2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26104997D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1188

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 14, 2026

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 30 a chapter numbered 70, consisting of sections numbered 30-454 through 30-457, relating to Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission established; report.

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Patrons—Thomas, Ballard, Cole, N.T., Feggans, Webert and Glass

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Referred to Committee on Rules

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 30 a chapter numbered 70, consisting of sections numbered 30-454 through 30-457, as follows:

CHAPTER 70.

VIRGINIA BOYS AND MEN ADVISORY COMMISSION.

§ 30-454. Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission; membership; terms; quorum; meetings.

A. The Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission (the Commission) is established as an advisory commission in the legislative branch of state government.

B. The Commission shall have a total membership of 26 members that shall consist of 12 legislative members, nine nonlegislative citizen members, and five ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows:

1. Seven members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates;

2. Five members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules;

3. Four nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, of whom one shall be a licensed pediatrician, one shall be an elementary school administrator, one shall be a representative of the Virginia Community College System, and one shall have experience and expertise in public safety; and

4. Five nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, of whom one shall be a board-certified mental health specialist, one shall be a high school administrator, one shall be a representative of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, one shall be a representative of the Department of Education with a focus on career and technical education, and one shall be a member of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

The Secretaries of the Commonwealth, Commerce and Trade, Education, Health and Human Resources, and Public Safety and Homeland Security, or their designees, shall serve ex officio with nonvoting privileges.

Nonlegislative citizen members of the Commission shall be citizens of the Commonwealth.

C. Ex officio members and legislative members of the Commission shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. All members may be reappointed.

After the initial staggering of terms, nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a term of four years. No nonlegislative citizen member shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. The remainder of any term to which a member is appointed to fill a vacancy shall not constitute a term in determining the member's eligibility for reappointment.

D. The Commission shall elect a chair and vice-chair from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the Commission shall be held at the call of the chair or whenever the majority of the members so request.

§ 30-455. Compensation; expenses.

Legislative members of the Commission shall receive such compensation as provided in § 30-19.12, and nonlegislative citizen members shall receive compensation for the performance of their duties as provided in § 2.2-2813. All members shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Compensation to members of the General Assembly for attendance at official meetings of the Commission shall be paid by the offices of the Clerk of the House of Delegates or Clerk of the Senate, as applicable. All other compensation and expenses shall be paid from existing appropriations to the Commission or, if unfunded, shall be approved by the Joint Rules Committee.

§ 30-456. Powers and duties of the Commission; report.

The Commission shall have the power and duty to:

1. Advise the General Assembly regarding the following issues as such issues relate to boys and men in the Commonwealth: education inequity, economic opportunities, disparity in health outcomes, family life, and the impact of social media use.

2. Undertake studies, sponsor symposiums, conduct research, and prepare factual reports in order to gather information to formulate and present recommendations to the General Assembly relating to issues of concern and importance to boys and men in the Commonwealth, with a particular focus on the issues set forth in subdivision 1.

3. Advise the General Assembly as needed regarding any statutory, regulatory, or other issues of importance to boys and men in the Commonwealth, with a particular focus on the issues set forth in subdivision 1.

4. Submit an annual report to the General Assembly and the Governor for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports. The chair shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an annual executive summary of the interim activity and work of the Commission no later than the first day of the regular session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall be submitted as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the process of legislative documents and reports and shall be made available on the General Assembly's website.

§ 30-457. Staffing.

The Office of the Clerk of the house in which the chair of the Commission serves shall provide administrative staff support. The Division of Legislative Services shall provide legal and legislative research and analysis as requested by the Commission.

2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2029.

3. That the initial appointments of nonlegislative citizen members shall be staggered as follows: one member appointed by the Speaker and one member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules for terms of one year; one member appointed by the Speaker and one member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules for terms of two years; one member appointed by the Speaker and one member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules for terms of three years; and one member appointed by the Speaker and two members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules for terms of four years.

4. That, in addition to the report required pursuant to § 30-456 of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act, the Commission shall submit a special, one-time report to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before October 1, 2026, consisting of no more than three recommendations, and such report shall be published as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports.