With Democrats reclaiming control of Virginia’s legislature and governor’s office, a wave of progressive legislation is being introduced as the new session kicks off. Among these proposals is a significant bill aimed at embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles into educational law.

Delegate Sam Rasoul, a Democrat representing Roanoke, submitted House Bill 614, entitled “History and Social Science Standards and Instruction; Historically Marginalized Communities,” on January 13, just one day before the legislative session commenced.

The bill’s objective is to provide “comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive education” for both elementary and secondary students. According to its summary, it requires that history and social science instructional materials incorporate the “contributions, perspectives, and experiences of historically marginalized communities.”

These communities are defined in the bill’s summary as including racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees, women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, those from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, people from various religious backgrounds, and any other group deemed appropriate by the Board of Education. The aim is to affirm these communities and foster a more holistic understanding of history.

Those communities, according to the summary, include racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees, women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, people from various socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals from various religious backgrounds and an open-ended, “any other group of individuals that the Board of Education deems appropriate, in order to affirm such communities and promote a more holistic understanding of history.”

The bill itself is short on specifics of what will be taught, but says that by March 1, 2027, which is the state’s scheduled review of and revision of its “Standards for Learning,” the new instructional materials and curriculum guidelines must be in place to “explicitly include the political, economic, social, and cultural contributions of the communities described.”

LGBTQ community members seen holding flags and placards during a rally at the capitol building in Hartford, Conn. on Aug. 8, 2025. LGBTQ members and supporters rallied at the capitol building to protest the administration’s policies citing a lack of healthcare, recognition and rights for their community. The protesters said these policies are affecting millions of LGBTQ+ individuals across the country.  (Roy De La Cruz/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

It does note that teachers must be equipped with materials to observe Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Disability History and Awareness Month, LGBTQ+ History Month and other recognitions as determined by the Board.

“The Department of Historic Resources shall coordinate consultation with subject matter experts from institutions of higher education and community organizations representing these communities,” the bill’s text says.

The same department is tasked with disseminating the new curriculum guidance to schools “to ensure integration of inclusive history across curricula and to avoid isolating such content to a single month or observance.”

Because the attacks against transgender kids are increasing across the country, Minnesotans hold a rally at the capitol on March 6, 2022, to support trans kids in Minnesota, Texas and around the country.  (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Rasoul did not return a request for comment.