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SB245 • 2026

School boards; use of social media by schools, etc.

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-79.3:2, relating to social media platforms; school boards.

Education Labor
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

School Rules for Social Media

This law stops schools from using social media as the only way to communicate with students about extracurricular activities.

What This Bill Does

  • It says that school boards must stop public elementary and secondary schools, employees, and volunteers from using social media alone to communicate with students for extracurricular activities.
  • It defines 'extracurricular activities' as those listed in another part of the Virginia Code.
  • It allows exceptions if a superintendent or their chosen person writes clear instructions and says it's okay to use social media when necessary.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public elementary and secondary schools
  • School board employees
  • Volunteers working with schools

Terms To Know

Extracurricular activities
Activities that happen outside of regular school hours, like sports or clubs.
Social media platform
Online services where people can share information and connect with each other, such as Facebook or Twitter.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not say what happens if someone breaks the rules.
  • It doesn't cover using social media for regular school activities, just extracurricular ones.

Amendments

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

SB245AHC1

2026-02-24

Education Amendment

Plain English: The amendment removes references to artificial intelligence systems and adds a clause allowing the use of approved communication apps by schools.

  • Removes language about artificial intelligence systems from the bill.
  • Adds a new clause that allows school divisions to use approved communication or messaging applications.
  • The amendment does not provide details on what qualifies as 'approved' communication apps, leaving some uncertainty about which specific apps can be used by schools.
SB245AHC2

2026-02-24 • Committee

K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment removes references to artificial intelligence systems and adds a clause allowing the use of approved communication apps by schools.

  • Removes language about artificial intelligence systems from the bill's title.
  • Adds a new clause that allows school divisions to use approved communication or messaging applications.
  • The amendment does not provide details on what qualifies as 'approved' communication apps, leaving some uncertainty.
SB245AH1

2026-02-25 • Committee

Education Amendment

Plain English: The amendment removes references to artificial intelligence systems and civil penalties from a bill about social media use by schools.

  • Removes language related to artificial intelligence systems and civil penalties from the original bill text.
  • Adds an exception allowing school divisions to approve communication or messaging apps for use.
  • The amendment does not provide details on what specific AI systems or civil penalties were removed, making it unclear how these changes will affect the overall scope of the bill.
SB245EDOC

2026-03-02 • House

House Amendments

Plain English: The amendment removes references to artificial intelligence systems and adds a clause allowing the use of approved communication apps by schools.

  • Removes language about artificial intelligence systems from the bill.
  • Adds a new clause that allows school divisions to use approved communication or messaging applications.
  • The amendment does not specify what types of communication or messaging applications are considered 'approved'.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 338 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 338 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0338)

  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 (SB245ER)

  10. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB245)

  11. 2026-03-04 Senate

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

  12. 2026-03-02 House

    Read third time

  13. 2026-03-02 House

    committee amendments agreed to

  14. 2026-03-02 House

    Engrossed by House as amended

  15. 2026-03-02 House

    Passed House with amendments Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-03-02 House

    Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

  17. 2026-03-02 House

    Passed House with amendments Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A)

  18. 2026-02-27 House

    Read second time

  19. 2026-02-25 Education

    Reported from Education with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)

  20. 2026-02-24 K-12 Subcommittee

    House subcommittee offered

  21. 2026-02-24 K-12 Subcommittee

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (9-Y 1-N)

  22. 2026-02-19 House

    Placed on Calendar

  23. 2026-02-19 House

    Read first time

  24. 2026-02-19 Education

    Referred to Committee on Education

  25. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Read second time

  26. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  27. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Rules suspended

  28. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Blank Action

  29. 2026-02-16 Education and Health

    Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

  30. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  31. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  32. 2026-02-16 Senate

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

  33. 2026-02-13 Senate

    Rules suspended

  34. 2026-02-13 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  35. 2026-02-13 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A)

  36. 2026-02-13 Education and Health

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB245)

  37. 2026-02-12 Education and Health

    Continued to 2027 in Education and Health

  38. 2026-02-12 Education and Health

    Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  39. 2026-02-12 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  40. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  41. 2026-02-12 Education and Health

    Committee substitute printed 26107894D-S1

  42. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB245)

  43. 2026-01-12 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100795D

  44. 2026-01-12 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Official Summary Text

School boards; use of social media platforms as sole means of certain communications prohibited.
Provides that each school board shall prohibit public elementary and secondary schools, school board employees, and school volunteers from using a social media platform as the sole means of communication with students for the facilitation of school-related extracurricular activities. The bill provides an exception to such prohibition when such use is required to meet an objective that cannot be reasonably achieved without such use, provided that the division superintendent or his designee (i) provides clear, written instructions on such use and (ii) may revoke such exception at any time.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
22.1-79.3:2
, relating to social media platforms; school boards.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
22.1-79.3:2
as follows:
§
22.1-79.3:2
. School boards; communications relating to extracurricular activities; use of social media platforms by schools, school board employees, and volunteers prohibited.
A. For purposes of this section:
"Extracurricular activities" means the same as that term is defined in §
22.1-370
.
"Social media platform" means the same as that term is defined in §
59.1-575
.
B. Each school board shall prohibit public elementary and secondary schools, school board employees, and school volunteers from using a social media platform as the sole means of communication with students for the facilitation of school-related extracurricular activities. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the use of school division-approved communication or messaging applications.
C. Any division superintendent or his designee may provide a written exception to the prohibition in subsection B on using a social media platform as the sole means of communication with students for the facilitation of school-related extracurricular activities when such use is required to meet an objective that cannot be reasonably achieved without such use, provided that the division superintendent or his designee (i) provides clear, written instructions on such use and (ii) may revoke such exception at any time.