Virginia Legislature approves Sen. Favola’s bill updating programs for at-risk students

A recently enacted bill from state Sen. Barbara A. Favola is set to modernize Virginia’s at-risk student programs by broadening eligible uses for funding and specifying support for dropout prevention and educational services, according to the Virginia State Senate.

The legislation cleared both chambers, officially enrolled on March 5, 2026, after passing the House by a 99-0 margin and the Senate by 39-0.

Introduced as SB33 on Jan. 14, 2026, during the regular session, the legislature summarized the bill as: “Programs for at-risk students; permissible uses of funding.”

Here is our summary, based on the original bill text, with clarifications where necessary to explain its details.

Essentially, this measure updates Virginia’s at-risk student and related education initiatives by renaming the block grant as the At-Risk Program, increasing the range of activities qualifying for funds, and clarifying how those funds can be used. Grants may now support the at-risk add-on, dropout prevention, English as a second language, AVID, homework help, certain activities under the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program, and school and community health centers, including hiring registered nurses and advanced practice nurses. The bill continues to support reducing class sizes in grades K-3, investing in educational technology, recruiting turnaround specialists, and providing incentives for middle school teachers in key subjects for high-need schools.

The House vote included 64 Democrats and 35 Republicans in favor of the measure.

The Senate vote saw 21 Democrats and 18 Republicans support the bill.

The legislation was carried by Sen. Barbara A. Favola (Democrat-40th District) and Sen. Christie New Craig (Republican-19th District).

Favola earned a BS from Saint Joseph College in 1977.

Favola, a Democrat, was elected in 2024 to the Virginia State Senate to represent the 40th District, succeeding Todd Pillion in that seat.

The bill process in Virginia starts with introduction in either the House of Delegates or Senate, assignment to committees for review and potential changes, and then floor votes in both chambers. If both approve, the legislation is sent to the governor, who can sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature. The Virginia General Assembly meets every year beginning the second Monday in January, reviewing hundreds of bills each session but enacting only some into law.

Information for this article was sourced from the Virginia State Senate. Find the original data here.