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HB355 • 2026

Public school students in grades six through 12; annual mental health screening.

An Act to require the School Health Services Committee, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to study and make recommendations on best practices for annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12 utilizing evidence-based tools; report.

Children Education Privacy
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Gardner
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on funding, timelines, or implementation of recommendations.

Annual Mental Health Screenings for Students

This law requires a committee to study and recommend best practices for yearly mental health screenings in public schools for students from grades six through twelve.

What This Bill Does

  • Directs the School Health Services Committee, working with the Department of Education, to study annual mental health screenings for middle and high school students using evidence-based tools.
  • The committee must consider procedures for parents to opt their children out of screenings, training staff effectively, communicating results to families, protecting student privacy, and accommodating different needs like bilingual support or disabilities.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public school students from grades six through twelve
  • The School Health Services Committee and the Department of Education

Terms To Know

evidence-based tools
Tools or methods that have been proven effective by research.
opt out
To choose not to participate in something.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when the report must be completed.
  • It is unclear how much funding will be provided for this study and implementation of recommendations.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 593 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 593 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0593)

  4. 2026-03-14 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

  5. 2026-03-14 Governor

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

  6. 2026-03-12 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-11 House

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-03-11 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB355ER)

  10. 2026-03-11 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB355)

  11. 2026-03-04 House

    Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 96-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-03-04 House

    Reconsideration of Senate substitute rejected by House

  13. 2026-03-04 House

    Senate substitute agreed to by House (63-Y 32-N 0-A)

  14. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  15. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  16. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  17. 2026-03-02 Education and Health

    Education and Health Substitute agreed to

  18. 2026-03-02 Senate

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

  19. 2026-03-02 Education and Health

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB355)

  20. 2026-02-27 Education and Health

    Committee substitute printed 26108312D-S1

  21. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules suspended

  22. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  23. 2026-02-27 Senate

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

  24. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  25. 2026-02-26 Education and Health

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

  26. 2026-02-26 Public Education

    Senate subcommittee offered

  27. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  28. 2026-02-19 Public Education

    Assigned Education sub: Public Education

  29. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  30. 2026-02-11 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  31. 2026-02-10 House

    Read third time and passed House (64-Y 33-N 0-A)

  32. 2026-02-09 House

    Read second time

  33. 2026-02-09 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  34. 2026-02-09 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  35. 2026-02-09 Education

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB355)

  36. 2026-02-06 House

    Read first time

  37. 2026-02-04 Education

    Reported from Education with substitute (16-Y 5-N)

  38. 2026-02-04 Education

    Committee substitute printed 26107012D-H1

  39. 2026-02-03 K-12 Subcommittee

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)

  40. 2026-02-03 K-12 Subcommittee

    House subcommittee offered

  41. 2026-01-30 K-12 Subcommittee

    Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee

  42. 2026-01-12 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105142D

  43. 2026-01-12 Education

    Referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

Department of Education; School Health Services Committee; annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12; recommendations on guidance and best practices.
Directs the School Health Services Committee (the Committee), in collaboration with the Department of Education, to study and make recommendations on best practices for annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12 that utilize evidence-based tools. The bill directs the Committee to include its findings and recommendations in its annual report required pursuant to applicable law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to require the School Health Services Committee, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to study and make recommendations on best practices for annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12 utilizing evidence-based tools; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The School Health Services Committee (the Committee) established pursuant to Chapter 64 (§
30-409
et seq.) of Title 30 of the Code of Virginia, in collaboration with the Department of Education, shall study and make recommendations on best practices for annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12 that utilize evidence-based tools. In conducting its study, the Committee shall consider best practices relating to (i) procedures for parents to opt their children out of such screenings; (ii) training in the effective administration of screening tools; (iii) communication with families about the administration and results of such screenings; (iv) procedures for protecting the confidentiality and privacy of screening results and any data collected or obtained through such screenings, including best practices relating to the storage of mental health screening results and the protection of any other data obtained or collected through such screenings; and (v) methods for ensuring that the screening process (a) accommodates bilingual students, students with disabilities, and students with low reading proficiency and (b) permits real-time evaluation of the screening results and same-day intervention by a licensed mental health professional as indicated by such screening. The Committee shall include its findings and recommendations in its annual report required pursuant to §
30-411
of the Code of Virginia.