Virginia colleges and universities may start livestreaming meetings

Virginia’s public colleges and universities could soon be required to livestream their Board of Visitors meetings, ensuring real-time access for the public. The proposal, which passed the House and is now headed to the Senate, aims to increase transparency in higher education governance.

House Bill 2452, sponsored by Del. Keith Hodges, R-Middlesex, builds on a 2021 effort requiring public institutions to disclose certain information. If passed, the bill mandates that all baccalaureate public institutions in Virginia not only livestream their board meetings but also archive the recordings for public access. Hodges said a reenactment of the legislation will be reviewed to ensure the initiative’s feasibility next year.

“The goal is to ensure that decisions made using public funds are conducted openly, allowing for the public to hold these institutions really accountable for their actions, and we can see really what’s going on,” Hodges said during a Jan. 27 subcommittee hearing.

A previous law required institutions to develop and implement a streaming standard by July 1, 2022, but not every school followed through. Hodges’ bill would push for those standards to be revisited and enforced.

Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, called the lack of compliance “long overdue” and expressed frustration that education institutions are resisting what local governments are doing cost-effectively.

“Universities are different from other public bodies because they have bigger constituencies than any public body in the state,” Rhyne told The Mercury this week. “They have constituencies in other states who can’t come to Virginia to attend these meetings, and so we think — as a very baseline measure — they should be broadcasting their Board of Visitors meetings.”

In 2021, Virginia directed the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia — working alongside the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council — to develop a minimum standard for livestreaming governing board meetings.

The resulting report recommended that all public institutions provide real-time electronic access to full governing body meetings via video or audio live stream. It also emphasized that these streams must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Despite these recommendations, full compliance has been lacking.

“While I appreciate the delegate’s attempt to work out a compromise, I actually support the original bill because this is something that is long overdue, that had recommendations four years ago that clearly have not been put into place, which otherwise would not necessitate this bill,” Rhyne said during a Jan. 27 House subcommittee hearing on higher education.

Representatives from Virginia Tech and the University of Mary Washington voiced support for the legislation, commending lawmakers’ willingness to collaborate.

“This process not only ensures a balanced approach, but also fosters a spirit of cooperation among stakeholders,” Hodges said last week. “Such collaboration helps alleviate concerns from public universities about the cost and logistics, while ensuring that transparency goals are met.”

The bill sailed through the House with a 95-4 vote and now awaits consideration by the Senate Education and Health Committee. As of Thursday evening, it had yet to be scheduled for a hearing.