Senate Rules subcommittee backs JLARC study of AI at Virginia colleges

Members of the Senate Rules subcommittee voted to report House Joint Resolution 32, which directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study policies regarding artificial intelligence at institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The sponsor noted that AI has been rapidly integrated into schools and workplaces and said the study would inform higher-education institutions on adapting instruction and workforce preparation.

The presentation named technical assistance providers for the study, including the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA). The sponsor recommended the study to the committee and asked members to support reporting the resolution.

A motion to report the resolution was moved and seconded and carried; no formal numeric roll-call was recorded in the transcript. The referral routes the study request into JLARC’s workload where commissioners and staff will determine scope, timeline and deliverables.

If approved and funded through JLARC processes, the study could inform future legislation or administrative guidance on AI use in higher education.