an RN degree or diploma program in the Commonwealth, including hospitals and for-profit institutions.

A BILL to require the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene a work group to make recommendations for the development of a standardized, universally accepted, and transferrable curriculum for registered nursing degree or diploma programs.

23104154D

S.B. 1280

Patron: Dunnavant

Public institutions of higher education; course credit earned through internships required; policies. Directs the governing board of each public institution of higher education to develop and implement policies requiring four of the 120 minimum semester hours required for the completion of a bachelor's degree to be earned through participation in an unpaid or paid internship.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 9 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-906.1, relating to public institutions of higher education; course credit earned through internships required; policies.

23101497D

S.B. 1286

Patron: Dunnavant

Virginia Community College System; duties of State Board for Community Colleges; standardization of health care-related programs. Directs the State Board for Community Colleges to develop and implement a plan to standardize across all comprehensive community colleges the courses offered for health care-related degree, credential, or licensure programs. The bill requires such plan to include procedures and criteria for (i) standardizing the curriculum, quality, academic rigor, and standard of evaluation of such courses, (ii) awarding credit toward the completion of any such health care-related program for any student enrolled in a comprehensive community college who was previously employed in a field aligned with such program, and (iii) standardizing the manner in which academic credit is awarded for such health care-related courses and the manner in which clinical hour credits are awarded to ensure all academic credits and clinical hour credits are stackable and transferrable across all comprehensive community colleges.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-2904 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Community College System; duties of State Board for Community Colleges; standardization of health care-related programs.

23101501D

S.B. 1295

Patron: DeSteph

Public institutions of higher education; duties of governing boards; curriculum transparency. Directs the governing board of each public institution of higher education to (i) adopt policies or guidelines for soliciting industry input in the institution's program review processes and curriculum development at the unit or department level and (ii) develop procedures for incorporating the attainment of industry credentials into the institution's existing degree programs to increase degree relevancy and ensure more seamless pathways from higher education to the workforce.

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; curriculum transparency.

23103331D

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. 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

S.B. 1444

Patron: Hackworth

Board of visitors of Radford University; reduced rate tuition charges; students who reside in and are domiciled in the Appalachian region. Permits the board of visitors of Radford University to charge reduced rate tuition to any student enrolled at Radford University who resides in the Appalachian region, as defined in relevant federal law, is domiciled in the Appalachian region, and is entitled to in-state tuition charges at a public institution of higher education in the Appalachian region and such entitlement is based on circumstances that when applied to a student who resides in the Commonwealth would result in entitlement to in-state tuition, provided that reduced rate tuition for students who reside in and are domiciled in the Appalachian region shall not be set below the in-state tuition rate for Virginia students attending Radford University.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-507.1, relating to board of visitors of Radford University; reduced rate tuition charges; students who reside in and are domiciled in the Appalachian region.

23104252D

S.B. 1448

Patron: Lucas

Norfolk State University and Virginia State University; reduced rate tuition charges for certain students. Permits the Norfolk State University Board of Visitors and the Virginia State University Board of Visitors to charge reduced rate tuition to any non-Virginia student who is enrolled in a program at the relevant institution that leads to employment in a high-demand field, as determined by the board of visitors of the relevant institution based on data compiled and provided by the Virginia Office of Education Economics.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-507.1, relating to Norfolk State University and Virginia State University; reduced rate tuition charges for certain students.

23104271D

S.B. 1461

Patron: Surovell


Virginia College Savings Plan; Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund. Directs the board of the Virginia College Savings Plan (the Plan) to deposit $250 million per year of surplus moneys from the Plan's fund in the Virginia College Opportunity Fund (the Fund), established by the bill. The bill provides that such deposit shall not be made or shall be reduced in any year in which the College Opportunity Independent Advisory Committee (the Committee), established by the bill, determines that certain conditions relating to the Plan's funded status are not met. The Committee is established by the bill as a policy committee in the executive branch, for the purpose of determining the amount of deposits to be made to the Fund.

The bill provides that financial management of the Fund is the responsibility of the board of the Virginia College Savings Plan but authorizes the board of the Virginia College Opportunity Endowment, also established by the bill, to manage a scholarship program funded by the Fund. The bill establishes an individual and corporate income tax subtraction for donations to the Fund.

Under the bill, the Endowment provides scholarships to students who attend or plan to attend one of 12 eligible universities named in the bill. The bill provides that only such students who meet the eligibility requirements for a Pell Grant and commit to being employed in Virginia, or being enrolled in postgraduate education in Virginia, for at least eight years after graduation from the eligible university are eligible for such scholarships.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 23.1-701, 23.1-704, 23.1-706, 58.1-322.03, as it is currently effective and as it may become effective, 58.1-344.3, and 58.1-402 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 27 of Title 2.2 an article numbered 12, consisting of a section numbered 2.2-2743.1, and by adding in Title 23.1 a chapter numbered 7.1, consisting of sections numbered 23.1-714 through 23.1-717, relating to Virginia College Savings Plan; Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund.

23104413D

S.B. 1499

Patrons: McClellan, Hashmi

Public institutions of higher education; Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; chief executive officer; criteria. Provides that the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority may be the individual who holds the title of Vice-President for Health Science of Virginia Commonwealth University, or such other title as subsequently established by the University's board of visitors for the chief academic and administrative officer for the Health Sciences Schools of the University. Current law requires the chief executive officer to hold such title.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-2403 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; chief executive officer; criteria.

23104258D

S.B. 1519

Patron: Barker

Public institutions of higher education; Virginia College Savings Plan; renamed Commonwealth Savers Plan; duties of governing board. Renames the Virginia College Savings Plan as the Commonwealth Savers Plan (the Plan) and amends all relevant references to "college savings trust account" to "education savings trust account." The bill provides that the purpose of the Plan is to enhance the accessibility, affordability, and attainability of higher education in the Commonwealth. The bill expands the duties of the governing board (the board) of the Plan to include developing, implementing, and funding programs or partnerships to enhance the accessibility, affordability, and attainability of higher education for underserved and underrepresented communities and students and authorizes the board to develop policies for the funding and review of such programs or partnerships. The bill expands the definition of "current obligations of the Plan" to include any additional benefit or educational access, affordability, and attainability program or partnership developed pursuant to the Plan. The bill further prohibits any officer, director, or member of the board or of any advisory committee to the board from being held personally liable for any loss suffered by the Plan. Finally, the bill provides that any benefit paid on any prepaid tuition contract entered into prior to July 1, 2019, may be supplemented by an additional benefit, subject to the determination and discretion of the board. The bill contains technical amendments.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-2744, 2.2-2753, 2.2-2905, 2.2-3114, 2.2-3705.4, 2.2-3705.7, 2.2-3711, 2.2-4006, 2.2-4343, 8.01-424, 23.1-306, 23.1-700, 23.1-701, 23.1-704 through 23.1-707, 23.1-1004, 30-330 through 30-333, 30-335, 51.1-505.01, 58.1-322.02, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 58.1-322.03, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, and 58.1-344.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; Virginia College Savings Plan; renamed Commonwealth Savers Plan; duties of governing board.

23104313D

S.B. 1530

Patron: Dunnavant

Standardized, Uniform, and Comprehensive Collaborative Exchange School Support (SUCCESS) Program; development and implementation. Requires the Department of Education, the State Board for Community Colleges, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to develop a plan to establish and implement the Standardized, Uniform, and Comprehensive Collaborative Exchange School Support (SUCCESS) Program for the purpose of improving the collaboration between comprehensive community colleges and high schools in the Commonwealth and increasing access for high school students to opportunities for earning postsecondary credits toward completion of an associate's degree or credential by (i) maximizing technology and sharing resources between high schools and community colleges to allow instructional staff at community colleges to more easily teach high school students; (ii) providing transportation for high school students to and from their respective high schools and the community colleges at which they are participating in a dual enrollment program; (iii) standardizing the core curricula and the award of postsecondary credits for work completed through a dual enrollment program; and (iv) improving access to opportunities to earn postsecondary credits towards completion of an associate's degree or credential and increasing the ability of high school students to complete such degree or credential either prior to graduating from high school or more efficiently and quickly thereafter, with a focus on degrees or credentials in health care-related fields. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, the State Board for Community Colleges, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to report on their progress in developing the plan for the SUCCESS Program to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2023, and to implement the SUCCESS Program by the beginning of the 2024­–2025 school year.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-206.3, relating to Standardized, Uniform, and Comprehensive Collaborative Exchange School Support (SUCCESS) Program; development and implementation.

23104362D