HB 1037 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Instructional materials on climate change & environtl. literacy; model pol. & proced. for selection.

Summary
Board of Education; instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy; model policies and procedures for selection. Requires the Board of Education to make available to each local school board instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy that are based on and include peer-reviewed scientific sources. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop, adopt, and make available to each local school board model policies and procedures, based on peer-reviewed scientific sources, pertaining to the selection of instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy, including a requirement for any such selected material to accurately portray changes in weather and climate patterns over time, the impacts of human activity on changes in weather and climate patterns, and the effects of climate change on people and resources.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Vetoed Apr 11, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Governor Substitute Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 9, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized as an Enrolled Act, changing its status from a Governor's substitute proposal to official law. The substantive requirements for the Board of Education were significantly expanded to include the development of model policies and procedures for schools, ensuring that instructional materials on climate change are based on peer-reviewed scientific sources and accurately portray specific climate impacts.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a direct mandate for the Board to include instructional materials to a dual mandate requiring the Board to both provide those materials and create model policies and procedures for local school boards to follow during their own material selection processes.
REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for the Board to develop and make available model policies and procedures for local school boards regarding the selection of climate change instructional materials.

Added specific mandates that selected materials must accurately portray changes in weather patterns, human impacts on climate, and effects on people and resources.

Changed the Board's obligation from a general directive to include materials to a specific mandate that materials must be based on peer-reviewed scientific sources.

TECHNICAL

Updated the text to formally amend the Code of Virginia by adding a new section number (22.1-212.1:3) and changing the header from 'House Substitute' to 'Enrolled'.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 27, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 6, 2026

How they voted

360
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 39
Feb 27, 2026
D Democratic20
18 Yea 2
90% Yea
R Republican19
18 Yea 1
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
24
Key actions
8
Committee
5
Apr 11, 2026
Vetoed
Governor's recommendation received by House
executive
Mar 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1037ER)
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
upper
Feb 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health (9-Y 6-N)
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Committee
Assigned Education sub: Public Education
upper
Feb 9, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (65-Y 33-N 0-A)
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Education (15-Y 7-N)
lower
Jan 14, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education
lower
1 primary · 8 co-sponsors

Sponsors