Virginia Twins

Welcome to Virginia States Twins Law Page!

Status: LAW!

Campaign Director: Pamala Colligan-Wesson

Click on the state map to view the law!

April 13, 2009

Our Governor finally got around to signing the Twins Bill. It becomes law July 1st.

E. Local school boards shall develop and implement policies to allow a parent of twins or higher order multiples in the same grade level to request that the children be placed in the same classroom or in separate classrooms if they are at the same elementary school. Such policies shall also provide that: (i) schools may recommend classroom placement to the parent; (ii) schools must provide the placement requested by the children's parent, unless the division superintendent or his designee makes a classroom placement determination following the school principal's request in accordance with this subsection; (iii) a parent must request the classroom placement no later than 3 days after the first day of each school year or 3 days after the first day of attendance of the children during a school year; and (iv) at the end of the initial grading period, if the school principal, in consultation with the children's classroom teacher, determines that the requested classroom placement is disruptive to the school or is harmful to the children’s educational progress, the school principal may request that the division superintendent or his designee determine the children's classroom placement.

HOUSE BILL NO. 722

Offered January 9, 2008

Prefiled January 8, 2008

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-79.3

, relating to parental input into the classroom placement of twins or

higher order multiples.

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Patrons-- Scott, E.T. and Wright

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Referred to Committee on Education

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered

22.1-79.3 as follows:

§ 22.1-79.3. Policies regarding certain activities.

A. No later than January 1, 2001, local school boards shall develop and

implement policies to ensure that public school students are not required

to convey or deliver any materials that (i) advocate the election or defeat

of any candidate for elective office, (ii) advocate the passage or defeat

of any referendum question, or (iii) advocate the passage or defeat of any

matter pending before a local school board, local governing body or the

General Assembly of Virginia or the Congress of the United States.

This section shall not be construed to prohibit the discussion or use of

political or issue-oriented materials as part of classroom discussions or

projects or to prohibit the delivery of informational materials.

B. Local school boards shall develop and implement policies to prohibit the

administration of questionnaires or surveys to public school students

during the regular school day or at school-sponsored events without

written, informed parental consent for the student's participation when

participation in such questionnaire or survey may subsequently result in

the sale for commercial purposes of personal information regarding the

individual student. In any case in which a questionnaire or survey

requesting sexual information of students is to be administered, the school

board shall notify the parent concerning the administration of such

questionnaire or survey in writing not less than 30 days prior to its

administration. The notice shall inform the parent regarding the nature and

types of questions included in the questionnaire or survey, the purposes

and age-appropriateness of the survey, and whether and how any findings or

results will be disclosed. Parents shall have the right to review the

questionnaire or survey and to exempt their child from participating in the

survey. However, no questionnaire or survey requesting sexual information

of a student shall be administered to any student in kindergarten through

grade six and, unless required by federal or state law or regulation,

school personnel administering any such questionnaire or survey shall not

disclose personally identifiable information.

C. Local school boards shall develop and implement policies to advise the

parent of each student enrolled in the school division of the availability

of information in the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry and

the location of the Internet website. Local school boards shall also

develop protocols governing the release of children to persons who are not

their parent.

D. No local school board providing access and opportunity to use school

facilities or to distribute literature may deny equal access or fair

opportunity to use such school facilities or to distribute literature, or

otherwise discriminate against the Boy Scouts of America or the Girl Scouts

of the USA.

Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require any school or

school division to sponsor the Boy Scouts of America or the Girl Scouts of

the USA, or to exempt any such groups from school board policies governing

access to and use of school facilities and distribution of literature.

E. Local school boards shall develop and implement policies to allow a

parent of twins or higher order multiples to request that the children be

placed in the same classroom or in separate classrooms if they are in the

same grade level at the same elementary school. Such policies shall also

provide that: (i) schools may recommend classroom placement to the parent;

(ii) schools must provide the placement requested by the children's parent,

unless the school board makes a classroom placement determination following

the school principal's request in accordance with this subsection; (iii) a

parent must request the classroom placement no later than 14 days after the

first day of each school year or 14 days after the first day of attendance

of the children during a school year; and (iv) at the end of the initial

grading period, if the school principal, in consultation with the

children's classroom teacher, determines that the requested classroom

placement is disruptive to the school, the school principal may request

that the school board determine the children's classroom placement.

For the purposes of this subsection, "higher order multiples" means

triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, or more.