An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-401.4, relating to public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students.
HB131 adds a new section to the Code of Virginia requiring public institutions of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students. The bill defines reasonable accommodations as changes to admissions requirements, class attendance requirements, or the scheduling of examinations or work assignments that allow a student to exercise religious beliefs and practices, so long as the accommodation does not fundamentally alter an academic requirement or create an undue hardship for an employee, department, or office of the institution.
The bill also requires each public institution of higher education to describe a grievance procedure in its student handbook or equivalent document and in its faculty handbook or equivalent document. That procedure is intended to give students a way to seek redress if they believe they were unreasonably denied a religious accommodation. In effect, the measure creates a statewide baseline for how public colleges and universities must handle student requests tied to religion.
HB131 directly affects public institutions of higher education in Virginia by imposing a statutory duty to consider and provide religious accommodations for individual students in admissions, attendance, exams, and work assignments. It also requires institutions to maintain and publish grievance procedures in both student and faculty handbooks, which may require policy revisions, administrative training, and updates to campus compliance processes. The bill does not mandate accommodations that would fundamentally alter academic requirements or impose undue hardship, preserving institutional discretion within those limits.
The available record shows no committee transcript or vote breakdown, so there is no detailed public debate captured here. The bill’s enactment as Chapter 74 indicates it ultimately received sufficient support to become law. Based on the text alone, the measure appears framed as a religious liberty and student access bill, with a generally protective posture toward students seeking accommodations.
The main points of potential contention are the scope of what counts as a reasonable accommodation and the limits built into the bill. Public institutions may be concerned about administrative burden, consistency across campuses, and whether requested changes could interfere with academic standards or staffing. Students and advocates for religious accommodation may focus on ensuring requests are handled broadly and fairly, while institutions may emphasize the bill’s exceptions for fundamental alteration and undue hardship. Because no discussion transcript is provided, specific opposing arguments or sponsors’ responses are not available.