# Virginia HB485: School boards; employee criminal history records checks and applications, penalty for noncompliance.

Virginia HB485, School boards; employee criminal history records checks and applications, penalty for noncompliance., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. (Republican); status failed, last action 2024-11-18 (Left in Education) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB485-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB485
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: School boards; employee criminal history records checks and applications, penalty for noncompliance.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-01-08
- Last action: 2024-11-18, Left in Education
- Sponsor: Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Education
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (0 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

School boards; employee criminal history records checks and applications; penalty for noncompliance. Clarifies that certain school board employees who are (i) employed in an in-person or remote capacity or some combination thereof or (ii) fully licensed, provisionally licensed, or unlicensed are subject to the requirements in existing law to undergo a criminal history records check and a search of the registry of founded complaints of child abuse and neglect and to disclose certain criminal history information at the employment application stage and upon arrest. The bill provides that in the event that any school board fails or refuses to perform its duty to require any employee to undergo a criminal history records check as set forth in relevant law, each individual member of such board is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and his position on such school board shall be deemed vacant.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2024-02-07 | House | Continued to 2025 in Education (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2024-02-06 | House | Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |

## Actions (7)

- 2024-11-18: Left in Education (House)
- 2024-02-07: Continued to 2025 in Education (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2024-02-06: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2024-01-19: Assigned Education sub: K-12 Subcommittee (House)
- 2024-01-17: Impact statement from DPB (HB485) (House)
- 2024-01-08: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2024-01-08: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101308D (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced, 2024-01-15: [HTML](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB485)

## 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
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB485)

## 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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB485-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).
