2025 SESSION

INTRODUCED

25101583D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1783

Offered January 13, 2025

Prefiled January 6, 2025

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-17.3 and 22.1-227.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Education; career and technical education; definition of "career and technical student organization"; establishment of chapters of career and technical student organizations; requirements.

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Patrons—Orrock and Lovejoy

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Referred to Committee on Education

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 22.1-17.3 and 22.1-227.1 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 22.1-17.3. Identification of student internship programs.

The Board of Education, the Department of Labor and Industry, and the State Board for Community Colleges shall identify High School to Work Partnerships established pursuant to subsection D E of § 22.1-227.1 and other student internship programs that may be eligible for exemptions from federal and state labor laws and regulations for which exemptions are available for student apprenticeship programs. The Board of Education, the Department of Labor and Industry, and the State Board for Community Colleges shall also establish procedures by which such exemptions may be obtained for such High School to Work Partnerships and other student internship programs.

§ 22.1-227.1. Career and technical education.

A. As used in this section, "career and technical student organization" means an organization for students enrolled in a career and technical education program that engages in career and technical education activities as an integral part of the instructional program. A career and technical student organization may have state and national units that aggregate the work and purposes of instruction in career and technical education at the local level.

B. The Board shall incorporate into career and technical education the Standards of Learning for mathematics, science, English, and social studies, including history, and other subject areas as may be appropriate. The Board may also authorize, in its regulations for accrediting public schools in Virginia, the substitution of industry certification and state licensure examinations for Standards of Learning assessments for the purpose of awarding credit for career and technical education courses, where appropriate.

B. C. The Board shall also develop a plan for increasing the number of students receiving industry certification and state licensure as part of their career and technical education. The plan shall include an annual goal for school divisions. Where there is an accepted national industry certification for career and technical education instructional personnel and programs for automotive technology, such certification shall be mandatory.

C. D. With such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose, there shall be established, within the Department, a unit of specialists in career and technical education. The unit shall (i) assist in developing and revising local career and technical curriculum to integrate the Standards of Learning, (ii) provide professional development for career and technical instructional personnel to improve the quality of career and technical education, (iii) conduct site visits to the schools providing career and technical education, and (iv) seek the input of business and industry representatives regarding the content and direction of career and technical education programs in the public schools of the Commonwealth.

D. E. The Board shall develop guidelines for the establishment of High School to Work Partnerships, hereafter referred to as "Partnerships," between public high schools and local businesses to create opportunities for high school students to (i) participate in an apprenticeship, internship, or job shadow program in a variety of trades and skilled labor positions or (ii) tour local businesses and meet with owners and employees. These guidelines shall include a model waiver form to be used by high schools and local businesses in connection with Partnership programs to protect both the students and the businesses from liability.

Each local school board may establish Partnerships or delegate the authority to establish Partnerships to the local school division's career and technical education administrator or his designee, in collaboration with the school counselor office of each public high school in the school division, and shall educate high school students about opportunities available through such Partnerships.

Students who miss a partial or full day of school while participating in Partnership programs shall not be counted as absent for the purposes of calculating average daily membership, but each local school board shall develop policies and procedures for students to make up missed work and may determine the maximum number of school days per academic year that a student may spend participating in a Partnership program.

E. F. Each public middle school and high school, regardless of whether such school offers career and technical education courses, may establish a chapter of a career and technical education student organizations organization, provided that such chapter (i) is established in compliance with and meets any criteria set forth in any applicable Board regulations and policies and (ii) meets any requirements set forth in the regulations, bylaws, or constitution of the applicable state or national unit for such career and technical student organization.