# Virginia HB1957: SOL assessments & related student assessment methods; assessment development, etc., reform.

Virginia HB1957, SOL assessments & related student assessment methods; assessment development, etc., reform., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Dan I. Helmer (Democratic); status to governor, last action 2025-05-02 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0675)) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1957-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1957
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: SOL assessments & related student assessment methods; assessment development, etc., reform.
- Status: to governor
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-06
- Last action: 2025-05-02, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0675)
- Sponsor: Dan I. Helmer (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 13 (450 yes, 183 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Board of Education; Standards of Learning assessments and related student assessment methods; assessment development, implementation, and administration reform. Modifies provisions relating to assessment methods for determining the level of achievement of the Standards of Learning objectives by all students, including (i) requirements relating to assessment administration aimed at maximizing instructional time and optimizing time used for assessment administration; (ii) criteria and guidelines for the structure and content of Standards of Learning assessments and alternative assessments developed by local school boards, including criteria for the types of assessment items that shall be included; (iii) provisions relating to eligibility and timelines for students to retake assessments; and (iv) the scoring of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessments, including a requirement that all such assessments be scored on a 100-point scale. The bill contains a provision exempting from the requirement that all end-of-course assessments be administered no earlier than two weeks prior to the last day of the school year any assessments administered as a part of a competency-based assessment system. The bill requires the Board of Education to provide any teacher who participates in the scoring of Standards of Learning assessments professional development points toward renewal of his license for the time spent scoring such assessments. The bill also requires the Board of Education to develop and make available to each school board certain templates and guidelines relating to assessment content and structure and assessment scoring. Certain provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2026 Session of the General Assembly and certain others have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Dan I. Helmer (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-02 | Senate | Senate concurred in #'s 2-12 Governor's recommendation | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-02 | House | House rejected Governor's recommendation #1 | fail | 33 | 61 |   |
| 2025-04-02 | House | House concurred in Governor's recommendation #'s 2-12 | pass | 88 | 5 |   |
| 2025-02-20 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 27 | 12 |   |
| 2025-02-20 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 59 | 37 |   |
| 2025-02-20 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 27 | 12 |   |
| 2025-02-20 | Senate | Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-19 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-17 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 10 | 4 |   |
| 2025-02-13 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 6 | 4 |   |
| 2025-02-04 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 62 | 37 |   |
| 2025-01-29 | House | Reported from Education with substitute | pass | 13 | 9 |   |
| 2025-01-28 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 6 | 2 | 1 |

## Actions (50)

- 2025-05-02: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0675) (Governor)
- 2025-05-02: Approved by Governor-Chapter 675 (Effective - see bill) (Governor)
- 2025-04-02: Senate concurred in #'s 2-12 Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 2, 2025 (Governor)
- 2025-04-02: Reenrolled bill text (HB1957ER2) (House)
- 2025-04-02: Reenrolled (House)
- 2025-04-02: Communicated to Governor (House)
- 2025-04-02: Signed by President as reenrolled (Senate)
- 2025-04-02: Signed by Speaker as reenrolled (House)
- 2025-04-02: Governor's recommendation adopted in-part (Governor)
- 2025-04-02: House concurred in Governor's recommendation #'s 2-12 (88-Y 5-N) (House)
- 2025-04-02: House rejected Governor's recommendation #1 (33-Y 61-N) (House)
- 2025-03-24: Governor's recommendation received by House (Governor)
- 2025-03-11: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor)
- 2025-03-11: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 (House)
- 2025-03-10: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1957) (House)
- 2025-03-07: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1957ER) (House)
- 2025-03-07: Enrolled (House)
- 2025-03-07: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-02-20: Passed Senate with substitute (27-Y 12-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Passed Senate with substitute (27-Y 12-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Education and Health Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Read third time (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Senate substitute agreed to by House (59-Y 37-N) (House)
- 2025-02-20: Reading of substitute waived (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1957) (House)
- 2025-02-19: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2025-02-17: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Committee substitute printed 25107047D-S1 (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (6-Y 4-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Assigned Education sub: Public Education (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2025-02-04: Read third time and passed House (62-Y 37-N) (House)
- 2025-02-03: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2025-02-03: Education Substitute agreed to (House)
- 2025-02-03: Read second time (House)
- 2025-01-31: Read first time (House)
- 2025-01-30: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1957) (House)
- 2025-01-29: Committee substitute printed 25106310D-H1 (House)
- 2025-01-29: Reported from Education with substitute (13-Y 9-N) (House)
- 2025-01-28: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2025-01-24: Assigned Educ sub: K-12 Subcommittee (House)
- 2025-01-06: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2025-01-06: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-13-2025 25103847D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2025-05-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079820.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079819.PDF)
- Reenrolled, 2025-04-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074857.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074856.PDF)
- Gov Recommendation, 2025-03-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073840.HTML)
- Enrolled, 2025-03-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1066844.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1066843.PDF)
- Substitute, 2025-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052271.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052270.PDF)
- Substitute, 2025-02-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045550.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045549.PDF)
- Substitute, 2025-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031998.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031997.PDF)
- Substitute, 2025-01-28: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031197.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031196.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-01-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014227.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014226.PDF)

## Related bills

- HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted)
- SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed)
- HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed)
- HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed)
- SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed)
- HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079820.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079819.PDF)
- [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074857.HTML)
- [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074856.PDF)
- [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073840.HTML)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1066844.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1066843.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052271.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052270.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045550.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045549.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031998.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031997.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031197.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1031196.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014227.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014226.PDF)

## Related
- [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025)
- [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025)
- [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025)
- [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025)
- [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025)
- [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1957-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).