SB 1031 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Public elementary and secondary schools; compulsory attendance requirements, religious exemption.

Summary
Public elementary and secondary schools; compulsory attendance requirements; religious exemption; requirements. Amends the provisions permitting any child and his parents to receive an exemption from school attendance by reason of bona fide religious training or belief, as defined in relevant law, to require the parent of any such child, in order to receive such exemption, to provide (i) evidence of the parent's ability to provide an adequate education for his child; (ii) notice to the division superintendent by August 15 of each year, or as soon as practicable in the event that such child and his parents move into the school division or seek to receive an exemption after the start of the school year, of such child and his parents' intention to receive such an exemption and certification that the child will receive an alternative form of instruction, including a description of the curriculum to be studied in the coming year; and (iii) evidence of the child's progress in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Jan 30, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SEH Sub: Public Education Substitute Education and Health Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was reformatted with new header information and a critical addition: a new mandate requiring the Board of Education to convene a work group to study and make recommendations on home instruction and religious exemptions from compulsory attendance. The original text of the bill's substantive sections (amending §§ 22.1-7, 22.1-205, 22.1-254, and 22.1-254.1) was removed, while the new work group requirement was added as the primary legislative action.
Scope change
The bill's scope shifted from directly amending specific education and attendance statutes to directing the Board of Education to study those statutes and make recommendations for potential future amendments.
REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for the Board of Education to convene a work group consisting of school board representatives, teachers, home instruction parents, religious exemption parents, former exempt students, and representatives from two home education advocacy organizations.

Removed the original text that directly amended §§ 22.1-7, 22.1-205, 22.1-254, and 22.1-254.1, replacing direct statutory changes with a study and recommendation process.

TIMELINE

Established a deadline of November 1, 2025, for the work group to submit findings and recommendations to the Senate and House education committees.

SCOPE

Changed the bill's purpose from immediate statutory amendment to initiating a study on how to better ensure children receive adequate education while respecting religious freedom rights.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
3
Jan 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)
upper
Jan 16, 2025
Committee
Assigned Education sub: Public Education
upper
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Stella Pekarsky
Stella Pekarsky
DDemocratic
VA
36