Virginia House Bill 131
Session 2026
Higher educational institutions; reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs, etc.
Active
Passed Senate on Mar 2, 2026
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill Number
131
State
Virginia
Session
2026
Motion Text
H VOTE:
House Roll Call Votes
Didn't Vote
Charlie Schmidt
Yes
Yes
Ellen H. McLaughlin
Yes
Yes
Gretchen M. Bulova
Yes
Yes
Yes
Jessica L. Anderson
Yes
John Chilton McAuliff
Yes
Yes
Didn't Vote
Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie
Yes
Kimberly Pope Adams
Yes
Leslie Chambers Mehta
Yes
Lily V. Franklin
Yes
Margaret A. Franklin
Yes
Mark C. Downey
Yes
Yes
Yes
Didn't Vote
Yes
Yes
Yes
Stacey Annie Carroll
Didn't Vote
Yes
Yes
Yes
Summary
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-401.4, relating to public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students.
Public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students. Requires each public institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations, as defined in the bill, for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments and to provide and describe in the institution's student handbook or an equivalent document and in the institution's faculty handbook or an equivalent document a grievance procedure for any student to seek redress when the student believes that he has been unreasonably denied such reasonable accommodations for his religious beliefs and practices.
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB131)
Sort by most recent
03/02/2026
Senate
Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
03/02/2026
Senate
Read third time
02/27/2026
Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
02/27/2026
Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
02/27/2026
Senate
Rules suspended
02/26/2026
Senate
Reported from Education and Health (13-Y 0-N 2-A)
02/23/2026
Senate
Assigned Education sub: Higher Education
02/04/2026
Senate
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/04/2026
Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
02/03/2026
House
Read third time and passed House (94-Y 2-N 0-A)
02/02/2026
House
Read second time and engrossed
02/02/2026
House
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
01/30/2026
House
Read first time
01/28/2026
House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB131)
01/28/2026
House
Reported from Education (21-Y 0-N)
01/27/2026
House
Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
01/23/2026
House
Assigned HED sub: Higher Education
01/03/2026
House
Referred to Committee on Education
01/03/2026
House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104369D
Sources
VA Legislature
Open States
Record Created
Jan 20, 2026 9:27:14 PM
Record Updated
Mar 5, 2026 12:53:48 AM