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SB494Introduced in the Senate

Higher educational institutions, public; membership of governing boards.

Vetoed

Introduced by Creigh Deeds, District 11

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 SB 381 and is identical to HB 1385.

Where it stands

Vetoed by Governor

May 19, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

4 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

7 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: Passed by for the day (21-Y 18-N 0-A) · April 22, 2026

21

Yes

18

No

1

Absent or Not Voting

40 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker5Yes
Michael Jones77Yes
Timmy French1No
Mark Obenshain2No
Chris Head3Absent
David Suetterlein4No
Travis Hackworth5No
Todd Pillion6No
William Stanley7No
Mark Peake8No

Bill history

  1. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104667D

  2. Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  3. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)

  4. Assigned Education sub: Higher Education

  5. Senate subcommittee offered

  6. Senate subcommittee offered

  7. Reported from Education and Health with substitute (12-Y 0-N 3-A)

  8. Senate committee offered

  9. Incorporates SB381 (Surovell)

  10. Committee substitute printed 26107584D-S1

  11. Rules suspended

  12. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A)

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

  14. Read second time

  15. Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

  16. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)

  17. Read third time and passed Senate (22-Y 18-N 0-A)

  18. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)

  19. Placed on Calendar

  20. Read first time

  21. Referred to Committee on Education

  22. Assigned HED sub: Higher Education

  23. House subcommittee offered

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

  25. Reported from Education with substitute (15-Y 6-N)

  26. Committee substitute printed 26108796D-H1

  27. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)

  28. Read second time

  29. Read third time

  30. committee substitute agreed to

  31. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  32. Passed House with substitute (61-Y 35-N 0-A)

  33. House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)

  34. House insisted on substitute

  35. House requested conference committee

  36. Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  37. Conferees appointed by Senate

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

  39. Conferees appointed by House

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

  41. House Conferees: Franklin, L.V., Feggans, Austin

  42. Passed by temporarily

  43. Conference Report released

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

  45. Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)

  46. Enrolled

  47. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB494ER)

  48. Signed by President

  49. Signed by Speaker

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

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

  52. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB494)

  53. Governor's recommendation received by Senate

  54. Passed by for the day (21-Y 18-N 0-A)

  55. Communicated to Governor

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

  57. Governor's Veto Received by Senate

  58. Vetoed by Governor

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