republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-653.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Excused student absences; visitation of immediate family members on active duty military, etc.	Excused student absences for visitation of immediate family members in connection with deployment. Allots five excused absences to any student whose immediate family member is active duty military and has received orders for, is on leave from, or has recently returned from deployment outside the United States for the purpose of visitation with such family member, provided that the student provides written documentation verifying such leave or deployment if requested by the local school division.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2026	HB 653	Virginia HB 653 (2026)	bill		enacted	Hillary Pugh Kent	8	38	8	2026-01-13	2026-04-06	openstates	ocd-bill/b96701cb-ee5c-427e-87f1-e0ae100f0262	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB653	46d6153f631af6b21f0cee96c658788cd676e85c887521247082cb70ad33193b	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 653 (2026) — Excused student absences; visitation of immediate family members on active duty military, etc.

Excused student absences for visitation of immediate family members in connection with deployment. Allots five excused absences to any student whose immediate family member is active duty military and has received orders for, is on leave from, or has recently returned from deployment outside the United States for the purpose of visitation with such family member, provided that the student provides written documentation verifying such leave or deployment if requested by the local school division.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Chaptered (committee substitute) — source
3. Education Amendment (committee substitute) — source
4. Education Substitute (committee substitute) — source
5. Education and Health Amendment (committee substitute) — source
6. K-12 Subcommittee Subcommittee Amendment (committee substitute) — source
7. Senate Amendment (committee substitute) — source
8. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — 37–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Education with substitute — 21–1 (pass) · lower
• H VOTE: — 95–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Education and Health with amendment — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Education with substitute — 13–2 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) — 8–2 (pass) · lower
• Passage R — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• H VOTE: — 94–2 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Hillary Pugh Kent — primary (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

• 2026-01-13 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104899D filing, introduction
• 2026-01-13 Referred to Committee on Education referral-committee
• 2026-01-23 Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee referral-committee
• 2026-01-27 House subcommittee offered
• 2026-01-27 Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 2-N)
• 2026-01-29 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB653)
• 2026-02-02 House committee offered
• 2026-02-02 Reported from Education with substitute (13-Y 2-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-02 Reported from Education with substitute (21-Y 1-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-02 Committee substitute printed 26106668D-H1 substitution
• 2026-02-04 Read first time reading-1
• 2026-02-05 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-02-05 committee substitute agreed to substitution
• 2026-02-05 Engrossed by House - committee substitute substitution
• 2026-02-06 Read third time and passed House (94-Y 2-N 0-A) passage, reading-3
• 2026-02-09 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB653)
• 2026-02-09 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
• 2026-02-09 Referred to Committee on Education and Health referral-committee
• 2026-02-19 Assigned Education sub: Public Education referral-committee
• 2026-02-26 Senate committee offered
• 2026-02-26 Reported from Education and Health with amendment (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-27 Rules suspended
• 2026-02-27 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
• 2026-02-27 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-03-02 Read third time reading-3
• 2026-03-02 Committee amendment agreed to (Voice Vote) amendment-passage
• 2026-03-02 Engrossed by Senate as amended
• 2026-03-02 Passed Senate with amendment Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) passage
• 2026-03-04 Senate amendment agreed to by House (95-Y 0-N 0-A) amendment-passage
• 2026-03-11 Enrolled enrolled
• 2026-03-11 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB653ER) passage
• 2026-03-11 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB653)
• 2026-03-11 Signed by President passage
• 2026-03-12 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2026-03-14 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2026-03-14 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 executive-receipt
• 2026-04-06 Approved by Governor-Chapter 193 (effective 7/1/2026) executive-signature
• 2026-04-06 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0193)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/b96701cb-ee5c-427e-87f1-e0ae100f0262. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).