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HB1165 • 2026

Division superintendents; Board of Education to amend regulations, qualifications.

An Act to require the Board of Education to amend its regulation relating to the qualifications of division superintendents.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Cole, N.T.
Last action
2026-04-22
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Division superintendents; Board of Education to amend regulations, qualifications.

Board of Education; regulations; qualifications of division superintendents.

What This Bill Does

  • Board of Education; regulations; qualifications of division superintendents.
  • Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulation that establishes the qualifications for division superintendents to (i) require the record of each candidate for the list of eligible division superintendents and the renewable division superintendent license under any of the four permitted options to attest to good character and demonstrated ability as an educational administrator and (ii) amend Option IV by requiring the candidate to have (a) completed five years of successful educational experience in a public school or an accredited nonpublic school, two years of which shall have been full-time teaching experience at the preK-12 level and two years of which shall have been in administration and supervision and (b) been recommended by a school board that is interested in employing the individual as division superintendent and that governs a school division with fewer than 2,000 enrolled students.
  • The bill also provides that the requirements under Option IV that were in effect prior to the effective date of the bill shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB1165G

2026-04-13 • Governor

Governor's Recommendation

Plain English: (HB1165) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION I approve the general purpose of this bill, but I am returning it without my signature with the request that the attached Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110294D) be accepted.

  • (HB1165) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION I approve the general purpose of this bill, but I am returning it without my signature with the request that the attached Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110294D) be accepted.
HB1165AHC1

2026-02-03

Education Amendment

Plain English: OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/03/2026 HB 1165 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

  • OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/03/2026 HB 1165 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
  • Line 24, introduced, after students.
  • strike " [the quotation mark] SUBCOMMITTEE 2.
  • After line 24, introduced insert The requirements under Option IV that were in effect on December 31, 2025, shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date."
HB1165AHC2

2026-02-03 • Committee

K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: 2/03/2026 HB 1165 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

  • 2/03/2026 HB 1165 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
  • Line 24, introduced, after students.
  • strike " [the quotation mark] SUBCOMMITTEE 2.
  • After line 24, introduced insert The requirements under Option IV that were in effect on December 31, 2025, shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date."
HB1165AH1

2026-02-04 • Committee

Education Amendment

Plain English: 2/04/2026 HB 1165 EDUCATION 1.

  • 2/04/2026 HB 1165 EDUCATION 1.
  • Line 24, introduced, after students.
  • strike " [the quotation mark] EDUCATION 2.
  • After line 24, introduced insert The requirements under Option IV that were in effect on December 31, 2025, shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date."
HB1165H1

2026-04-14 • Governor

Governor Substitute

Plain English: 2026 SESSION HOUSE SUBSTITUTE 26110294D HOUSE BILL NO.

  • 2026 SESSION HOUSE SUBSTITUTE 26110294D HOUSE BILL NO.
  • 1165 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Governor on April 13, 2026) (Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Cole, N.T.) A BILL to require the Board of Education to amend its regulation relating to the qualifications of division superintendents.
  • Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1.
  • § 1.
HB1165ASC1

2026-02-19

Education and Health Amendment

Plain English: OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/19/2026 HB 1165 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

  • OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/19/2026 HB 1165 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
  • Line 24, engrossed, after effect strike on December 31, 2025, insert prior to the effective date of this act
HB1165AS1

2026-02-27 • Committee

Education and Health Amendment

Plain English: 2/27/2026 (HB1165) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE EDUCATION AND HEALTH 1.

  • 2/27/2026 (HB1165) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE EDUCATION AND HEALTH 1.
  • Line 24, engrossed, after effect strike on December 31, 2025, insert prior to the effective date of this act
HB1165EDOC

2026-03-02 • Senate

Senate Amendment

Plain English: 3/02/2026 (HB1165) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE EDUCATION AND HEALTH 1.

  • 3/02/2026 (HB1165) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE EDUCATION AND HEALTH 1.
  • Line 24, engrossed, after effect strike on December 31, 2025, insert prior to the effective date of this act

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-22 Governor

    Governor's recommendation adopted

  2. 2026-04-22 House

    Signed by Speaker

  3. 2026-04-22 Senate

    Signed by President

  4. 2026-04-22 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 1091 (effective 7/1/2026)

  5. 2026-04-22 House

    Reenrolled

  6. 2026-04-22 House

    Reenrolled bill text (HB1165ER2)

  7. 2026-04-22 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1091)

  8. 2026-04-22 House

    House concurred in Governor's recommendation (63-Y 35-N 0-A)

  9. 2026-04-22 Senate

    Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A)

  10. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Governor's recommendation received by House

  11. 2026-03-14 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

  12. 2026-03-14 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  13. 2026-03-12 House

    Signed by Speaker

  14. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Signed by President

  15. 2026-03-11 House

    Enrolled

  16. 2026-03-11 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1165ER)

  17. 2026-03-11 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1165)

  18. 2026-03-04 House

    Senate amendment agreed to by House (62-Y 33-N 0-A)

  19. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  20. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  21. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate as amended

  22. 2026-03-02 Education and Health

    Education and Health Amendment agreed to

  23. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Passed Senate with amendment (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  24. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules suspended

  25. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  26. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)

  27. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  28. 2026-02-26 Education and Health

    Reported from Education and Health with amendment (9-Y 6-N)

  29. 2026-02-19 Public Education

    Senate subcommittee offered

  30. 2026-02-19 Public Education

    Assigned Education sub: Public Education

  31. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  32. 2026-02-11 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  33. 2026-02-10 House

    Read third time and passed House (61-Y 35-N 0-A)

  34. 2026-02-10 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1165)

  35. 2026-02-09 House

    Read second time

  36. 2026-02-09 House

    committee amendments agreed to

  37. 2026-02-09 House

    Engrossed by House as amended

  38. 2026-02-06 House

    Read first time

  39. 2026-02-04 Education

    Reported from Education with amendment(s) (14-Y 7-N)

  40. 2026-02-03 K-12 Subcommittee

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 3-N)

  41. 2026-02-03 K-12 Subcommittee

    House subcommittee offered

  42. 2026-01-30 K-12 Subcommittee

    Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee

  43. 2026-01-30 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1165)

  44. 2026-01-14 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104767D

  45. 2026-01-14 Education

    Referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

Board of Education; regulations; qualifications of division superintendents.
Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulation that establishes the qualifications for division superintendents to (i) require the record of each candidate for the list of eligible division superintendents and the renewable division superintendent license under any of the four permitted options to attest to good character and demonstrated ability as an educational administrator and (ii) amend Option IV by requiring the candidate to have (a) completed five years of successful educational experience in a public school or an accredited nonpublic school, two years of which shall have been full-time teaching experience at the preK-12 level and two years of which shall have been in administration and supervision and (b) been recommended by a school board that is interested in employing the individual as division superintendent and that governs a school division with fewer than 2,000 enrolled students. The bill also provides that the requirements under Option IV that were in effect prior to the effective date of the bill shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to require the Board of Education to amend its regulation relating to the qualifications of division superintendents.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The Board of Education shall amend 8VAC20-
23-630
of the Virginia Administrative Code to:
1. Require the record of each candidate for the list of eligible division superintendents and the renewable division superintendent license under any of the four permitted options to attest to good character and demonstrated ability as an educational administrator; and
2. Amend Option IV contained in subdivision 4 to read as follows:
"4. Option IV. The individual shall have:
a. Earned a master's degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution;
b. A minimum of three years of successful, full-time experience in a senior leadership position, such as chief executive officer or senior military officer;
c. Either (i) completed five years of successful educational experience in a public school or an accredited nonpublic school, two years of which shall have been full-time teaching experience at the preK-12 level and two years of which shall have been in administration and supervision, or (ii) if such individual does not meet the requirements set forth in clause (i), gone before the Virginia Board of Education for further review of such individual's qualifications and, upon such review, been granted a waiver for such requirement by the Virginia Board of Education; and
d. Been recommended by a school board that is interested in employing the individual as division superintendent and that governs a school division with fewer than 2,000 enrolled students."
The requirements under Option IV that were in effect prior to the effective date of this act shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date.