# Virginia HB478: Diploma seal for excellence in fine arts; established, industry-recognized workforce credential. Virginia HB478, Diploma seal for excellence in fine arts; established, industry-recognized workforce credential., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Vivian E. Watts (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB478-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB478 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Diploma seal for excellence in fine arts; established, industry-recognized workforce credential. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-12 - Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152) - Sponsor: Vivian E. Watts (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (186 yes, 32 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Diploma seal for excellence in fine arts established; industry-recognized workforce credential. Requires the Board of Education to establish criteria for awarding a high school diploma seal for excellence in fine arts, which may include a sequence of coursework, cumulative grade point average in such sequence of coursework, or any other performance-based criteria that the Board deems appropriate. The bill also requires the Board to add such diploma seal to its list of industry-recognized workforce credentials for the purpose of satisfying the career and technical education credential option for high school graduation. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fine arts seal helps students graduate: benefit, medium. Virginia's Board of Education must set standards for a diploma seal for excellence in fine arts. Standards may include a course sequence, grades in those courses, or other performance measures. The Board must include the seal on its workforce credential list for replacing certain graduation credits… - Students can replace credits with workforce credentials: benefit, low. Virginia's Board of Education must work with the Virginia Community College System to maintain and publicly post a current credential list. The list identifies workforce credentials that replace specific required graduation credits. Local school boards must accept each listed credential for its mat… - Adults need workforce credentials for diploma: cost, low. Virginia's general achievement adult high school diploma is available to people no longer required to attend school. Applicants must pass a Board-approved high school equivalency exam and complete a Board-designated education and training program. They must also earn a Board-approved career and tec… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Vivian E. Watts (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate 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 | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2026-02-13 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 68 | 28 | | | 2026-02-09 | House | Reported from Education | pass | 17 | 3 | 1 | | 2026-02-04 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 9 | 1 | | ## Actions (27) - 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152) (Governor) - 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 152 (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) - 2026-03-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB478) (House) - 2026-03-05: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB478ER) (House) - 2026-03-05: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-05: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-02: Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-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 (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Assigned Education sub: Public Education (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Read third time and passed House (68-Y 28-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-12: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-02-11: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-09: Reported from Education (17-Y 3-N 1-A) (House) - 2026-02-04: Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 1-N) (House) - 2026-01-30: Assigned HED sub: Early Childhood and Innovation (House) - 2026-01-29: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB478) (House) - 2026-01-12: Referred to Committee on Education (House) - 2026-01-12: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102498D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216734.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216733.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193975.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193974.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084608.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084606.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/1216734.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216733.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193975.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193974.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084608.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084606.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-HB478-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).