HB 2222 (O’Quinn), which would permit local school boards to display advertising material on the school buses, advanced out of the House Education Committee by a 20-2 vote on January 21.
The bill permits local school boards to display commercial advertising material on the sides of school buses between the rear wheels and the rear of the bus, provided that no such material 1) obstructs the name of the school division or the number of the school bus; 2) is sexually explicit; or 3) pertains to alcohol; food or beverages that do not meet the nutrition standards developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 or any additional state or local nutrition standards for food or beverages sold to students in school; gambling; politics; or tobacco.
HB 2222 is an identical version of a bill from last session introduced by the patron, which was continued to 2019 in the Senate Education and Health Committee.
VACo Contact: Jeremy Bennett