Virginia legislature approves bill exempting certain Agile courses from certification requirements

A measure sponsored by State Del. Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker seeks to exclude select Agile-based courses from state certification requirements, while preserving existing exemptions for other types of educational programs, the Virginia State House reports.

The legislation was passed by both chambers and officially enrolled as of March 5, 2026, receiving a 95-3 vote in the House and a 40-0 vote in the Senate.

The bill, filed as HB383 on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, is summarized by the legislature as: “SCHEV; exemption of certain courses and programs of instruction from certification requirement.”

Below is a breakdown, based on the official bill text, with interpretive clarification of its provisions included.

Essentially, the bill adds courses and programs focused on Scrum, Kanban and other Agile-based approaches to the group of postsecondary offerings that do not require certification from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, so long as the Agile course or program does not exceed the hour limits defined by the certification body. Current exemptions for nursing programs, professional training, certain contract courses, religious education, and tutorial instruction are unaffected.

The vote in the House saw 62 Democrats and 33 Republicans supporting the bill; one Democrat and two Republicans voted against it.

In the Senate, 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted to approve the bill.

Del. Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker (Democrat-5th District) was the bill’s sole sponsor.

Bennett-Parker earned a BA from Cornell University in 2007.

Bennett-Parker, a Democrat, was elected to Virginia’s State Senate in 2026 to represent the 39th House District, succeeding former state senator Adam Ebbin.

The legislative process in Virginia begins when a bill is introduced in the House of Delegates or the Senate and assigned to committees for consideration and possible amendment. If a committee approves the bill, it moves on for debate and voting in both chambers. After passage in both, the governor may sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. The Virginia General Assembly holds regular sessions annually starting the second Monday in January, with lawmakers introducing hundreds of bills each year, though only some become law.

Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State House. The source data can be found here.