HB1041 Department of Corrections; functional literacy program for inmates; data sharing and tracking; salary schedules for teachers; Virginia Prison Education Task Force established; report.
Introduced by: Betsy B. Carr (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.
Department of Corrections; functional literacy program for inmates; data sharing and tracking; salary schedules for teachers; Virginia Prison Education Task Force established; report. Requires the Superintendent employed by the Director of Corrections to (i) include in the functional literacy program for inmates developed pursuant to applicable law evidence-based literacy instruction, as defined in accordance with applicable law; (ii) share data with (a) the state entity that oversees the management, direction, and governance of the Commonwealth's education and workforce data for the purpose of developing educational, health, social service, and employment outcome data and improving the efficacy of state services and (b) the Virginia Community College System necessary for comprehensive community colleges to apply for and maintain eligibility as Federal Pell Grant-eligible prison education programs; and (iii) track and publicly report at least annually the number of incarcerated individuals eligible for, enrolled in, and waitlisted for the functional literacy program. The bill also establishes the Virginia Prison Education Task Force for the purpose of implementing a consistent education program across all state correctional facilities operated by the Department. The bill requires the Task Force to complete its work by July 1, 2029. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education to, by November 1, 2026, (a) review and update the salary schedules for teachers licensed by the Board of Education and employed by the Department of Corrections to provide instruction in the schools of the correctional centers to be competitive with those in effect for the school division in which the correctional facility is located and (b) make recommendations for the inclusion of such teacher salary increases in the appropriation act.

1/23/2026 .House. Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2

1/27/2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1041)

1/29/2026 House -PS #2 subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (7‑Y 0‑N)

1/30/2026 Reported from House-Public Safety Committee

1/30/2026 Assigned House-APP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

​

HB1280 State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment and educational programs; reentry planning.
Introduced by: Joshua G. Cole (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here
State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment and educational programs; reentry planning. Expands the program assignments in which the Director of the Department of Corrections may place a prisoner while such prisoner is confined in a state correctional facility. The bill requires the Director to place a prisoner in an appropriate program assignment within (i) 90 days of the arrival of a prisoner sentenced to a new term of confinement to a state correctional facility or (ii) 60 days of a prisoner already in custody being transferred to a new state correctional facility and provides that participation in such program assignments shall be for an average of 30 hours per week, calculated individually across the calendar year. Finally, the bill expands upon the requirements for a prisoner's reentry plan, including requiring an assessment, if necessary, of a prisoner's readiness to take a high school equivalency test and any modifications needed for the prisoner to take or improve upon such test, and making available peer and group educational programs developed and led by qualified prisoners.

1/14/2026 Referred to Committee on House-Public Safety

1/23/2026 Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2

1/29/2026 House -PS Subcommittee #2 recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (7‑Y 0‑N)

1/30/2026 Reported from House-Public Safety committee and referred to Appropriations

1/31/2026 House. Assigned H-APP sub: Transportation & Public Safety