HB 298 VA

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Became Law

Public elementary and secondary school students; consideration of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices required; exceptions; report. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, as defined in the bill, except in the case of certain enumerated serious offenses or aggravating circumstances, as defined in the bill. The bill requires each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record, as a part of the school's existing disciplinary documentation practices and consistent with the guidelines adopted by the Department of Education (the Department) pursuant to the bill, the rationale for the decision to impose exclusionary discipline, including any factors supporting the decision not to utilize an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice. The bill directs the Department to (i) add the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices to the Student Behavior and Administrative Response survey in order to annually collect and analyze data on the use of such practices and publicly post an annual report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices based on the data collected and (ii) adopt and make available guidelines and support materials for considering, monitoring, and evaluating the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices. The provisions of the bill prohibiting any public school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice and requiring each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record the rationale for such decision, have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

• Delores L. McQuinn Democratic · primary

1. Jan 9, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102624D · lower
2. Jan 9, 2026 Referred to Committee on Education · lower
3. Feb 5, 2026 Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee · lower
4. Feb 9, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
5. Feb 9, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB298) · lower
6. Feb 10, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
7. Feb 10, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
8. Feb 10, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N) · lower
9. Feb 11, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB298) · lower
10. Feb 11, 2026 Reported from Education with substitute and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 6-N) · lower
11. Feb 11, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107705D-H1 · lower
12. Feb 11, 2026 Assigned HAPP sub: Elementary & Secondary Education · lower
13. Feb 13, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting (4-Y 2-N) · lower
14. Feb 13, 2026 Reported from Appropriations (14-Y 7-N) · lower
15. Feb 15, 2026 Read first time · lower
16. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · lower
17. Feb 16, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
18. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
19. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A) · lower
20. Feb 18, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
21. Feb 18, 2026 Referred to Committee on Education and Health · upper
22. Feb 26, 2026 Assigned Education sub: Public Education · upper
23. Feb 26, 2026 Senate subcommittee offered · upper
24. Mar 5, 2026 Reported from Education and Health with substitute (9-Y 6-N) · upper
25. Mar 5, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108470D-S1 · upper
26. Mar 5, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB298) · lower
27. Mar 6, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
28. Mar 6, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
29. Mar 6, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
30. Mar 9, 2026 Passed by for the day · upper
31. Mar 10, 2026 Read third time · upper
32. Mar 10, 2026 Education and Health Substitute agreed to · upper
33. Mar 10, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
34. Mar 10, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
35. Mar 11, 2026 Senate substitute agreed to by House (65-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
36. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · lower
37. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB298ER) · lower
38. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
39. Mar 31, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB298) · lower
40. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
41. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · lower
42. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
43. Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 586 (Effective - see bill) · executive
44. Apr 13, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0586) · 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
• 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
• Education Amendment · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML