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SB151 • 2026

Health Ed. SOL & Curriculum Framework; Board of Education to include water safety instruction.

An Act to require the Board of Education to include a program of instruction on water safety in its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework.

Education
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the content of the guidelines beyond mentioning awareness of water conditions, safe behaviors, and prevention of drowning risks. The candidate explanation's additional specifics were removed as they are not supported by the official text.

Water Safety Education for Elementary Students

This law requires the Board of Education to add water safety lessons to health education standards for elementary schools.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Board of Education to include water safety instruction in the next update of health education standards and curriculum framework.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Education
  • Elementary school students

Terms To Know

Standards of Learning (SOL)
Rules set by the state that say what students should learn in each grade.
Curriculum Framework
A plan for teaching and learning that guides teachers on how to follow the Standards of Learning.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when the next revision will happen.
  • It is unclear what specific materials or resources will be provided by the Board of Education.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 205 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 205 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0205)

  4. 2026-03-14 Senate

    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. 2026-03-10 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB151ER)

  10. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB151)

  11. 2026-03-04 Senate

    House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-03-02 House

    Read third time

  13. 2026-03-02 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  14. 2026-03-02 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  15. 2026-03-02 House

    Passed House with substitute (82-Y 17-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-02-27 House

    Read second time

  17. 2026-02-25 Education

    Reported from Education with substitute (17-Y 5-N)

  18. 2026-02-25 Education

    Committee substitute printed 26108226D-H1

  19. 2026-02-25 Education

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB151)

  20. 2026-02-24 K-12 Subcommittee

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

  21. 2026-02-03 House

    Placed on Calendar

  22. 2026-02-03 House

    Read first time

  23. 2026-02-03 Education

    Referred to Committee on Education

  24. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Read third time

  25. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  26. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Read second time

  27. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate

  28. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  29. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Rules suspended

  30. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  31. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  32. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  33. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB151)

  34. 2026-01-22 Education and Health

    Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 0-N)

  35. 2026-01-15 Public Education

    Assigned Education sub: Public Education

  36. 2026-01-07 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102594D

  37. 2026-01-07 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Official Summary Text

Board of Education; Health Standards of Learning; water safety.
Requires the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, to develop and make available to each school board guidelines for a program of instruction on water safety to be provided as a part of any health education instruction provided to elementary school students. This bill is identical to HB 705.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to require the Board of Education to include a program of instruction on water safety in its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, shall develop and make available to each school board guidelines for a program of instruction on water safety to be provided as a part of any health education instruction provided to elementary school students and that shall include instruction on:
1. Awareness of water conditions;
2. Safe behaviors in and around the water; and
3. Preventing and reducing the risk of drowning and the risk of injury, including instruction on the proper use of flotation devices and the importance of swimming in areas monitored by a lifeguard.