Virginia House and Senate unanimously approve bill to revoke teacher licenses for felony sex offenses

Legislation advanced by State Del. Mike A. Cherry is set to bolster teacher licensing laws in Virginia by mandating the automatic revocation of licenses for educators convicted of felonies that necessitate sex offender registry, according to the Virginia State House.

The measure received approval in both chambers, advancing to formal enrollment as of March 14, 2026, following a 96-0 vote in the House and a 40-0 vote in the Senate.

Filed as HB1387 on Jan. 21, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, the state legislature summarized the bill: “Teaching licenses; automatic revocation upon certain convictions.”

Below is an overview based on the official bill text, presented for clarity about its content.

Fundamentally, the bill updates Virginia’s teacher licensure requirements by directing the Board of Education to automatically revoke the license of any educator convicted of a felony requiring registration under the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Act. This applies to active and inactive licenses if valid at the time the crime occurred. Offenders are not entitled to a hearing, and notification is issued through certified mail by the Superintendent. Licenses may later be reinstated by the Board if the underlying conviction is overturned on appeal and such reinstatement is deemed to serve the public schools’ best interests. All current licensure protocols remain, with the new law slated to take effect July 1, 2030.

In the House, the bill passed with 61 Democrats and 35 Republicans voting in favor.

On the Senate side, 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans supported the bill.

Del. Mike A. Cherry (Republican-74th District) was the sole sponsor of the bill.

Cherry earned a BS from Liberty University in 2010.

The Republican lawmaker was elected in 2024 to represent Virginia’s 74th House district, succeeding Lamont Bagby.

Under Virginia’s legislative process, bills begin in either chamber and move to committees for detailed review and potential amendments. Successful proposals proceed to votes in both chambers before being sent to the governor for signature, possible veto, or passive enactment. The Virginia General Assembly meets in regular sessions annually starting the second Monday in January, where lawmakers propose and debate hundreds of bills and only a fraction ultimately become law.

Information for this report comes from the Virginia State House. Source materials are available here.