Noncustodial parent; disclosure of student address.
Summary
HB2226 amends the Code of Virginia to protect the address information of foster parents in school records. If a foster parent of an enrolled student makes a written request, a school board employee must redact the foster parent’s address before giving any record containing that address to the student’s parent. The bill is framed as a records-handling and privacy measure within the school system.
The bill also requires local departments of social services to notify foster parents of this right when a child is placed in foster care, if the right applies. This creates a direct link between child welfare agencies and school-record privacy protections so foster parents are informed early about how to request redaction of their address from school records shared with a parent.
Impact
The bill adds new sections 22.1-288.3 and 63.2-912.1 to the Code of Virginia, creating a specific privacy protection for foster parents and a corresponding notice obligation for local social services departments. It affects school boards, school employees, local departments of social services, foster parents, and parents of enrolled students by limiting disclosure of foster parent address information in certain records and establishing a written-request process for redaction.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislative process. It advanced unanimously through subcommittee, committee, and floor votes in both chambers, with repeated 0-nay votes and final House agreement to the Senate substitute. The voting history suggests general agreement that the measure addresses a privacy and safety concern for foster families.
Contention
No major opposition is reflected in the available record. The only likely point of policy focus is the balance between a parent’s access to student-related records and the privacy of foster parents whose addresses may appear in those records. The bill resolves that issue by allowing redaction only upon written request, which appears to have satisfied lawmakers in both chambers.