HB253 - ericsundberg/legwiki GitHub Wiki
HB 253 School boards; enrolled students present at meetings, public comment or citizen participation.
| House | Senate | Conference | Governor | ||||||||||||
| Committee | Floor | Committee | Floor | ||||||||||||
| Referred to Committee | Referred to Subcommittee | Subcommittee | Committee | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Referred to Committee | Referred to Subcommittee | Subcommittee | Committee | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | ||
| Education | K-12 | Reported (7-Y 1-N) | Reported (13-Y 8-N) | ✓ | ✓ | Passed (56-Y 44-N) | Education and Health | Sub: Public Education | On agenda (2/15) | ||||||
School boards; meetings; public comment or citizen participation; enrolled students. Requires each school board to permit any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the local school division who provides acceptable proof of identification, including any current student identification card or other school document such as a report card or a personal school email address, and who signs up at least 12 hours in advance of the scheduled start of a school board meeting or is physically present at a school board meeting to submit oral comments during any public comment or citizen participation portion of such meeting.
- Joshua G. Cole (chief patron)
- None
01/04/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101889D PDF
- 01/04/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101889D
- 01/04/24 House: Referred to Committee on Education
No fiscal impact statement is currently available.
The language of HB253 can be viewed here.
Thank you Madam Chair,
There is a line amendment for this bill.
The amendment is as follows:
1. Line 76, introduced, after signs up
strike
at least 12 hours in advance of the scheduled start of a school board meeting or is physically present at a school board meeting
insert in accordance with the sign-up procedures of the respective school board meeting
This bill, HB253, enshrines the freedom of students, currently enrolled in their respective school division, to speak at school board meetings.
Although free speech is protected by the First Amendment, we still have occurrences of free speech denied.
To further defend the right of free speech and the right to express concern to decision-makers, it is imperative this guardrail legislation passes.
I believe this is a step in the right direction to encourage civic engagement, promote student activity beyond the school day, and a means to make sure students are heard and their voices implemented.
While for many the issue of free speech and the right to petition government may be afforded to many students, there are historic instances of students being denied or pressured away from expressing their concerns in a public setting.
We talk a lot about stakeholders in this building. We work to ensure Group A is heard while Group B and C have their concerns addressed.
But the biggest stakeholder in education is almost seldom asked how they feel: our students.
Not only should children be afforded the freedom to speak their mind, it is critical they have influence in the decision-making process.
It is easy to think the duties of government are an affair that can be left up to the adults in the room, but I would remind you, at some point in all of our lives we were children.
Certainly, at some point in your childhood you felt unheard.
In hindsight, whether your concerns were founded or unfounded, engaging in the conversation of government is the foundation of democracy.
I urge the subcommittee to protect this right of our children and all children to come.
I hope it is the will of this subcommittee to report the bill to full committee.
n/a
Thank you Mr. Speaker, I move the committee amendment.
Thank you Mr. Speaker,
House Bill 253 would allow students within a school division to have their rights to speak before a school board placed in the Code of Virginia.
As we are here in the seat of the government, we value student’s civic engagement, and their first amendment rights — this bill does not expand any rights or privileges, it simply enshrines them once more.
However, it reinforces that as a Commonwealth, we will not tolerate the silencing of students, no matter the instance.
I hope it would be the pleasure of the body to engross and pass this bill on to its third reading.
Thank you, Mr. Chair;
HB253 is a simple bill with a simple objective: protect and enshrine the First Amendment rights of students in the Commonwealth.
HB253 allows students to speak and participate in school board meetings—permitted that they do so in accordance with the sign-up procedures of that respective school board.
So why would we need to enshrine a First Amendment right? Why would this issue need legislation?
We were asked on the House-side if students are being prohibited from speaking at school board meetings anywhere in the state: the answer to that is yes.
In Lynchburg right now, the school board has silenced students from E.C. Glass High School. They won't let them speak at meetings, they have denied students the ability to use grants won by the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and now they have denied a $5,000 grant from Dick's Sporting Goods for volleyball equipment.
These students have been denied free speech because of bigotry.
These students have been denied free speech because of foolishness.
These students have been denied free speech because of lack of foresight.
These are future citizens and leaders we are allowing to be oppressed.
Amos 5:10, 11 (NIV): "There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth. For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins."
So why do we need this bill? The Bill of Rights cannot alone protect us; it takes action and a watchful eye to maintain liberty and democracy.
It is our duty to protect those who cannot speak, Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV).
Jeremiah 22:3 (NIV): "This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the (enforcer) the one who has been (denied)..."
I hope it will be the will of this body to report the bill to full committee.
Thank you, Mr. Chair;
HB253 is a simple bill with a simple objective: protect and enshrine the First Amendment rights of students in the Commonwealth.
HB253 allows students to speak and participate in school board meetings—permitted that they do so in accordance with the sign-up procedures of that respective school board.
I hope it will be the will of the body to report this bill.
No support or opposition is currently noted.