Bill to end school mask mandates for students advances in Virginia Senate

Senate bill aims to eliminate school mask mandates

The Virginia Senate is clearing the way for parents to decide whether their kids should wear a mask in school. It means mask mandates could be over sooner than you think.

RICHMOND, Va. - A bipartisan majority in the Virginia Senate has voted to advance legislation that would ban public school systems from imposing mask requirements on students.

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin

The move comes as Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's efforts to end mask mandates by executive order are bogged down in legal challenges.

Democratic Sen. Chap Petersen, a moderate who has played a key role on education issues, sponsored the amendment on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Bill to end school mask mandates for students advances in Virginia Senate

A bipartisan majority in the Virginia Senate has voted to advance legislation that would ban public school systems from imposing mask requirements on students.

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It passed on a 29-9 vote, with Republicans fully in support and Democrats about evenly divided. The bill still requires a final vote in the Senate and the House of Delegates. Youngkin said he will sign it if it passes.