HB 894: Private elementary and secondary schools; policies relating to bullying and cyberbullying, etc. - Virginia

Senator Boysko Substitute → Chaptered · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was finalized and approved as Chapter 236 of the 2026 Session, changing its status from a proposed substitute amendment to enacted law. The substantive policy text remains largely the same, requiring private schools to have anti-bullying policies and notify parents within 24 hours of an allegation. The only significant policy modification is the notification trigger, which was changed from an 'alleged incident' to a 'confirmed incident,' meaning parents must now be notified only after the school has verified the bullying occurred rather than immediately upon receiving a report.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability to private schools remain unchanged; it still applies to all private elementary and secondary schools in Virginia.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for parental notification was tightened. Schools must now notify parents within 24 hours only after confirming a bullying incident, rather than within 24 hours of learning of an allegation.

TECHNICAL

The document status changed from a 'Senator Boysko Substitute' to an 'Approved' Chaptered Act, indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages and become law.

Minor formatting and spacing adjustments were made throughout the text to conform to the official format of enacted statutes.

Enrolled → K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text has been reformatted from an 'Enrolled' version to a 'House Substitute' version, which includes updated line numbers and a new amendment header. The substantive policy language regarding student conduct and bullying prevention remains identical to the original text.

TECHNICAL

The document layout was changed from an official enrolled act format to a substitute bill format, adding line numbers and committee attribution details.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the section title and introductory clauses, such as changing '§' to '§' and adjusting spacing.

The header information was updated to reflect that this is a House Substitute proposed by the House Committee on Education, replacing the original Enrolled session header.

Introduced → Enrolled · 7 edits · Apr 6, 2026

MODERATE

The bill evolved from a draft proposing broad anti-bullying policies for private schools to an enrolled version that significantly narrows the requirements. The final law reduces the scope of mandatory actions, removes specific protections for witnesses, and eliminates the requirement for schools to list available support services.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from requiring comprehensive, detailed policies to mandating only a specific set of minimum prohibitions and notification rules.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for schools to include procedures ensuring personnel are trained on managing student offenses was removed.

The requirement for policies to include measures reducing bias and harassment in enforcement was removed.

The notification deadline was changed from 'within 24 hours of learning of an allegation' to 'within 24 hours of confirming the incident,' shifting the trigger from suspicion to verification.

The requirement to include procedures for addressing cyberbullying was removed entirely.

The mandate to provide protections ensuring victims and witnesses are not deterred by fear of retaliation, social alienation, or rejection was reduced to only fear of retaliation.

The requirement to include a list of support services and resources for victims was removed.

The explicit requirement to include procedures for addressing hazing was removed, though the definition of hazing remains referenced.

Education and Health Substitute → Senator Boysko Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated from a Senate Substitute to a Floor Amendment by Senator Boysko, which significantly streamlined the requirements for private schools regarding bullying policies. The amendment removes the mandate for schools to include procedures for ensuring personnel are trained on student conduct and reduces the list of student protections to only fear of retaliation, dropping social alienation and other negative treatments. Additionally, the requirement for schools to provide a list of available support services was removed, and a new clause was added clarifying that schools may adopt even more comprehensive policies than those required.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains the same, applying to all private elementary and secondary schools in Virginia, but the specific policy requirements imposed on these schools have been narrowed.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement for schools to include policies ensuring school personnel are trained or informed about managing student conduct violations.

Narrowed the protections for victims and witnesses to only include protection from fear of retaliation, removing protections against social alienation, rejection, or other negative treatment.

Deleted the requirement for schools to include a list of available support services and resources for victims of bullying.

Added a clarifying statement confirming that schools are free to adopt policies that are more comprehensive than the minimum requirements set by this section.

Education Substitute → Education and Health Substitute · 10 edits

MAJOR

The bill was reclassified from a House-only substitute to a joint House and Senate substitute, indicating it has passed both chambers. The text was updated to include Senate committee details and a new date. Substantively, the bill now requires private schools to notify parents within 24 hours of bullying allegations and explicitly prohibits hazing.

Scope change

The bill's scope of applicability remains the same (private elementary and secondary schools in Virginia), but the procedural status changed from a House-only document to a joint substitute.

TECHNICAL

The document header was changed from 'HOUSE SUBSTITUTE' to 'AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE' and the proposing committee was updated from the House Committee on Education to the Senate Committee on Education and Health.

The proposed date for the amendment was changed from February 11, 2026, to February 26, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

The bill title was updated to include 'cyberbullying prevention and parental notification'.

The bill title was updated to change the focus from 'bullying and cyberbullying' to 'bullying prevention and intervention'.

The section title was updated to change the focus from 'bullying and cyberbullying' to 'bullying prevention and intervention'.

New requirement added mandating that administrators provide written notification to parents within 24 hours of learning of a bullying allegation.

New requirement added to include specific prohibitions against and procedures for addressing cyberbullying between enrolled students.

New requirement added to ensure victims and witnesses are protected from retaliation, social alienation, or rejection when reporting incidents.

New requirement added to include a list of support services and resources, such as mental health support, available to students involved in bullying or cyberbullying.

New requirement added to include prohibitions against hazing, as defined in Virginia law.

K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Substitute → Education Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The document was reformatted from a standard legislative layout to a version with extensive whitespace and line breaks, likely for specific printing or digital display requirements. No substantive policy changes, such as new laws, funding, or eligibility rules, were added or removed.

TECHNICAL

The text structure was altered to include significant spacing and line breaks, while the actual legal content regarding private school conduct policies remained identical.

Private elementary and secondary schools; policies relating to bullying and cyberbullying, etc.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors