KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Virginia

SB140 • 2026

Fire Programs, Department of; development of mental health awareness training.

An Act to amend and reenact § 9.1-203.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Fire Programs; mental health awareness training.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
McPike
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included details about the content of the mental health awareness training that were not specified in the official bill text. These details have been omitted to adhere strictly to the provided source material.

Firefighter Mental Health Training

This law requires the Department of Fire Programs to create a two-hour online mental health training course for firefighters by December 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Fire Programs to develop a standardized, two-hour virtual asynchronous mental health awareness training program for firefighters that covers specific subject matters set forth in current law.
  • Fire departments can use this standardized training or use it as guidance to create their own programs.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Department of Fire Programs
  • Firefighters in Virginia

Terms To Know

Virtual asynchronous training
Online training that firefighters can complete at any time, not all together live.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the Department of Fire Programs will fund the creation and maintenance of this training.
  • It is unclear if all fire departments will choose to use the standardized program or develop their own based on it.

Amendments

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

SB140AC

2026-03-10 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment recommends rejecting a specific version of Senate Bill No. 140 and accepting another version to resolve disagreements between the Senate and the House.

  • Rejects the House Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108270D).
  • Accepts the engrossed bill (26106332D) to finalize the resolution.
  • The amendment does not provide details about the specific changes in the accepted and rejected versions of the bill.
  • Further information is needed to understand the exact content differences between the two versions of the bill.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 110 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 110 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0110)

  4. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  5. 2026-03-31 Governor

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

  6. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  8. 2026-03-31 Governor

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

  9. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB140)

  10. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Signed by President

  11. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Enrolled

  12. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB140ER)

  13. 2026-03-11 House

    Conference report agreed to by House (98-Y 1-N 0-A)

  14. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Conference report agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  15. 2026-03-10 Appropriations

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB140)

  16. 2026-03-10 Conference

    Conference Report released

  17. 2026-03-10 Conference

    Conference Report released

  18. 2026-03-09 House

    Conferees appointed by House

  19. 2026-03-09 House

    House Conferees: Sullivan, Pope Adams, Wright

  20. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Conferees appointed by Senate

  21. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Senate Conferees: McPike, Roem, Pillion

  22. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  23. 2026-03-02 House

    House insisted on substitute

  24. 2026-03-02 House

    House requested conference committee

  25. 2026-02-27 Senate

    House substitute rejected by Senate

  26. 2026-02-25 House

    Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar

  27. 2026-02-25 House

    Read third time

  28. 2026-02-25 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  29. 2026-02-25 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  30. 2026-02-25 House

    Passed House with substitute (95-Y 2-N 0-A)

  31. 2026-02-24 House

    Read second time

  32. 2026-02-20 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N)

  33. 2026-02-20 Appropriations

    Committee substitute printed 26108270D-H1

  34. 2026-02-05 Transportation & Public Safety

    Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

  35. 2026-02-04 House

    Placed on Calendar

  36. 2026-02-04 House

    Read first time

  37. 2026-02-04 Appropriations

    Referred to Committee on Appropriations

  38. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote

  39. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Read second time

  40. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  41. 2026-01-29 Finance and Appropriations

    Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to

  42. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  43. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Rules suspended

  44. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  45. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  46. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  47. 2026-01-28 Finance and Appropriations

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB140)

  48. 2026-01-27 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (14-Y 0-N)

  49. 2026-01-27 Finance and Appropriations

    Committee substitute printed 26106332D-S1

  50. 2026-01-21 General Laws and Technology

    Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  51. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB140)

  52. 2026-01-06 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102973D

  53. 2026-01-06 General Laws and Technology

    Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

Official Summary Text

Department of Fire Programs; mental health awareness training.
Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall develop a standardized, two-hour virtual asynchronous training program on mental health awareness tailored to firefighters that includes training on each subject matter set forth in current law. The bill provides the option for each fire department to use such standardized training program as guidance in developing its own mental health awareness training for its personnel. This bill is identical to HB 325.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend and reenact §
9.1-203.1
of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Fire Programs; mental health awareness training.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
9.1-203.1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
9.1-203.1
. Firefighter mental health awareness training.
A. Each fire department as defined in §
27-6.01
shall develop curricula for mental health awareness training for its personnel, which shall include training regarding the following:
1. Understanding signs and symptoms of cumulative stress, depression, anxiety, exposure to acute and chronic trauma, compulsive behaviors, and addiction;
2. Combating and overcoming stigmas;
3. Responding appropriately to aggressive behaviors such as domestic violence and harassment;
4. Accessing available mental health treatment and resources; and
5. Managing stress, self-care techniques, and resiliency.
B. Any fire department may develop the mental health awareness training curricula in conjunction with other fire departments or firefighter stakeholder groups or may use any training program, developed by any entity, that satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection A.
C. Firefighters who receive mental health awareness training in accordance with this section shall receive appropriate continuing education credits from the Department of Fire Programs and the Virginia Fire Services Board.
2. That the Department of Fire Programs shall develop a standardized, two-hour virtual asynchronous training program on mental health awareness tailored for firefighters that includes training on each subject matter set forth in subsection A of §
9.1-203.1
of the Code of Virginia, as amended by this act, no later than December 1, 2026. To meet the requirements of §
9.1-203.1
of the Code of Virginia, as amended by this act, each fire department in the Commonwealth may use such standardized training program or may use such standardized training program as guidance in developing its own mental health awareness training for its personnel.