# Virginia HB1283: High school graduation requirements and diploma pathways; implementation. Virginia HB1283, High school graduation requirements and diploma pathways; implementation., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Ellen H. McLaughlin (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0811)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1283-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB1283 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: High school graduation requirements and diploma pathways; implementation. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-14 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0811) - Sponsor: Ellen H. McLaughlin (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 9 (312 yes, 3 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary High school graduation requirements; application. Provides that, in the event that the Board of Education establishes or modifies any graduation requirements or diploma pathways, the Board shall only apply such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways to students who enter ninth grade at the beginning of or after the first school year of implementation of such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways. The bill is applicable beginning with students who enter the ninth grade on or after the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. This bill is identical to SB 724. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Diplomas and certificates from local boards: benefit, high. Local school boards must award a diploma to any student who meets state and approved local rules, including transfer and homeschool students. Boards must place transfer students in the right grade, allow Virtual Virginia to finish requirements when it applies, and give reasonable disability accommo… - More diploma paths for students with disabilities: benefit, high. Students with IEPs can earn a standard diploma by meeting the credit accommodations in their IEP. If a student completes the IEP and Board rules but not another named diploma, the school awards an Applied Studies diploma. Local boards must have a process to award locally verified credits and IEP te… - Adult paths to a high school diploma: benefit, medium. Adults not subject to school attendance can earn a state adult high school diploma. You can qualify by passing a Board‑approved equivalency exam, completing a Board‑designated education and training program, or earning a Board‑approved CTE credential, and meeting other Board rules. - Credit by mastery, less seat time: benefit, medium. Qualified students can earn course credit without the 140‑hour rule if the superintendent recommends it and the student shows mastery and passes the related SOL. Divisions may waive the 140‑hour rule when they prove students learned the SOL content under Board guidelines. After finishing a course a… - More ways to earn high school credit: benefit, medium. Electives with required SOL content can count as required credit if the student passes the SOL test. Passing Board‑approved industry certifications, licensure exams, or national occupational tests can earn course credit, and the Board can approve substitute tests for SOLs. The Board awards verified… - Schools must notify families on graduation help: benefit, medium. Schools must tell parents of rising 11th and 12th graders what the state requires to graduate and what the student still needs. If a student is under age 20 on August 1 and fails to graduate, the board must tell the parent the student still has a right to free public education. The state creates a… - Stronger college and career pathways: benefit, medium. The Board sets multiple college and career pathways in later high school years. Each pathway includes internships, externships, and chances to earn credentials. Students may go beyond a full high school load to take college courses that lead to a degree, certificate, or credential. To meet the adva… - New graduation data and rate rules: benefit, medium. The Board must collect and publish graduation and dropout data using one statewide formula. Graduation rates will not count students who fail to graduate because they were in the custody of corrections, juvenile justice, or local law enforcement. These rules apply in the Standards of Accreditation. - Graduate profile and diploma seals: benefit, low. The Board sets a Profile of a Virginia Graduate that highlights thinking skills, teamwork, communication, and citizenship. The Board also creates diploma seals, including CTE, STEM, civics with service, and biliteracy for English and another language. Students who meet the Board’s criteria get seal… - Timeline and protections for new rules: benefit, low. If graduation rules change, the Board must post guidance before the first school year they start. New rules only apply to students who begin ninth grade in or after that first year. Students who started earlier keep the old rules but may opt into the new ones. The new pathways in this act apply to… - New course and training rules to graduate: mixed, medium. Students must take at least one fine or performing arts or CTE course, one U.S. and Virginia history course, and two sequential electives in a concentration. Students must complete one virtual course, which can be noncredit. Students must receive hands‑on training in first aid, CPR, and using an AE… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ellen H. McLaughlin (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-04 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 94 | 1 | | | 2026-03-02 | Senate | Education and Health Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-27 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 37 | 0 | | | 2026-02-27 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 96 | 1 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | Reported from Education with substitute | pass | 20 | 1 | | | 2026-02-10 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 10 | 0 | | ## Actions (36) - 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0811) (Governor) - 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 811 (Effective - see bill) (Governor) - 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (House) - 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1283) (House) - 2026-03-11: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1283ER) (House) - 2026-03-11: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-11: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate substitute agreed to by House (94-Y 1-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-02: Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Education and Health Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1283) (House) - 2026-03-02: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Committee substitute printed 26108792D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Reported from Education and Health with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House (96-Y 1-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House) - 2026-02-16: committee substitute agreed to (House) - 2026-02-16: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-13: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1283) (House) - 2026-02-11: Committee substitute printed 26107339D-H1 (House) - 2026-02-11: Reported from Education with substitute (20-Y 1-N) (House) - 2026-02-10: House subcommittee offered (House) - 2026-02-10: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-05: Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee (House) - 2026-02-04: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1283) (House) - 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Education (House) - 2026-01-14: Presented and ordered printed 26104580D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222840.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222839.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199370.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199369.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186349.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185730.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185729.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186348.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1139951.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1139950.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136469.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135956.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136468.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135955.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088023.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088022.PDF) ## Related bills - HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed) - SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed) - HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed) - HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed) - HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed) - HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed) ## Sources - [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222840.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222839.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199370.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199369.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186349.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185730.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185729.PDF) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186348.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1139951.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1139950.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136469.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135956.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136468.PDF) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135955.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088023.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088022.PDF) ## Related - [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026) - [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026) - [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026) - [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026) - [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026) - [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026) - [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills) - [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1283-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).