At a meeting in Richmond, the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Health advanced a slate of bills affecting higher education policy, prison education, student supports and small-business regulation.

The panel voted to recommend reporting on or to conform multiple House bills to companion Senate bills. The measures include House Bill 2,158, which creates a multi-agency framework for expanding education in state prisons; House Bill 16,21, which would add a peer-chosen nonvoting faculty and staff member to university Boards of Visitors; House Bill 2,420, which requires intercollegiate coaches to complete mental-health first-aid training within a year of hire; and House Bill 19,95, which would exempt short noncredit project-management courses from certain State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) requirements, among others.

Why it matters: the bills touch funding and program rules for military tuition assistance, student food-security programs, disability accommodation processes, and large-scale changes to how incarcerated Virginians access basic and postsecondary education — an issue proponents said could affect recidivism and workforce readiness.

House Bill highlights

House Bill 2,158 (prison education): Delegate Carr described HB 2,158 as establishing a “path from basic education to high school equivalency to college and career for incarcerated students” and said the bill would leverage federal Pell funding and state agency partnerships. Justin Haywood, a University of Virginia law student who testified in support, summarized the scale: “There are 23,000 individuals in Virginia prisons,” he said, and cited statistics presented to the committee: about 4,000 inmates read below an eighth-grade level; 32% are on a wait list for literacy instruction; 37% lack a high-school diploma; only about 2% are enrolled in community college despite 50% being eligible. Haywood and other supporters said better programs could reduce recidivism and long-term costs. The subcommittee recommended HB 2,158 for reporting (vote recorded as 5–0–0 in the transcript).

House Bill 16,21 (faculty and staff representation on Boards of Visitors): Delegate (name in transcript: Hodges/unnamed patron) and supporters urged adding a peer-selected nonvoting staff member to Boards of Visitors at public institutions, noting staff comprise a large share of campus employees and are “closest to our students.” Harry Sabo, president of United Campus Workers of Virginia, testified in favor, saying the change would let faculty and staff choose their representatives rather than have them appointed by administrations. The motion to recommend HB 16,21 for reporting passed but the transcript records mixed votes: 2 ayes, 2 nays and 2 abstentions.

House Bill 2,420 (coach mental-health training): Delegate Weber said the bill requires each intercollegiate coach at public institutions to undergo mental-health first-aid training or a similar program within a year of hire. Weber said the idea followed a student death and that the NCAA currently provides materials that could be used. The subcommittee moved and seconded the bill for reporting; the transcript records the vote as 6–0–0.

House Bill 19,95 (exemption for short nondegree project-management instruction): Delegate Bennett Parker presented HB 19,95, saying it would exempt nondegree, short courses intended to prepare students for nationally recognized project management certifications from SCHEV’s full regulatory and enrollment-agreement requirements. Parker said the requirement currently imposes “tens of thousands of dollars per year” in costs on a small-business constituent and may drive businesses out of Virginia. The subcommittee moved and seconded recommending HB 19,95 for reporting; the committee voice vote was recorded as favorable.

House Bill 18,05 (disability documentation): Delegate Cohen presented HB 18,05, which would standardize disability documentation across public colleges and universities by requiring institutions to accept an individualized education program valid in the last three years of high school as proof of disability for campus accommodations. Cohen said the change follows a prior study and that several universities provided input; the subcommittee recommended the bill for reporting (voice vote recorded as 5–0–0).

Other items and conformations

The subcommittee considered a set of bills that parallel Senate measures and moved several to conform to their Senate counterparts, including HB 15,95 (Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program funding and eligibility changes) and HB 16,94 (a reporting requirement related to the Virginia Military Survivors Independence Education Program). Committee staff explained differences between House and Senate text — for example, HB 15,95 proposed increasing an annual recruitment funding allotment from $50,000 to $250,000, while the Senate version retained $50,000; members discussed conforming language. The subcommittee also adopted a substitute and moved HB 2,548 to conform to SB 953 (which incorporated SB 791) and recommended that substitute as conformed (vote recorded as 5–0–0).

Votes at a glance (items recorded in the transcript)

- HB 18,78 (rename head of SCHEV from director to executive director): recommended for reporting (voice approval; no numerical tally listed).
- HB 19,95 (exemption for short nondegree project-management instruction): recommended for reporting (voice approval).
- HB 16,21 (faculty and staff representation on Boards of Visitors): recommended for reporting (recorded 2 ayes, 2 nays, 2 abstentions).
- HB 15,95 (Virginia National Guard tuition assistance — discussed differences with SB 1106): motion to conform discussed; sponsors moved to conform HB 15,95 to the Senate version.
- HB 16,94 (reporting on qualified survivors under the Virginia Military Survivors Independence Education Program): conformed to SB 961 and recommended for reporting (voice approval).
- HB 2,240 (student food-security program provisions): recommended for reporting (voice approval recorded as favorable).
- HB 2,420 (coach mental-health training): recommended for reporting (recorded 6–0–0).
- HB 2,158 (prison education system framework): recommended for reporting (recorded 5–0–0).
- HB 18,05 (standardize disability documentation): recommended for reporting (recorded 5–0–0).
- HB 2,548 (substitute adopted, conformed to SB 953 incorporating SB 791): substitute adopted and recommended for reporting as conformed (recorded 5–0–0).

What the votes mean next

Most of the bills the subcommittee advanced were recommended for reporting to the full committee or conformed to Senate language; that moves them forward in the legislative process but does not enact them into law. Several measures were noted as carrying downstream budget or implementation implications that will be considered in appropriations or in subsequent committee action.

Speakers and testimony

Key speakers who appeared during the session (as identified in the transcript) included Delegate Sewell (introduced HB 18,78); Delegate Bennett Parker (HB 19,95); Delegate Carr (HB 2,158); Delegate Cohen (HB 18,05); Delegate Weber (HB 2,420); Harry Sabo, president, United Campus Workers of Virginia (support for HB 16,21); Brian Turner, Virginia Conference of the American Association of University Professors (support for HB 16,21); Justin Haywood, law student, University of Virginia (support for HB 2,158); Kenneth Hunter, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (support for HB 2,158); and David Dore, Virginia Community College System (support for HB 2,158). Several other delegates and senators participated in questioning and procedural motions; the transcript records members as “Madam Chair,” Senator Hashmi, Senator Van Valkenburg, Senator Head, Senator Rome and others.

Context and clarifications from testimony

- The HB 2,158 prison-education proposal envisions leveraging newly available Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated learners; witnesses stressed alignment with workforce needs and coordination across the Department of Corrections, the Virginia Community College System, the Department of Education and the Virginia IT Agency. The bill creates a five-year task force and would include incarcerated individuals in statewide education and workforce data systems.

- On HB 15,95, committee staff noted the House and Senate versions differ on the annual recruitment funding amount (House: $250,000 proposed; Senate: remains $50,000) and on whether grant funds are dispersed to institutions upon student acceptance.

- HB 16,21 would add a staff representative in addition to faculty representation on Boards of Visitors; committee discussion and testimony emphasized the difference between faculty and staff roles and the intent to allow peers to select their nonvoting representatives.

- HB 19,95 sponsors said current SCHEV requirements for nondegree short courses impose substantial regulatory costs on small businesses that provide only short certification-preparation workshops and that similar exemptions exist in neighboring states.

Next steps

Bills recommended for reporting or conformed in subcommittee will be scheduled for the full Committee on Education and Health. For measures with budgetary implications or new program requirements, related appropriations or implementation language will be reviewed in subsequent committee stages.

Ending note

The subcommittee concluded its docket after moving the remaining bills to the next stage; members and witnesses indicated further committee and floor action will determine final outcomes.