HB 686 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Open school enrollment policies; guidance on best practices available to school boards.

Summary
Department of Education; open school enrollment policies; guidance on best practices. Requires the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board guidance on best practices relating to open school enrollment.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Mar 5, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Education Substitute K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Substitute · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill's introduction date was redacted, likely to maintain confidentiality or allow for a future update. No substantive policy changes, funding adjustments, or scope modifications were made to the bill's core requirements regarding school enrollment guidance.
TIMELINE

The specific introduction date of February 11, 2026 was removed.

TECHNICAL

A blank line was inserted to replace the removed date.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

7311
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 87
Feb 17, 2026
D Democratic52
41 Yea 9 Nay 2
78% Yea
R Republican35
32 Yea 2 Nay 1
91% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
17
Key actions
2
Committee
5
Feb 26, 2026
Committee
Assigned Education sub: Public Education
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (85-Y 11-N 0-A)
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Education with substitute (18-Y 3-N)
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee
lower
Jan 13, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Eric Zehr
Eric Zehr
RRepublican
VA
51