RICHMOND, Va. — A bipartisan majority in the Virginia Senate has voted to pass legislation that would ban public school systems from imposing mask requirements on students.
The measure passed the Senate Wednesday and now heads to the GOP-controlled House of Delegates. The house is expected to advance it to Gov. Glenn Youngkin for his signature.
Youngkin is cheering on the legislation, which emerged in the Senate earlier this week. He called the Senate vote a win for students across Virginia.
"I promised that as governor, Virginia would move forward with an agenda that empowers parents on the upbringing, education, and care of their own children," Youngkin said in a statement. "I am proud to continue to deliver on that promise."
But Democrats who voted against the bill said it would strip local school boards of their authority.
If enacted, the bill would codify what Youngkin sought to do with Executive Order 2, which has been met with legal challenges.
13News Now political analyst Quentin Kidd said the bill means schools would no longer have to follow guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Senate Bill 1303, which became law in 2021, requires Virginia school boards to offer in-person instruction that adheres “to the maximum extent practicable” to COVID-19 mitigation guidelines from the CDC. The CDC currently recommends universal masking is in schools.
“Effectively, it would essentially say to the school systems, the will of the General Assembly, the will of law in Virginia is that masking is optional," Kidd said. "And that the government of Virginia no longer tells the schools to follow CDC guidelines.”
Kidd also pointed out the bill has bipartisan support.
“Even though the issue appears I think to the public, especially if you’re not paying attention, to be sort of a partisan issue – among Democrats, there is a lot of division," Kidd said.
Robert Barnette of the Virginia NAACP doesn’t agree. He said the bill “demonstrates a relentless disregard for the well-being of Virginia’s children and makes schools less safe.”
Barnette said following CDC guidelines is the best move.
“This [masks] is a preventative measure and so we just stand behind the CDC guidelines," Barnette said. “The Virginia State Conference NAACP stands behind the science of the CDC guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools.”
Becky Hay is a mom who thinks the bill is a good move. She said health decisions for children - including mask-wearing - should be left up to parents.
“I mean I don’t look at it as a win, necessarily. It’s just really common sense," Hay said.
“The reason why I don’t use the word 'win' is I think some of the divisiveness that’s happening is because we put things in terms of wins and losses and I think the kids have been on the losing end of this.”
Several groups have filed suit against Youngkin's order, arguing it oversteps Virginia law and supersedes decisions made by local school boards.
On Friday, a judge in Arlington County temporarily halted the order, siding with seven school boards that filed a lawsuit. But on Monday, the Virginia Supreme Court dismissed a separate suit filed by a group of Chesapeake parents, citing technicalities.