# Virginia HB500: Standards of Learning; Board of Education to develop all assessments using UDL principles.

Virginia HB500, Standards of Learning; Board of Education to develop all assessments using UDL principles., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Laura Jane Cohen (Democratic); status failed, last action 2024-11-18 (Left in Education) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB500-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB500
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Standards of Learning; Board of Education to develop all assessments using UDL principles.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-01-08
- Last action: 2024-11-18, Left in Education
- Sponsor: Laura Jane Cohen (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Education
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (0 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Standards of Quality; Standards of Learning assessments; development and administration of assessments; assessments in languages other than English; requirements. Requires the Board of Education to develop all Standards of Learning assessments using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, as defined in the bill. The bill also requires the Board to develop and implement policies providing for the development and administration of all Standards of Learning assessments in languages other than English that are identified as being present to a significant extent in the participating student population. The bill requires such policies to provide that each local school board provide appropriate accommodations on such assessments for eligible students who are English language learners, including providing for administration of such assessments for any student who is an English language learner in grades three through eight who has been identified as having limited English proficiency and has participated in an English language proficiency program for no more than a total of three school years. The bill provides, however, that each local school board, on the recommendation of English language learner faculty that any such student has not yet reached sufficient English proficiency, may provide on an individual case-by-case basis for the administration of any such Standards of Learning assessment in one of such top three languages other than English for a period that does not exceed two additional consecutive years. The provisions of the bill are required to be implemented by the beginning of the 2025–2026 school year.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Laura Jane Cohen (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2024-01-31 | House | Continued to 2025 in Education (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2024-01-30 | House | Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |

## Actions (7)

- 2024-11-18: Left in Education (House)
- 2024-01-31: Continued to 2025 in Education (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2024-01-30: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2024-01-29: House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered (House)
- 2024-01-19: Assigned Education sub: K-12 Subcommittee (House)
- 2024-01-08: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2024-01-08: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101111D (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced, 2024-01-15: [HTML](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB500)

## 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/HB500)

## 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-HB500-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).