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HB1385Introduced in the House of Delegates

Higher educational institutions, public; membership of governing boards.

Vetoed

Introduced by Lily Franklin, District 41

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Public institutions of higher education; governing boards; membership and duties; work groups. Revises the membership and duties of the governing board of each public institution of higher education by, among other things, increasing from four years to six years the terms of each member of the governing board and requiring the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies defining and implementing shared governance among the components of the institution's organizational structure. The bill also directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene work groups for the purpose of developing model shared governance policies, in accordance with the provisions of the bill, and for the purpose of studying and making recommendations on (i) institutional structures and processes relating to legal counsel; (ii) the current selection and use of outside legal counsel by public institutions of higher education; (iii) a process by which (a) the governing board of any public institution of higher education, the Governor, or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility, upon determining that the legal counsel of a public institution of higher education is not acting in the best interests of the institution, including due to a conflict of interest, failure to defend the lawful authority of the public institution of higher education, or failure to comply with state law, may request the Attorney General to review the adequacy of such legal representation and (b) upon a determination by the Attorney General or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility that such institution is not receiving adequate legal representation, the governing board of any public institution of higher education may request additional representation or approve alternate counsel as necessary to protect the interests of the institution; and (iv) policies for requiring any individual member of a governing board of a public institution of higher education to recuse himself from or not participate in any vote or decision of the governing board on any matter in which he has a personal or pecuniary interest or any partisan or ideological interest that would compromise his ability to vote or act objectively and in accordance with the primary duties set forth in relevant law. This bill incorporates HB 780, HB 939, and HB 1069 and is identical to SB 494.

Where it stands

Vetoed by Governor

May 19, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

5 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

5 recorded votes · each counted separately

House of DelegatesStage: Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 34-N 0-A) · March 14, 2026

62

Yes

34

No

3

Absent or Not Voting

99 delegates recorded in this House of Delegates vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each delegate voted

DelegateDistrictVote
Patrick Hope1Yes
Adele McClure2Yes
Alfonso Lopez3Yes
Charniele Herring4Yes
Kirk McPike5Yes
Richard Sullivan6Yes
Karen Keys-Gamarra7Yes
Irene Shin8Yes
Karrie Delaney9Yes
Dan Helmer10Yes

Bill history

  1. Presented and ordered printed 26105297D

  2. Referred to Committee on Education

  3. Assigned HED sub: Higher Education

  4. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385)

  5. House subcommittee offered

  6. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N)

  7. Incorporates HB1069 (Laufer)

  8. Incorporates HB780 (Callsen)

  9. Incorporates HB939 (Franklin, L.V.)

  10. Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 7-N)

  11. Committee substitute printed 26107251D-H1

  12. Read first time

  13. Read second time

  14. committee substitute agreed to

  15. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  16. Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)

  17. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  18. Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  19. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385)

  20. Reported from Education and Health with substitute (10-Y 5-N)

  21. Rules suspended

  22. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)

  23. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  24. Committee substitute printed 26108794D-S1

  25. Read third time

  26. Education and Health Substitute agreed to

  27. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  28. Passed Senate with substitute (20-Y 20-N 0-A)

  29. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385)

  30. Senate substitute rejected by House (1-Y 94-N 0-A)

  31. Senate insisted on amendments (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  32. Senate requested conference committee

  33. House acceded to request

  34. Conferees appointed by Senate

  35. Senate Conferees: Deeds, Locke, Pillion, Surovell

  36. Conferees appointed by House

  37. House Conferees: Franklin of Montgomery, Carr, Zehr

  38. Conference Report released

  39. Passed by temporarily

  40. Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)

  41. Passed by temporarily

  42. Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 34-N 0-A)

  43. Enrolled

  44. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1385ER)

  45. Signed by President

  46. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1385)

  47. Signed by Speaker

  48. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  49. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  50. Governor's recommendation received by House

  51. Passed by for the day

  52. Passed by for the day

  53. Communicated to Governor

  54. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026

  55. Vetoed by Governor

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