HB 1373 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Regional special ed.; DOE to assess enhancements & strategies to maximize use of funds for students.

Summary

Department of Education; assessment; utilization of funds for regional special education students; report. Requires the Department of Education (the Department), in collaboration with the Office of Children's Services, staff from the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and such other stakeholders as the Department deems appropriate, to assess potential enhancements and strategies to maximize utilization of funds designated for regional special education students, commonly referred to as the Students with Intensive Support Needs Application program, in order to decrease the number of referrals of students with disabilities into private day school placements. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Education and the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations no later than December 15, 2026.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Substitute → Elementary & Secondary Education Subcommittee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to shift its focus from establishing a new regional public day school in Planning District 16 to analyzing how to better use existing state funds for students with intensive support needs. This change redirects the Department of Education's efforts away from building a new facility and toward finding strategies to keep more students with disabilities in public schools by maximizing current funding. The bill also changed the committee sponsors from the Education Committee to the Appropriations Committee and extended the deadline for the report from November to December 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a specific geographic mandate to build a school in Planning District 16 to a statewide analysis of funding strategies for students with disabilities.

SCOPE

Removed the requirement to assess the feasibility of establishing a regional public day school in Planning District 16.

Added a requirement to assess strategies to maximize existing funds for regional special education students to reduce private school placements.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the collaborating partners from local school boards in Planning District 16 to the Office of Children's Services and committee staff.

Added specific factors the Department must consider, such as existing barriers to funding use and allowable disability categories.

TIMELINE

Extended the report deadline from November 1, 2026, to December 15, 2026.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

54–30

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 87

Feb 17, 2026

D Democratic52

50 Yea 2

96% Yea

R Republican35

4 Yea 30 Nay 1

85% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Education and Health and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 1-N)

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Assigned Education sub: Public Education

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Education and Health

upper

Feb 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time and passed House (65-Y 31-N 0-A)

lower

Feb 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 7-N)

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Committee

Assigned HAPP sub: Elementary & Secondary Education

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Education with substitute and referred to Appropriations (17-Y 4-N)

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

House subcommittee offered

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Committee

Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Education

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Introduced

Presented and ordered printed 26105579D

lower

0 primary · 2 co-sponsors