# Virginia HB38: Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction, requirements. Virginia HB38, Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction, requirements., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-02 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0047)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB38-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB38 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction, requirements. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-12-23 - Last action: 2026-04-02, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0047) - Sponsor: Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (160 yes, 63 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction; requirements. Requires each teacher and other relevant personnel, as determined by the applicable school board, employed on a full-time basis to complete mental health awareness training that addresses the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders in accordance with evidence-based best practices developed by the American Psychological Association. Current law requires such teachers and personnel to complete mental health awareness training but does not contain any requirements relating to the specific topics such training must address. The bill prohibits any of its provisions or any policy adopted in accordance with its provisions from being construed to permit biased or discriminatory treatment of any youth population deemed to be at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - School staff must take mental health training: mixed, low. Every school board must require each full-time teacher and other relevant staff to complete mental health awareness training at least once. The training must follow evidence-based best practices from the American Psychological Association. It must cover high-risk student groups, including students… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 21 | 19 | | | 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 | pass | 9 | 6 | | | 2026-01-27 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 68 | 31 | | | 2026-01-21 | House | Reported from Education | pass | 16 | 6 | | | 2026-01-20 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 9 | 1 | | ## Actions (27) - 2026-04-02: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0047) (Governor) - 2026-04-02: Approved by Governor-Chapter 47 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (House) - 2026-03-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB38) (House) - 2026-03-06: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB38ER) (House) - 2026-03-06: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-06: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-02: Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Read third time (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 (9-Y 6-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Assigned Education sub: Public Education (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB38) (House) - 2026-01-28: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2026-01-28: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Read third time and passed House (68-Y 31-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-01-26: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-01-23: Read first time (House) - 2026-01-21: Reported from Education (16-Y 6-N) (House) - 2026-01-20: Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 1-N) (House) - 2026-01-19: Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee (House) - 2025-12-23: Referred to Committee on Education (House) - 2025-12-23: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101402D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1215536.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1215535.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193712.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193711.PDF) - Introduced, 2025-12-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082068.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082066.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/1215536.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1215535.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193712.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193711.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082068.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082066.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-HB38-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).