Virginia 2026 Session Status: Introduced

HB495 — School boards; mental health awareness training for full-time school bus drivers.

Last action — Continued from last session

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House of Delegates
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the House of Delegates. Introduced January 12, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 4 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill requires mental health awareness training for full-time school bus drivers.

This legislation mandates that full-time school bus drivers receive training in mental health awareness. This aims to improve their understanding of mental health issues and promote a supportive environment for students.

What this means for you
  • Workers: For full-time school bus drivers, this means they will receive essential training to better support student mental health.

Summary

School boards; mental health awareness training for full-time school bus drivers.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read HB495 on the official Virginia source →

Action History

  1. S Continued to next session in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

  2. S Assigned Education sub: Public Education

  3. S Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  4. S Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  5. H Read third time and passed House (62-Y 34-N 0-A)

  6. H Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  7. H committee substitute agreed to

  8. H Read second time

  9. H Read first time

  10. H Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB495)

  11. H Committee substitute printed 26107573D-H1

  12. H Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 7-N)

  13. H House committee offered

  14. H Placed on Education Agenda

  15. H Placed on Education Agenda

  16. H Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N)

  17. H House subcommittee offered

  18. H Placed on Education Agenda

  19. H Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee

  20. H Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB495)

  21. H Referred to Committee on Education

  22. H Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102869D

Sponsors

  • Guzman · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on · 34 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Guzman

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 147 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Continued to next session in Education and Health

Passed 15 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 15000
Total 15000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea

Official roll call →

Read third time and passed House

Passed 62 Yea · 34 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 623403
Total 623403
% of votes cast 63%34%0%3%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
Adele Y. McClure — Yea
Alex Q. Askew — Yea
Alfonso H. Lopez — Yea
Amy J. Laufer — Yea
Anne Ferrell Tata — Nay
Atoosa R. Reaser — Yea
Betsy B. Carr — Yea
Bill Wiley — Nay
Bonita G. Anthony — Yea
Briana D. Sewell — Yea
C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. — Yea
Charlie Schmidt — Yea
Charniele L. Herring — Yea
Chris S. Runion — Nay
Dan I. Helmer — Yea
David A. Reid — Yea
Debra D. Gardner — Yea
Delores L. McQuinn — Yea
Delores Oates — Nay
Destiny LeVere Bolling — Yea
Don Scott — Yea
Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker — Yea
Elizabeth R. Guzman — Yea
Ellen H. McLaughlin — Nay
Eric Phillips — Nay
Eric R. Zehr — Nay
Garrett McGuire — Yea
Gretchen M. Bulova — Yea
H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr. — Nay
Hillary Pugh Kent — Nay
Holly M. Seibold — Yea
Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr. — Nay
Irene Shin — Yea
Israel D. O'Quinn — Not Voting
JJ Singh — Yea
Jackie H. Glass — Yea
James A. "Jay" Leftwich — Nay
James W. Morefield — Nay
Jason S. Ballard — Nay
Jeion A. Ward — Yea
Jessica L. Anderson — Yea
John Chilton McAuliff — Not Voting
Joseph P. McNamara — Nay
Joshua E. Thomas — Yea
Joshua G. Cole — Yea
Justin Pence — Nay
Karen Hamilton — Nay
Karen Keys-Gamarra — Yea
Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie — Yea
Karrie K. Delaney — Yea
Kathy K.L. Tran — Yea
Katrina Callsen — Yea
Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler — Yea
Kimberly Pope Adams — Yea
Laura Jane Cohen — Yea
Leslie Chambers Mehta — Yea
Lily V. Franklin — Yea
Lindsey Dougherty — Yea
Luke E. Torian — Yea
M. Keith Hodges — Nay
Madison Whittle — Nay
Marcia S. "Cia" Price — Yea
Marcus B. Simon — Yea
Margaret A. Franklin — Yea
Mark C. Downey — Yea
Marty Martinez — Yea
May Nivar — Yea
Michael B. Feggans — Yea
Michael J. Webert — Nay
Michelle Lopes Maldonado — Yea
Mike A. Cherry — Nay
Mitchell Cornett — Nay
Nadarius E. Clark — Not Voting
Nicole Cole — Yea
Patrick A. Hope — Yea
Paul E. Krizek — Yea
Phil M. Hernandez — Yea
Phillip A. Scott — Nay
R. Lee Ware — Nay
Rae Cousins — Yea
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. — Yea
Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. — Nay
Rodney T. Willett — Yea
Rozia A. Henson, Jr. — Yea
Sam Rasoul — Yea
Scott A. Wyatt — Nay
Shelly A. Simonds — Yea
Stacey Annie Carroll — Yea
Terry G. Kilgore — Nay
Terry L. Austin — Nay
Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. — Nay
Thomas C. Wright, Jr. — Nay
Timothy P. Griffin — Nay
Tony O. Wilt — Nay
Virgil Thornton — Yea
Vivian E. Watts — Yea
Wendell S. Walker — Nay
Will Davis — Nay
Wren M. Williams — Nay

Official roll call →

Reported from Education with substitute

Passed 14 Yea · 7 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 14701
Total 14701
% of votes cast 64%32%0%5%
How each member voted (22)
Member Party Vote
Alex Q. Askew — Yea
Amy J. Laufer — Yea
Anne Ferrell Tata — Nay
Atoosa R. Reaser — Yea
Briana D. Sewell — Yea
Delores L. McQuinn — Yea
Destiny LeVere Bolling — Yea
Elizabeth R. Guzman — Yea
Eric R. Zehr — Nay
Gretchen M. Bulova — Yea
Hillary Pugh Kent — Nay
Jessica L. Anderson — Yea
Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler — Not Voting
Lindsey Dougherty — Yea
Madison Whittle — Nay
Mike A. Cherry — Nay
Nadarius E. Clark — Yea
Phillip A. Scott — Nay
Rae Cousins — Yea
Sam Rasoul — Yea
Shelly A. Simonds — Yea
Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. — Nay

Official roll call →

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations

Passed 7 Yea · 3 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7301
Total 7301
% of votes cast 64%27%0%9%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Alex Q. Askew — Yea
Anne Ferrell Tata — Nay
Destiny LeVere Bolling — Yea
Gretchen M. Bulova — Yea
Hillary Pugh Kent — Nay
Jessica L. Anderson — Yea
Lindsey Dougherty — Yea
Mike A. Cherry — Nay
Rae Cousins — Yea
Sam Rasoul — Not Voting
Shelly A. Simonds — Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB495 do?
School boards; mental health awareness training for full-time school bus drivers.
Who sponsors HB495?
HB495 is sponsored by Guzman.
What is the current status of HB495?
This bill has been introduced in the House of Delegates. Introduced January 12, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB495?
Track HB495 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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