{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/22.1-203.2.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/22.1-203.2.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/22.1-203.2.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/22.1-203.2.html"}],"law_id":67592,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67592,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-203.2","catch_line":"Guidelines for constitutional compliance for student prayer","history":"1994, c. 801, \u00a7 22.1-280.3; 2001, cc. 688, 820.","full_text":"To promote compliance with constitutional restrictions as well as observance of constitutional rights, the Board of Education shall, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, develop guidelines on constitutional rights and restrictions relating to prayer and other religious expression in the public schools. The Board’s guidelines shall include, but shall not be limited to, provisions that address the following: the initiative and involvement of local school boards, individual schools, administrators, teachers, and students; the use of school facilities and equipment, including audio systems, and class time for prayer or other religious expression; and relevant state and federal constitutional concerns, such as freedom of religion and speech and separation of church and state. These guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (\u00a7 2.2-4000 et seq.). However, in order to provide appropriate opportunity for input from the general public, teachers, and local school boards, the Board of Education shall conduct public hearings prior to establishing such guidelines. Thirty days prior to conducting such hearings, the Board shall give written notice by mail of the date, time, and place of the hearings to all local school boards and any other persons requesting to be notified of the hearings and publish notice of its intention to hold such hearings in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Interested parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to be heard and present information prior to the adoption of such guidelines.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":244894,"text":"To promote compliance with constitutional restrictions as well as observance of constitutional rights, the Board of Education shall, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, develop guidelines on constitutional rights and restrictions relating to prayer and other religious expression in the public schools. The Board’s guidelines shall include, but shall not be limited to, provisions that address the following: the initiative and involvement of local school boards, individual schools, administrators, teachers, and students; the use of school facilities and equipment, including audio systems, and class time for prayer or other religious expression; and relevant state and federal constitutional concerns, such as freedom of religion and speech and separation of church and state. These guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (\u00a7 2.2-4000 et seq.). However, in order to provide appropriate opportunity for input from the general public, teachers, and local school boards, the Board of Education shall conduct public hearings prior to establishing such guidelines. Thirty days prior to conducting such hearings, the Board shall give written notice by mail of the date, time, and place of the hearings to all local school boards and any other persons requesting to be notified of the hearings and publish notice of its intention to hold such hearings in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Interested parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to be heard and present information prior to the adoption of such guidelines.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":12955,"edition_id":1,"name":"Programs and Courses of Instruction Generally","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12954,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":181371,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12955,"identifier":"1","token":"22.1\/13\/1","url":"\/22.1\/13\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12954,"edition_id":1,"name":"Programs, Courses of Instruction and Textbooks","identifier":"13","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12823,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":181369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12954,"identifier":"13","token":"22.1\/13","url":"\/22.1\/13\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12823,"edition_id":1,"name":"Education","identifier":"22.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":180949,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12823,"identifier":"22.1","token":"22.1","url":"\/22.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":66514,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199","catch_line":"Kindergarten programs suitable for certain children","url":"\/22.1-199\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-199","metadata":false},{"id":80944,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199.1","catch_line":"Programs designed to promote educational opportunities","url":"\/22.1-199.1\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-199.1","metadata":false},{"id":86271,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199.2","catch_line":"Standards for remediation programs established","url":"\/22.1-199.2\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-199.2","metadata":false},{"id":87068,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199.3","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/22.1-199.3\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-199.3","metadata":false},{"id":61709,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199.4","catch_line":"At-Risk Student Academic Achievement Program and Fund","url":"\/22.1-199.4\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-199.4","metadata":false},{"id":79867,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199.5","catch_line":"After school programs for at-risk students","url":"\/22.1-199.5\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-199.5","metadata":false},{"id":58840,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199.6","catch_line":"Expired","url":"\/22.1-199.6\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-199.6","metadata":false},{"id":75210,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-199.7","catch_line":"Community schools; 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student-athletes; compensation and representation for name, image, or likeness","url":"\/22.1-212.2_4\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-212.2_4","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":68914,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-203.1","catch_line":"Student-initiated prayer","url":"\/22.1-203.1\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-203.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":86186,"structure_id":12955,"section_number":"22.1-203.3","catch_line":"Religious viewpoint expression; student expression","url":"\/22.1-203.3\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-203.3","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/22.1-203.2\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1994. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 801<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2001, chapters 688<\/a> and 820<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":86911,"section_number":"2.2-4000","catch_line":"Short title; purpose","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-4000\/"}],"permalink":{"id":181453,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67592,"identifier":"22.1-203.2","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-203.2","url":"\/22.1-203.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/22.1-203.2\/","token":"22.1\/13\/1\/22.1-203.2","dublin_core":{"Title":"Guidelines for constitutional compliance for student prayer","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 22.1-203.2","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

To promote compliance with constitutional restrictions as well as observance of constitutional rights, the Board<\/span> of Education shall, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General<\/span>, develop guidelines on constitutional rights and restrictions relating to prayer and other religious expression in the public schools. The Board<\/span>’s guidelines shall include, but shall not be limited to, provisions that address the following: the initiative and involvement of local school boards<\/span>, individual schools, administrators, teachers, and students; the use of school facilities and equipment, including audio systems, and class time for prayer or other religious expression; and relevant state and federal constitutional concerns, such as freedom of religion and speech and separation of church and state. These guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (\u00a7 2.2-4000<\/a> et seq.). However, in order<\/span> to provide appropriate opportunity for input from the general public, teachers, and local school boards<\/span>, the Board<\/span> of Education shall conduct public hearings<\/span> prior to establishing such guidelines. Thirty days prior to conducting such hearings<\/span>, the Board<\/span> shall give written notice by mail of the date, time, and place of the hearings<\/span> to all local school boards<\/span> and any other persons requesting to be notified of the hearings<\/span> and publish notice of its intention to hold such hearings<\/span> in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Interested parties shall be given reasonable opportunity to be heard and present information prior to the adoption of such guidelines.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nGUIDELINES FOR CONSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE FOR STUDENT PRAYER (\u00a7 22.1-203.2)\n\nTo promote compliance with constitutional restrictions as well as observance of\nconstitutional rights, the Board of Education shall, in consultation with the\nOffice of the Attorney General, develop guidelines on constitutional rights and\nrestrictions relating to prayer and other religious expression in the public\nschools. The Board’s guidelines shall include, but shall not be limited\nto, provisions that address the following: the initiative and involvement of\nlocal school boards, individual schools, administrators, teachers, and students;\nthe use of school facilities and equipment, including audio systems, and class\ntime for prayer or other religious expression; and relevant state and federal\nconstitutional concerns, such as freedom of religion and speech and separation\nof church and state. These guidelines shall not be subject to the requirements\nof the Administrative Process Act (\u00a7 2.2-4000 et seq.). However, in order to\nprovide appropriate opportunity for input from the general public, teachers, and\nlocal school boards, the Board of Education shall conduct public hearings prior\nto establishing such guidelines. Thirty days prior to conducting such hearings,\nthe Board shall give written notice by mail of the date, time, and place of the\nhearings to all local school boards and any other persons requesting to be\nnotified of the hearings and publish notice of its intention to hold such\nhearings in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Interested parties shall be\ngiven reasonable opportunity to be heard and present information prior to the\nadoption of such guidelines.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 801, \u00a7 22.1-280.3; 2001, cc. 688, 820.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}