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

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SB654 • 2026

Virginia militia; officers of certain educational institutions.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 44-117 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia militia; officers of certain educational institutions.</p>

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Craig
Last action
2026-01-22
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the payment or benefits for these officers, nor does it detail what happens if they are assigned to duty with the Virginia National Guard.

Virginia Militia Officers for Educational Institutions

This bill changes how certain educational institutions' officers are treated as militia officers in Virginia, making them follow similar discipline rules to those they previously followed.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that officers from specific educational institutions can be commissioned as officers of the Virginia militia.
  • Requires these officers to follow the same discipline rules as other military organizations where they have served before.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Officers from educational institutions like Virginia Military Institute, Fishburne Military School, Massanutten Military Academy, Randolph-Macon Academy, and Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership.
  • The Governor of Virginia who issues commissions to these officers.

Terms To Know

commissioned officer
A person given a formal position in the military or militia with specific duties and responsibilities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It does not specify how the officers will be paid or if they receive any benefits beyond their commissions.
  • Does not detail what happens if these officers are assigned to duty with the Virginia National Guard.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-22 Education and Health

    Stricken at request of Patron in Education and Health (14-Y 0-N)

  2. 2026-01-14 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100921D

  3. 2026-01-14 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Official Summary Text

Virginia militia; officers of certain educational institutions.
Provides that the officers of certain educational institutions shall, for the purposes of being commissioned officers of the Virginia militia, be subject to the same rules and regulations as to discipline provided for the military organizations in which they previously served. Current law provides that such officers also shall be subject to the orders of the Governor and such rules and regulations as to discipline provided for other officers of the military organizations of the Commonwealth.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A BILL to amend and reenact §
44-117
of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia militia; officers of certain educational institutions.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
44-117
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
44-117
. Officers of Virginia Military Institute, the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College, the Fishburne Military School, the Massanutten Military Academy, the Randolph-Macon Academy, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to be officers of militia.

The officers of the Virginia Military Institute, the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College, the Fishburne Military School, the Massanutten Military Academy, the Randolph-Macon Academy, and the Commandant of Cadets and Assistant Commandants of Cadets of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shall be commissioned officers of the Virginia militia, unorganized, and subject to the orders of the Governor and the same rules and regulations as to discipline provided for other commissioned officers of the military organizations of the Commonwealth
or other military organiza
tion
s
in which such officer
s
previously served
. The Governor is authorized and directed to issue commissions to the professors, assistant professors and other officers of the Virginia Military Institute, the Fishburne Military School, the Massanutten Military Academy, the Randolph-Macon Academy, and the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College, according to the rank prescribed by those institutions; and to the Commandant of Cadets and Assistant Commandants of Cadets of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Such persons shall be eligible to receive and to continue to hold such commissions, regardless of age, for so long as they continue to be officers, professors or assistant professors of the Virginia Military Institute, the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College, the Fishburne Military School, the Massanutten Military Academy, the Randolph-Macon Academy, or the Commandant of Cadets or Assistant Commandants of Cadets of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The governing boards of each institution shall recommend to the Governor the rank to which such eligible persons shall be commissioned, but the following determination of such rank shall be made by the Governor. Commissions in such militia issued such persons by the Governor shall not entitle any person holding the same to any pay or emolument by reason thereof unless he be assigned to duty by order of the Governor with the Virginia National Guard; and in such event, the rank of such officer shall be relatively inferior to that of all other officers of the same grade in the Virginia National Guard.