DEADLINE: Friday, April 26
Join state, local, and national education and civil rights organizations in a sign-on letter to Gov. Youngkin requesting his signature on House Bill 536 (HB 536) and House Bill 224 (HB 224), crucial pieces of legislation aimed at safeguarding the well-being of students across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Advocates, students, educators, and legislative champions have been working tirelessly this legislative session to ensure the passage of two bills that will be transformative for positive school climates in the state:
- H.B. 536, which will adjust the definition of "bullying" in K-12 schools to explicitly protect against harassment on the basis of characteristics listed in the Virginia Human Rights Act, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- H.B. 224, which would require school professionals in Virginia to receive mental health awareness training that addresses the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing suicidal ideation and other mental health challenges, which includes LGBTQI+ youth.
The bills made it through the legislature and were delivered to Governor Youngkin, yet minutes before his deadline to act on the bills, Governor Youngkin sent them back to the legislature, striking the important provisions referencing LGBTQI+ students and other populations at high risk of bullying, harassment, and suicide, for more vague and generic language. These actions aimed to leave out the students that need us the most.
The Virginia legislature reconvened to consider Gov. Youngkin’s amendments, and rejected them unanimously. These two bills now return to Gov. Youngkin, and he has 30 days to sign, veto, or do nothing with the bills – which allows them to automatically go into effect. Stand with LGBTQI+ students and safe schools by signing on to the organizational letter below urging Gov. Youngkin to sign the bills below.
Read the letter here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WYfEUvTLXSm_RjEaAXzRCbPdHhzNvJypTEk0xoDVlnA/edit?usp=sharing 