2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26104369D

HOUSE BILL NO. 131

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 3, 2026

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-401.4, relating to public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students.

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Patron—Simon

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Referred to Committee on Education

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 23.1-401.4 as follows:

§ 23.1-401.4. Reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students.

A. As used in this section, "reasonable accommodations" means any change to admissions or class attendance requirements or the scheduling of examinations or work assignments that allows a student who has applied to or who is enrolled at a public institution of higher education to exercise his religious beliefs and practices and that does not fundamentally alter any admissions or educational requirement or place an undue hardship on any employee, department, or office of such institution.

B. Each public institution of higher education shall provide reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments and shall provide and describe in the institution's student handbook or an equivalent document and in the institution's faculty handbook or an equivalent document a grievance procedure for any student to seek redress when the student believes that he has been unreasonably denied such reasonable accommodations for his religious beliefs and practices.