SB 1259 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

VCU Health System Authority; changes relating to board of directors and chief executive officer.

Summary
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the board of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) adding demonstrated experience or expertise in finance or commercial real estate as options for satisfying the required qualifications for certain appointed members and requiring each enumerated area of demonstrated experience or expertise to be represented amongst such appointed members at any given time; (v) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (vi) prohibiting rather than permitting, as under current law, the Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences of the University from serving as chief executive officer of the Authority but requiring the Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences to regularly communicate and collaborate with such chief executive officer to support the mutual interests and success of the University and the Authority; (vii) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (viii) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to HB 2161.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2025
Vetoed
May 2025
Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Vetoed May 2, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Governor Substitute Not Adopted → Enrolled · 5 edits · Feb 24, 2025
MODERATE
The bill was finalized as an Enrolled Act, changing the board of directors size from 17 to 16 members and reducing the number of citizen members appointed by the Governor. It also added a requirement that a majority of the board have no outside ties to the university and clarified that the university president serves on the board without voting power. The selection process for the chief executive officer was updated to include a tie-breaking mechanism where the university president decides if committees cannot agree, and the law was amended to allow current physician-faculty members to finish their existing terms.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include a new eligibility provision for current board members to serve out their terms and a specific restriction preventing one individual from serving on both the university board and the committee resolving executive officer disputes.
REQUIREMENT

Reduced the total board membership from 17 to 16 and decreased the number of citizen members appointed by the Governor from six to five.

Added a new requirement that a majority of the 16 board members must have no direct affiliation with the university or the authority outside of their board service.

Revised the chief executive officer selection process to allow the university president to make a final decision if the selection committees cannot agree within 30 days.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that the university president serves on the board with voting privileges, while the Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences serves without voting privileges.

TIMELINE

Added a provision allowing physician-faculty members serving as of June 30, 2025, to complete their current terms despite the new board composition rules.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 4, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

How they voted

40–0
Passed
Total votes 40
Feb 4, 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
39
Key actions
14
Committee
7
Amendments
3
May 2, 2025
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor
executive
Apr 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Mar 24, 2025
Vetoed
Governor's recommendation received by Senate
executive
Feb 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Feb 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Feb 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1259ER)
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
House Amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by temporarily
upper
Feb 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House with amendment (96-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House with amendment (95-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 17, 2025
Introduced
Engrossed by House as amended
lower
Feb 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Education Amendment agreed to
lower
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Education with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Assigned Educ sub: Higher Education
lower
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health (11-Y 1-N 2-A)
upper
Jan 27, 2025
Committee
Assigned Education sub: Higher Education
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 Lamont Bagby
Lamont Bagby
DDemocratic
VA
14