SB 1217 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Higher educational institutions, baccalaureate public; intercollegiate athletics programs.

Summary
Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; boards of visitors; intercollegiate athletics programs; athletics revenue and subsidy requirements; report. Amends provisions relating to intercollegiate athletics programs and athletics revenue requirements by expanding the allocations of athletics revenues that may be excluded from the subsidy for the purposes of calculating the subsidy percentage, as defined by applicable law, to include athletics revenues allocated to medical expenses and insurance. The bill also directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to (a) study the impact of the provisions of the bill on intercollegiate athletics in the Commonwealth and make recommendations on any further legislative action or policy considerations that should be made based on the impact of the provisions of the bill on intercollegiate athletics in the Commonwealth and (b) submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 15, 2025. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2026.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Jan 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Feb 17, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Finance and Appropriations Substitute · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended from its original version to create a Senate substitute version that significantly narrows the scope of the legislation. The original bill addressed multiple sections of the Code of Virginia and included provisions for intercollegiate athletics subsidy limits, reporting requirements, and a review commission. The substitute version removes most of these provisions, focusing only on amending § 23.1-1309 and eliminating the subsidy percentage caps, the Intercollegiate Athletics Review Commission, and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study requirement.
Scope change
The bill's scope was significantly narrowed from a comprehensive athletics reform package to a more limited amendment focused solely on the definitions section of § 23.1-1309, removing provisions related to subsidy limits, oversight commissions, and reporting requirements.
FISCAL

Removed all subsidy percentage caps that would have limited how much public institutions could subsidize their intercollegiate athletics programs based on NCAA division and conference affiliation.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated the requirement for institutions to submit annual intercollegiate athletics revenue and expense reports to multiple state committees and the Auditor of Public Accounts.

ENFORCEMENT

Deleted provisions establishing an Intercollegiate Athletics Review Commission to review plans for adding major athletics programs or changing division levels.

TIMELINE

Removed the requirement for a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study on the impact of the bill, including a November 15, 2025 deadline for submitting findings.

SCOPE

Changed the bill from amending three sections of the Code of Virginia to amending only § 23.1-1309, significantly reducing the legislative changes.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 31, 2025

How they voted

400
Passed
Total votes 40
Jan 31, 2025
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
22
Key actions
4
Committee
4
Amendments
1
Feb 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Rules
lower
Jan 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Amended
Education and Health Amendment rejected
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health with amendment and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 8, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Creigh Deeds
Creigh Deeds
DDemocratic
VA
11