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2022 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Higher Education

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

Clerk: Michael Jackson,Thomas Jackson
Staff: Julia Carlton, Anna Moir
Date of Meeting: February 21, 2022
Time and Place: 30 mins. after adj. / Subcommittee #2 -5th Floor Pocahontas
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

H.B. 128

Patron: Davis

Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program established. Establishes the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of annually providing to each Historically Black College or University in the Commonwealth (defined in the bill as Norfolk State University and Virginia State University) such sums as are necessary for each such institution to annually provide renewable last-dollar scholarships on a competitive basis to two students who (i) attended a a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; (ii) are accepted to or enrolled in such institution's education preparation program; and (iii) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant to attend such institution. The bill provides that each such scholarship would consist of the following sums: (a) the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and textbooks at such institution; (b) the recipient's teacher licensure fees; (c) $5,000 toward teacher professional development activities for the recipient, including coursework, seminars, and conferences; and (d) $10,000 toward mentorship of the recipient by a master teacher, defined as an experienced public elementary or secondary school teacher who is deemed by the relevant school board to be highly effective and able to provide high quality mentorship. The bill requires each student who is awarded a scholarship pursuant to the Program to agree in writing to (1) teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon graduation for a period that is at least as long as the period during which the recipient used scholarship funds to attend a Historically Black College or University and (2) be mentored by a master teacher during such period of employment.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 6 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-616.1, relating to the establishment of the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program.

22105480D

H.B. 355

Patron: Freitas

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; website; posting of certain comparative data relating to undergraduate students. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to maintain on its website a comparison of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education to each other baccalaureate public institution of higher education on an enumerated list of undergraduate student metrics and requires each such institution to maintain a link on its website to such comparison.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-409 of the Code of Virginia, relating to baccalaureate public institution of higher education; website; posting of certain comparative data relating to undergraduate students.

22106071D

H.B. 406

Patron: Freitas

Higher education; students and student organizations; remedies for certain violations. Permits any student or student organization aggrieved by a violation of certain provisions of law relating to campus free speech by a public institution of higher education or any employee of such institution acting in his official capacity to (i) bring a cause of action against such institution or employee for appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, monetary damages, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs; (ii) assert such violation as a defense or counterclaim in any disciplinary action or civil or administrative proceeding brought against such student or student organization; and (iii) pursue any other remedy available to such student or student organization.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-401.3, relating to higher education; students and student organizations; remedies for certain violations.

22103237D

H.B. 419

Patron: Delaney

Institutions of higher education; education preparation programs; coursework; audit. Requires each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education that provides training for any student seeking initial licensure by the Department of Education to (i) include a program of coursework and require all such students to demonstrate mastery in science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction and require such program of coursework and the student mastery required to be demonstrated therein to be consistent with definitions and expectations established by the Board of Education and the Department of Education after consultation with a commission consisting of independent literacy experts and stakeholders with knowledge of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction that has reviewed the relevant regulations and (ii) for any such student seeking initial licensure by the Department of Education as a teacher with an endorsement in early childhood, elementary education, or special education or with an endorsement as a reading specialist ensure that reading course work and field practice opportunities are a significant focus of the education preparation program. The bill requires the Department of Education to audit at least once every seven years each education preparation program, in alignment with each program's accreditation cycle, for compliance with such requirements. The provisions of the bill become effective beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-902.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to institutions of higher education; education preparation programs; coursework; audit.

22103880D

H.B. 526

Patron: Batten

Victims of human trafficking; eligibility for in-state tuition. Provides that a non-Virginia student who is currently present in the Commonwealth as a result of being a victim of human trafficking, defined in the bill, is eligible for in-state tuition. The bill provides that a person may be a victim of human trafficking regardless of whether any person has been charged with or convicted of any offense and that eligibility for in-state tuition may be proved by a certification of such status as a victim of human trafficking by a federal, state, or local agency or not-for-profit agency, one of whose primary missions is to provide services to victims of human trafficking. The bill also requires public institutions of higher education to automatically record such a student as opting out of making any directory or educational information available to the public unless the student voluntarily and affirmatively chooses to opt in to allowing such directory or educational information to be made available.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-506 of the Code of Virginia, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, relating to victims of human trafficking; eligibility for in-state tuition.

22100933D

H.B. 539

Patron: Batten

Public institutions of higher education; criminal history. Requires each public institution of higher education to include a disclosure to each applicant that certain criminal convictions may disqualify such applicant from pursuing his intended course of study or living in student housing, if applicable, and that applicants may contact the institution of higher education to learn more about which criminal convictions preclude individuals from pursuing certain courses of study or living in student housing.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-407.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; criminal history.

22103671D

H.B. 582

Patron: Roem

Public institutions of higher education; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; notice to students; SNAP benefits. Requires each public institution of higher education to ensure that all students have access to accurate information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including eligibility and how to apply. The bill also directs each institution to advertise the application and process for applying for SNAP prominently on the institution's website and in orientation materials that are distributed to each new student.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-409.1, relating to public institutions of higher education; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; notice to students; SNAP benefits.

22103841D

H.B. 1226

Patron: Davis

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; productivity analysis. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to conduct and submit to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2022, a productivity analysis of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth that includes, among other metrics, an analysis of the (i) ten-year trend in the ratio of students to full-time equivalent faculty per academic program, (ii) published student to faculty ratio as a benchmark, (iii) completion rate per academic program, and (iv) plans to address both outlying low and outlying high student demand for academic programs.

A BILL to require the State Council of Higher Education to conduct a productivity analysis of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth; report.

22105957D

H.B. 1277

Patron: Freitas

Public institutions of higher education; academic credit; education, experience, training, and credentials in Armed Forces of the United States. Requires each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to map the existing opportunities to earn education, experience, training, and credentials in the Armed Forces of the United States to the award of academic credit at the institution.

 A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-904 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; academic credit; education, experience, training, and credentials in Armed Forces of the United States.

22106162D

H.B. 1333

Patron: Cordoza

Public institutions of higher education; in-state tuition; children of active duty service members or veterans. Provides that any child of an active duty service member or veteran who claims Virginia as his home state and filed Virginia tax returns for at least four years during active duty service is eligible for in-state tuition charges, regardless of domicile. Under current law, any such child is eligible for in-state tuition charges if such service member or veteran claims Virginia as his home state and filed Virginia tax returns for at least 10 years during active duty service.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-506, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; in-state tuition; children of active duty service members or veterans.

22104970D