# Virginia SB979: Public schools; delayed implementation and review of revised public school accountability system. Virginia SB979, Public schools; delayed implementation and review of revised public school accountability system., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Ghazala F. Hashmi (Democratic); status failed, last action 2025-02-04 (Read third time and defeated by Senate (17-Y 22-N)) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB979-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB979 - State: Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Public schools; delayed implementation and review of revised public school accountability system. - Status: failed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-07 - Last action: 2025-02-04, Read third time and defeated by Senate (17-Y 22-N) - Sponsor: Ghazala F. Hashmi (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (74 yes, 34 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Department of Education; public school accountability; delayed implementation and review of revised public school accountability system; report; emergency. Directs the Department of Education to delay for a period of one year the implementation of the revised public school accountability system adopted pursuant to applicable Board of Education regulations in order to conduct a review of and establish a stakeholder advisory committee to solicit input on such revised public school accountability system for the purpose of ensuring that such accountability system is designed to achieve fair, transparent, and actionable results aimed at improving student growth and learning outcomes across the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Department to, by April 1, 2026, (i) publish a report on the process and findings of the review conducted in accordance with the provisions of the bill and (ii) submit to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the House Committee on Education a plan for modifying and implementing the revised public school accountability system that incorporates the findings of the review conducted and the input from the stakeholder advisory committee established in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill contains an emergency clause. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ghazala F. Hashmi (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-02-04 | Senate | Read third time and defeated by Senate | fail | 17 | 22 | | | 2025-01-30 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-01-29 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 10 | 5 | | | 2025-01-23 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 8 | 7 | | ## Actions (17) - 2025-02-04: Read third time and defeated by Senate (17-Y 22-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Read second time (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Education and Health Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Read second time (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Reading of substitute waived (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 1-A) (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2025-01-29: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB979) (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Committee substitute printed 25105405D-S1 (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Assigned Education sub: Public Education (Senate) - 2025-01-07: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2025-01-07: Prefiled and ordered printed with emergency clause; Offered 01-08-2025 25101189D (Senate) ## Bill text - Substitute, 2025-01-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1024331.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1024330.PDF) - Introduced, 2025-01-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014665.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014664.PDF) ## 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 - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1024331.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1024330.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014665.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014664.PDF) ## 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) - [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-SB979-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).