On a  14-7 vote on February 10, the House Education Committee voted to advance legislation that would enable the Virginia Community College System, the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia, and four-year colleges and universities to develop a uniform transferable general studies certificate from one of Virginia’s 23 community colleges to a public or private four-year college or university in the Commonwealth.  HB 1066 (Athey) would build upon the general studies certificates already in place at each of Virginia’s 23 community colleges and tailor them to the requirements of colleges and universities, enabling  more students to transfer to their college or university of choice to complete their baccalaureate degree. 

A measure to allow full-time faculty members of state institutions of higher education who possess a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun on campus failed to be recommended for reporting in the February 8 meeting of subcommittee #3 of House Militia, Police and Public Safety.  On a 3-2 vote, HB 32 (Marshall) was tabled. 

HB 1238 (Torian) expands the current law with regard to threat assessment teams which were established by the 2008 General Assembly in response to the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2007.  This legislation ensures that  the president and vice-president of each public institution of higher education willl review the institution’s crisis and emergency management plan, certify in writing their review of the plan, and make recommendations for appropriate changes to the plan. Moreover, each institution of higher education shall also conduct an annual functional exercise in accordance with the protocols established by the institution’s crisis and emergency management plan.  HB 1238 was engrossed by the House on February 10.  A similar bill is SB 608 (Edwards), which passed the Senate on January 28 and is expected to be conformed to HB 1238. 

HB 903 ( Bell, Robert) exempts all records of threat assessment teams established at public institutions of higher education from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, and allows these teams to receive health and criminal history records of students for the purposes of assessment and intervention.  This legislation passed the House of Delegates and is currently assigned to the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology.

Posted by Ellen Davenport