A months-long legislative effort to authorize a review of Virginia Military Institute came to a close April 22, as lawmakers approved a revised version of House Bill 1377 incorporating changes from Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
The House and Senate both voted to accept the governor’s substitute for the bill during the General Assembly’s reconvened session, with the House approving it 69-31 and the Senate 21-18.
The Senate’s vote was split down party lines, with all 21 Democrats voting yes and nearly all of the 19 Republicans voting no — Republican Chris Head was marked down as “not voting.” As for the delegates that cover the Rockbridge area, Ellen McLaughlin of the 36th District voted against the measure, and Terry Austin of the 37th District voted in support of it.
The measure has now been signed into law and will take effect July 1.
Spanberger had returned the original bill without her signature, writing that she supported its “general purpose” but requested lawmakers adopt a substitute version. Her changes significantly altered how the study of VMI would be carried out.
Rather than creating a new state-appointed advisory task force, the approved version directs VMI’s own board of visitors to conduct the review. The board is tasked with examining the Institute’s response to a 2021 report by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and recommending further steps to address concerns related to inclusivity and the school’s historical ties to the “Lost Cause” narrative.
In a statement, VMI officials expressed support for the governor’s revisions.
“VMI views the governor’s amendments of HB 1377 as a constructive step that affirms the role of the board of visitors while enabling fair and balanced evaluations of the Institute’s mission and environment,” said Sherry Wallace, the Institute’s director of communications. “The Institute looks forward to continuing to demonstrate VMI’s value and distinctive role in Virginia higher education.”
The bill’s final passage caps a closely watched debate in Richmond over the state’s role in overseeing the 185-year-old military college. Earlier versions of the legislation would have created a separate task force and, at one stage, included language requiring a review of whether VMI should continue receiving state funding ¬— provisions that were later removed.
HB 1377 was one of several VMI-related bills introduced during the 2026 session. Another proposal, House Bill 1374, which would have restructured the school’s board of visitors, ultimately failed to pass before adjournment.
