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HB462 • 2026

Health Ed. SOL; Bd. of Ed. to require literacy instruction in grade 9 & 10 in next revision.

An Act to direct the Board of Education to require health literacy instruction in grades nine and 10 and remove any duplicative or outdated health instruction in the next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning.

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Cohen
Last action
2026-04-13
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.

Health Ed. SOL; Bd. of Ed. to require literacy instruction in grade 9 & 10 in next revision.

Board of Education; review and revision of Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework; development of health care literacy instruction; removal of duplicative or outdated health instruction.

What This Bill Does

  • Board of Education; review and revision of Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework; development of health care literacy instruction; removal of duplicative or outdated health instruction.
  • Directs the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework to, in consultation with the School Health Services Committee, (i) develop a health care literacy program of instruction to be required at grades nine and 10 for the purpose of helping students navigate the health care system efficiently and effectively and, in developing such program of instruction, to consider the inclusion of certain topics and content enumerated by the bill and (ii) identify and remove from such Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework for grades nine and 10 any instructional subjects or topics the inclusion of which is duplicative or outdated.

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.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 799 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0799)

  3. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0799)

  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 (HB462ER)

  10. 2026-03-11 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB462)

  11. 2026-03-04 House

    Senate substitute agreed to by House (64-Y 33-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  13. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  14. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  15. 2026-03-02 Education and Health

    Education and Health Substitute agreed to

  16. 2026-03-02 Senate

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

  17. 2026-02-27 Education and Health

    Committee substitute printed 26108313D-S1

  18. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules suspended

  19. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  20. 2026-02-27 Education and Health

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB462)

  21. 2026-02-27 Senate

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

  22. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  23. 2026-02-26 Education and Health

    Reported from Education and Health with substitute (10-Y 0-N 4-A)

  24. 2026-02-26 Public Education

    Senate subcommittee offered

  25. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  26. 2026-02-19 Public Education

    Assigned Education sub: Public Education

  27. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  28. 2026-02-11 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  29. 2026-02-10 House

    Read third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A)

  30. 2026-02-09 Education

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB462)

  31. 2026-02-09 House

    Read second time

  32. 2026-02-09 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  33. 2026-02-09 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  34. 2026-02-06 House

    Read first time

  35. 2026-02-04 Education

    Reconsidered by Education

  36. 2026-02-04 Education

    Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 7-N)

  37. 2026-02-04 Education

    Committee substitute printed 26106279D-H1

  38. 2026-02-03 Elementary & Secondary Education

    Assigned HAPP sub: Elementary & Secondary Education

  39. 2026-02-02 Education

    Reported from Education with substitute and referred to Appropriations (17-Y 5-N)

  40. 2026-01-27 K-12 Subcommittee

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 1-N)

  41. 2026-01-27 K-12 Subcommittee

    House subcommittee offered

  42. 2026-01-27 K-12 Subcommittee

    House subcommittee offered

  43. 2026-01-27 K-12 Subcommittee

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB462)

  44. 2026-01-27 K-12 Subcommittee

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB462)

  45. 2026-01-27 K-12 Subcommittee

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB462)

  46. 2026-01-23 K-12 Subcommittee

    Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee

  47. 2026-01-12 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101365D

  48. 2026-01-12 Education

    Referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

Board of Education; review and revision of Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework; development of health care literacy instruction; removal of duplicative or outdated health instruction.
Directs the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework to, in consultation with the School Health Services Committee, (i) develop a health care literacy program of instruction to be required at grades nine and 10 for the purpose of helping students navigate the health care system efficiently and effectively and, in developing such program of instruction, to consider the inclusion of certain topics and content enumerated by the bill and (ii) identify and remove from such Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework for grades nine and 10 any instructional subjects or topics the inclusion of which is duplicative or outdated.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to direct the Board of Education to require health literacy instruction in grades nine and 10 and remove any duplicative or outdated health instruction in the next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The Board of Education (the Board), during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, shall, in consultation with the School Health Services Committee (the Committee) established pursuant to Chapter 64 (§
30-409
et seq.) of Title 30 of the Code of Virginia:
1. Develop a health care literacy program of instruction to be required in grades nine and 10 for the purpose of helping students navigate the health care system efficiently and effectively and shall consider the following topics and content for inclusion in such instruction:
a. Navigating the health care system as a patient, including patient concerns such as understanding, communication, cost-effective utilization, digital access, finance, and insurance;
b. Accessing health information, including being able to find and retrieve reliable health information from various sources;
c. Understanding health information, including comprehending medical terminology, statistics, and instructions;
d. Evaluating health information, including assessing the credibility and relevance of health information sources;
e. Applying health information, including making informed decisions about health behaviors, treatments, and resources; and
f. Communicating with health care providers, including effectively communicating health concerns and questions to health care professionals; and
2. Identify and remove from the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework for grades nine and 10 any instructional subjects or topics the inclusion of which is duplicative or outdated.