An Act to amend and reenact § 22.1-211.1 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal the second enactment of Chapter 299 and the second enactment of Chapter 357 of the Acts of Assembly of 2024, relating to the Community Builders Pilot Program; name change; sunset repeal; statewide demonstration model site.
HB1153 renames and revises Virginia’s Community Builders Pilot Program, changing it from a pilot focused on reducing youth involvement in gun violence-related behavior into a broader “Community Builders Program.” The program remains targeted to students in Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools, with after-school and summer sessions designed to provide community engagement, workforce development, postsecondary education exploration, social-emotional learning, restorative justice instruction, and family engagement opportunities.
The bill requires the local school boards to administer the program, including student application and referral processes, staff hiring, curriculum development, and annual reporting. The reports must track participation, attendance and discipline outcomes, academic performance, and gun violence incident data for participants and the two cities. The bill also designates Roanoke City Public Schools as a statewide demonstration model site, allowing other school divisions to observe the program and receive training and materials if funding is appropriated.
In addition to the program changes, HB1153 repeals the second enactments of two 2024 chapters, effectively removing prior sunset-related provisions and preserving the program structure in amended form. The bill therefore affects § 22.1-211.1 of the Code of Virginia and continues a state-supported intervention aimed at youth development and violence prevention in two local school divisions.
The overall sentiment appears supportive and implementation-oriented, with the bill advancing to enactment as chapter text and no recorded committee opposition or vote controversy in the provided materials. The framing of the program as a community, workforce, and education initiative suggests a broad policy consensus around prevention and student support rather than a partisan dispute.
No specific points of contention are reflected in the available transcripts or vote history. The main policy questions implied by the text are administrative and fiscal: which students are selected, how compulsory referrals are handled, how the program is staffed and funded, and whether the model can be replicated statewide. The reporting requirements and demonstration-site designation indicate an emphasis on accountability and potential expansion.
HB1153 amends § 22.1-211.1 of the Code of Virginia to continue and expand the Community Builders Program in Roanoke City and Petersburg City public schools, replacing the prior pilot framing with a broader program structure. It also repeals two 2024 enactments tied to the earlier version of the program, removing prior sunset-related language and preserving the program under the revised statute. The bill does not create a statewide mandate, but it authorizes Roanoke City Public Schools to serve as a statewide demonstration model site if funds are appropriated, potentially influencing future replication in other school divisions.
The available record suggests generally favorable sentiment. The bill was enacted as chapter text, and there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes showing opposition, amendment disputes, or divided support. The legislation is framed as a youth-support and violence-prevention measure, which typically signals broad interest in improving student outcomes, community engagement, and school safety.
No explicit contention appears in the provided materials. The likely areas for debate, based on the bill text, are the scope of student participation, the possibility of teacher-referred compulsory participation, the cost of staffing and programming, and whether Roanoke should be designated as a statewide model site. Another possible point of discussion is the bill’s reliance on annual outcome reporting, including sensitive data on gun violence, absenteeism, discipline, and academic performance.