# Virginia HB1473: Higher educational institutions, public; restrictions on student speech, limitations.

Virginia HB1473, Higher educational institutions, public; restrictions on student speech, limitations., is a 2027 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Charlie Schmidt (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2026-07-21 (Continued from last session) (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1473-2027
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1473
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2027 Regular Session
- Title: Higher educational institutions, public; restrictions on student speech, limitations.
- Status: in committee
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-23
- Last action: 2026-07-21, Continued from last session
- Sponsor: Charlie Schmidt (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Higher Education
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Public institutions of higher education; students and campus; restrictions on student speech; limitations. Clarifies the requirements for and limitations on the ability of a public institution of higher education to impose restrictions on the time, place, or manner of student speech that occurs in outdoor areas of the institution's campus and is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States by (i) clarifying the criteria for demonstrating that the restriction is permissible; (ii) prohibiting any public institution of higher education from imposing certain restrictions, punishments, policies, or restraints designed to restrict student speech in ways that violate the First Amendment rights of students, faculty, and staff; and (iii) requiring any public institution of higher education that deems any student speech or assembly unlawful and imposes a restriction on the time, place, or manner of such speech to submit to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education within 45 days of imposing such restriction a report detailing the justification for such restriction, demonstrating how the restriction satisfies the criteria required pursuant to applicable law and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Charlie Schmidt (Democratic), House

## Actions (8)

- 2026-07-21: Continued from last session (House)
- 2026-02-11: Continued to 2027 in Education (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2026-02-09: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-09: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2028 (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2026-02-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1473) (House)
- 2026-02-05: Assigned HED sub: Higher Education (House)
- 2026-01-23: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2026-01-23: Presented and ordered printed 26103873D (House)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229690.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229689.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230356.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230355.PDF)

## Related bills

- SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority; report. (in committee)
- HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements. (introduced)
- HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information. (introduced)
- SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset. (in committee)
- SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment. (in committee)
- SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion State Prison. (in committee)

## Sources
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229690.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229689.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230356.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230355.PDF)

## Related
- [SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority; report.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB844-2027)
- [HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of s…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1535-2027)
- [HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1534-2027)
- [SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB843-2027)
- [SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB842-2027)
- [SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion Sta…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB840-2027)
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- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1473-2027 (as of 2026-10-11).