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SB498 • 2026

School Construction and Modernization, Commission on; revisions, elimination of sunset.

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 30-386 and 30-388 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal § 30-390 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Commission on School Construction and Modernization; revisions; elimination of sunset.

Education
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify any consequences for non-compliance with the requirements set by the bill.

School Construction and Modernization Commission Changes

This law changes how the School Construction and Modernization Commission operates and removes its expiration date.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the expiration date for the School Construction and Modernization Commission, allowing it to continue working beyond July 1, 2026.
  • Requires the commission to meet at least four times a year and post meeting details on an online calendar.
  • Directs the commission to update yearly estimates of how much money is needed for building and improving schools across Virginia.
  • Asks the commission to create a plan showing what needs to be done with school buildings over the next 10 years by November 1, 2026.
  • Tells the Department of Education to give the commission information about all public school buildings in Virginia by September 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The School Construction and Modernization Commission
  • School districts across Virginia
  • The Department of Education

Terms To Know

Commission on School Construction and Modernization
A group that looks at how to build and improve school buildings in Virginia.
Capital Roadmap
A plan showing what needs to be done with school buildings over the next 10 years.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money will be given for building and improving schools.
  • It is unclear if all school districts will follow the commission's recommendations.
  • The bill does not explain what happens if the Department of Education fails to provide required information.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 166 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 166 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB498)

  4. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0166)

  5. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  6. 2026-03-31 Governor

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

  7. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  8. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  9. 2026-03-31 Governor

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

  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 (SB498ER)

  13. 2026-03-11 House

    Read third time

  14. 2026-03-11 House

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

  15. 2026-03-10 House

    Read second time

  16. 2026-03-06 Rules

    Reported from Rules (18-Y 0-N)

  17. 2026-03-02 Studies Subcommittee

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 0-N)

  18. 2026-03-01 Studies Subcommittee

    Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee

  19. 2026-02-13 House

    Placed on Calendar

  20. 2026-02-13 Rules

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  21. 2026-02-13 House

    Read first time

  22. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Read second time

  23. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Rules suspended

  24. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  25. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  26. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  27. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Rules suspended

  28. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  29. 2026-02-09 Senate

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

  30. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  31. 2026-02-06 Rules

    Reported from Rules (15-Y 0-N)

  32. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB498)

  33. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105456D

  34. 2026-01-13 Rules

    Referred to Committee on Rules

Official Summary Text

Commission on School Construction and Modernization; revisions; elimination of sunset.
Eliminates the expiration date of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, which, pursuant to current law, is set to expire on July 1, 2026. The bill also directs the Commission to (i) meet at least four times each year and post notice of the date, time, and location of each meeting on the central, publicly available electronic calendar maintained by the Commonwealth in accordance with applicable law; (ii) update annually the statewide needs estimate for construction and modernization of school facilities; (iii) develop and deliver by November 1, 2026, a 10-year capital roadmap; and (iv) collaborate with early childhood care and education Ready Regions and comprehensive community colleges in the Commonwealth to collect and evaluate data relating to Ready Region and comprehensive community college facility usage, availability, and needs. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in order to assist the Commission with its work, to update and make available to the Commission an inventory of all public school facilities in the Commonwealth by September 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 544.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact §§
30-386
and
30-388
of the Code of Virginia and to repeal §
30-390
of the Code of Virginia, relating to Commission on School Construction and Modernization; revisions; elimination of sunset.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§
30-386
and
30-388
of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§
30-386
. (Expires July 1, 2026) Quorum; meetings; voting on recommendations.
A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the Commission shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.
No recommendation of the Commission shall be adopted if a majority of the Senate members or a majority of the House members appointed to the Commission (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the Commission.
The Commission shall meet at least four times each year. The Commission shall post notice of the date, time, and location of each meeting on the central, publicly available electronic calendar maintained by the Commonwealth in accordance with subsection D of §
2.2-3707
.
§
30-388
. (Expires July 1, 2026) Powers and duties of the Commission.
The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
1. Assessing the Commonwealth's school facilities and determining school construction and modernization funding needs.
2. Identifying funding mechanisms and making recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly.
3. Establishing best practices in school modernization and construction for school divisions.
4. Creating standardized construction designs and procurement practices to recommend and make available to local school divisions.
5. Identifying potential cost-saving measures for implementation by local school divisions to minimize construction and modernization costs where possible.
6.
Updating annually the statewide needs estimate and developing and delivering a 10-year capital roadmap, taking into consideration current and projected school enrollment trends.
7. Collaborating with early childhood care and education Ready Regions and comprehensive community colleges in the Commonwealth to collect and evaluate data relating to Ready Region and comprehensive community college facility usage, availability, and needs for the purpose of identifying (i) underutilized facility spaces that may be available for other education-related uses and (ii) facility needs, including needs relating to insufficient facility spaces and facility modernization.
8.
Submitting to the General Assembly and the Governor an annual report for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports. The chairman of the Commission shall submit to the General Assembly and the Governor an annual executive summary of the interim activity and work of the Commission no later than the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall be submitted for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
2. That §
30-390
of the Code of Virginia is repealed.
3. That the Commission on School Construction and Modernization shall complete and deliver to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026, a 10-year capital roadmap, in accordance with subdivision 6 of §
30-388
of the Code of Virginia, as amended by this act.
4. That the Department of Education shall, in order to assist the Commission on School Construction and Modernization (the Commission) in its work in accordance with Chapter 61 (§
30-384
et seq.) of Title 30 of the Code of Virginia, as amended by this act, update and make available to the Commission an inventory of all public school facilities in the Commonwealth by September 1, 2026.