# Virginia SB815: School bds.; opening of school year, certain alternative schedules & schedule flexibility permitted. Virginia SB815, School bds.; opening of school year, certain alternative schedules & schedule flexibility permitted., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by David R. Suetterlein (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0522)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB815-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB815 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: School bds.; opening of school year, certain alternative schedules & schedule flexibility permitted. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-23 - Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0522) - Sponsor: David R. Suetterlein (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 8 (246 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary School boards; opening of the school year; certain alternative schedules and schedule flexibility permitted. Extends from no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day to no earlier than 14 days before September 1 of each year the requirement relating to the earliest date that each school board is permitted to schedule as the first day on which students are required to attend school each year. This bill is identical to HB 1455. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Schools can choose four-day school weeks: benefit, low. Individual schools may propose four-day weekly schedules, and local school boards may approve them. Plans must provide at least 990 instructional hours for students in kindergarten through grade 12. The state education board may issue guidelines for these plans. The law does not require schools to… - Some district schools gain earlier starts: benefit, low. Planning District 16 has two exceptions to the general school-opening rules. A division without a 2018–2019 good-cause waiver may start before Labor Day, including more than 14 days before it. It must have qualified for a 2019–2020 waiver under the rules in effect before July 1, 2019. A division en… - Technical center divisions can start earlier: benefit, low. School divisions whose students attend Northern Neck Technical Center have an exception to the general opening-date rules. Their school boards may start student attendance before Labor Day, including more than 14 days before Labor Day. The option applies to the division's calendar, not just technic… - Virginia schools face new calendar rules: mixed, low. Virginia public schools generally cannot start student attendance earlier than 14 days before September 1 each year. Divisions starting before Labor Day must close all schools from the Friday immediately before Labor Day through Labor Day. The state education board may waive the opening-date rule w… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: David R. Suetterlein (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-09 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 96 | 0 | | | 2026-03-04 | House | Reported from Education | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2026-02-16 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-02-16 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-16 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-02-13 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-13 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 36 | 0 | | | 2026-02-12 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health | pass | 15 | 0 | | ## Actions (30) - 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0522) (Governor) - 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 522 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB815) (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB815ER) (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-09: Passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-09: Read third time (House) - 2026-03-06: Read second time (House) - 2026-03-04: Reported from Education (21-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-20: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-20: Referred to Committee on Education (House) - 2026-02-20: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-02-16: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Blank Action (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-16: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Assigned Education sub: Public Education (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB815) (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Presented and ordered printed 26104363D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218203.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218202.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207062.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207061.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095769.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095768.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/1218203.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218202.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207062.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207061.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095769.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095768.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-SB815-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).