HB 836 VA

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Became Law

Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education; discrimination based on immigration status prohibited; civil cause of action. Prohibits any child in the Commonwealth from being denied a free public education through secondary school on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and consistent with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill also, among other things, prohibits any school board, public elementary or secondary school, school resource officer employed by a local law-enforcement agency in any public elementary or secondary school, or any individual who is an employee, contractor, or agent of a school board from engaging in certain enumerated actions and practices that involve or result in the denial of a free public education, or denial of the benefits or exclusion from participation in any program or activity thereof, of a child on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents. The bill establishes a civil cause of action for violations of the foregoing prohibitions. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop and make available to each school board by August 1, 2026, guidance and resources on developing policies and procedures to implement the requirements set forth in the bill and requires each school board to develop and implement by December 31, 2026, such policies and procedures and to require each public elementary and secondary school principal and administrator in the school division to complete training on compliance with the provisions of the bill as soon as is practicable but not later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year, consistent with the guidance and resources developed and made available by the Department of Education. This bill incorporates HB 912 and is identical to SB 491.

• Sam Rasoul Democratic · primary

1. Jan 13, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104919D · lower
2. Jan 13, 2026 Referred to Committee on Education · lower
3. Jan 29, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB836) · lower
4. Feb 5, 2026 Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee · lower
5. Feb 10, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
6. Feb 10, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N) · lower
7. Feb 11, 2026 Incorporates HB912 (Lopez) · lower
8. Feb 11, 2026 Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 7-N) · lower
9. Feb 11, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107335D-H1 · lower
10. Feb 13, 2026 Read first time · lower
11. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · lower
12. Feb 16, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
13. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
14. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed House (61-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
15. Feb 18, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
16. Feb 18, 2026 Referred to Committee on Education and Health · upper
17. Feb 26, 2026 Reported from Education and Health with substitute (9-Y 6-N) · upper
18. Feb 27, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
19. Feb 27, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
20. Feb 27, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
21. Feb 27, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108790D-S1 · upper
22. Mar 2, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB836) · lower
23. Mar 2, 2026 Read third time · upper
24. Mar 2, 2026 Education and Health Substitute agreed to · upper
25. Mar 2, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
26. Mar 2, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
27. Mar 4, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB836) · lower
28. Mar 4, 2026 Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 95-N 0-A) · lower
29. Mar 6, 2026 Senate insisted on amendments (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
30. Mar 6, 2026 Senate requested conference committee · upper
31. Mar 9, 2026 House acceded to request · lower
32. Mar 10, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
33. Mar 10, 2026 House Conferees: Rasoul, Cousins, Runion · lower
34. Mar 10, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
35. Mar 10, 2026 Senate Conferees: Pekarsky, Favola, Craig · upper
36. Mar 12, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
37. Mar 13, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
38. Mar 13, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) · upper
39. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · lower
40. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB836ER) · lower
41. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
42. Mar 31, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB836) · lower
43. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
44. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · lower
45. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
46. Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 680 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
47. Apr 13, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0680) · executive

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

• Chaptered · PDF
• Chaptered · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Conference Report · HTML
• Conference Report Substitute · PDF
• Conference Report Substitute · HTML
• Education and Health Substitute · PDF
• Education and Health Substitute · HTML
• Education and Health Substitute · PDF
• Education and Health Substitute · HTML
• Education Substitute · PDF
• Education Substitute · HTML
• Education Substitute · PDF
• Education Substitute · HTML
• K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
• K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML