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Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill

HB 686: Open school enrollment policies; guidance on best practices available to school boards.

Passed one chamber Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

HB 686 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 13, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Open school enrollment policies; guidance on best practices available to school boards. Primary sponsor: Eric Zehr (Republican). Most recent recorded action (March 5, 2026): Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N).

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.

Department of Education; open school enrollment policies; guidance on best practices. Requires the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board guidance on best practices relating to open school enrollment.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Eric ZehrPrimary sponsorRepublicanHouse51

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Passed by indefinitely in Education and Health (9-Y 6-N)
  2. Assigned Education sub: Public Education
  3. Referred to Committee on Education and Health
  4. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
  5. Read third time and passed House (85-Y 11-N 0-A)
  6. Engrossed by House - committee substitute
  7. committee substitute agreed to
  8. Read second time
  9. Read first time
  10. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB686)
  11. Committee substitute printed 26107695D-H1
  12. Reported from Education with substitute (18-Y 3-N)

Showing 12 most recent of 17 actions. Full history

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source