Students with disabilities; individualized accommodations and supports during emergency evacuations.
Summary
HB1806 adds a new section to the Virginia Code directing that, when an IEP team deems it appropriate, a student’s individualized education program may include specific language about accommodations and supports during emergency situations and evacuations. The bill applies to public school students with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but excludes students placed in private day or residential school settings. For initial IEPs, the team must discuss whether the student needs these emergency-related supports.
The bill also requires the Virginia Department of Education to provide guidance to local school divisions on how to help IEP teams consider the needs of students with disabilities, including students with mobility impairments, in emergency and evacuation contexts. That guidance is to be useful for IEP teams and, where appropriate, Section 504 committees as well. The measure is framed as a support and planning requirement rather than a mandate that every IEP contain emergency provisions.
Impact
HB1806 creates a new state-law requirement for school divisions and the Department of Education to address emergency evacuation planning for students with disabilities within the IEP process. It does not change federal IDEA requirements, but it adds Virginia-specific guidance and discussion obligations that may affect how IEP teams document accommodations, coordinate with school administration, and plan for students with mobility or other disability-related evacuation needs. The bill primarily affects public school students with disabilities, IEP teams, school administrators, local school divisions, and potentially Section 504 committees.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received broad, bipartisan support and moved through both chambers unanimously or near-unanimously at each recorded vote. The absence of recorded opposition suggests general agreement that emergency evacuation planning for students with disabilities is a practical and noncontroversial school safety measure. The legislative history indicates a favorable reception in committee and on the floor.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the available record. The main policy choice reflected in the bill is that emergency accommodations are optional and dependent on the IEP team’s judgment rather than automatically required for every student. The exclusion of students in private day or residential school settings and the role of Section 504 committees may be areas of implementation detail, but no specific controversy is reflected in the votes or transcripts provided.