A bill put forward by State Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko seeks to extend national board certification incentive eligibility to every public school employee, as detailed by the Virginia State Senate.
The measure, labeled SB217, was introduced on Jan. 14, 2026, in the 2026 regular session and is formally titled: “National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility.”
Presented below is our summary of the bill language, clarifying its key elements.
This legislation updates Virginia’s National Teacher Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund to make all public school staff eligible and supports both obtaining and maintaining certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The program would offer grants that pay half of the initial certification fee upon registration and the other half when certification is earned. It would also fully fund maintenance certification costs after completion. Annual awards would rise to $7,500 each year for certified public school personnel with an option for an additional $2,500 for those working at Title I schools, with these figures adjusted biennially for inflation.
Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko (Democrat-38th District) is the sole sponsor of the bill.
Since session began, Boysko has introduced another 20 pieces of legislation.
Boysko earned a bachelor’s from Hollins College in 1989.
A Democrat, Boysko was elected to represent Virginia’s 38th Senate district in 2024, succeeding former senator Travis Hackworth.
Virginia’s bill process starts when legislation is introduced in either legislative chamber and referred to one or more committees for possible amendments. If committees advance the bill, the full Senate and House debate and vote on it. After passage in both chambers, the bill heads to the governor, who can sign, veto or allow the bill to become law without signing. The General Assembly meets every year, starting the second Monday of January. Lawmakers file hundreds of bills each session, but only a fraction are enacted.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB217 | 01/14/2026 | National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko, Aaron R. Rouse, Adam P. Ebbin, Angelia Williams Graves, Barbara A. Favola, Danica A. Roem, David W. Marsden, Ghazala F. Hashmi, Jennifer D. Carroll Foy, Jeremy S. McPike, Kannan Srinivasan, L. Louise Lucas, Lamont Bagby, Lashrecse D. Aird, Mamie E. Locke, Michael J. Jones, R. Creigh Deeds, Russet Perry, Saddam Azlan Salim, Schuyler T. VanValkenburg, Scott A. Surovell, and Stella G. Pekarsky | SB2 | 01/14/2026 | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and David R. Suetterlein | SB212 | 01/14/2026 | Schedule VI controlled substances; TPA-certified optometrists permitted to sell and dispense. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB214 | 01/14/2026 | Civic Education, Commission on; required to develop and include certain enumerated items on website. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and Scott A. Surovell | SB215 | 01/14/2026 | Prospective employer; prohibited from seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB216 | 01/14/2026 | Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB335 | 01/14/2026 | Mental illness, neurocognitive disorder, etc.; affirmative defense or reduced penalty. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB341 | 01/14/2026 | Private elementary and secondary schools; policies relating to bullying and cyberbullying, etc. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB343 | 01/14/2026 | Herndon, Town of; amending charter, clarifies duties of town council. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and William M. Stanley, Jr. | SB344 | 01/14/2026 | Mammalian wildlife; premature separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB348 | 01/14/2026 | Firearms; storage in residence where minor or person prohibited from possessing is present, penalty. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko, Lashrecse D. Aird, Michael J. Jones, and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB355 | 01/14/2026 | Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB373 | 01/14/2026 | Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; defense to action for possessions for nonpayment of rent. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko and Scott A. Surovell | SB379 | 01/14/2026 | Psilocybin; Board of Pharmacy to reschedule upon federal scheduling changes. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB380 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, corporate and state; subtraction for broadband grant fund awards. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB406 | 01/14/2026 | Va. State Bar, et al.; use of nondisclosure/confidentiality prov. in certain settlement agreements. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB407 | 01/14/2026 | Transportation electrification; integrated resource planning, fast-charging stations, etc. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB409 | 01/14/2026 | Assisted living facilities; electronic monitoring in resident rooms. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB412 | 01/14/2026 | Court appearance of a person not free on bail; changes to provisions regarding hearings. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko, Richard H. Stuart, Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr., Lashrecse D. Aird, and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB416 | 01/14/2026 | Deferred dispos. in criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. |
| Jennifer B. Boysko | SB449 | 01/14/2026 | Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom(submitting to qualified voters). |
Information in this article was sourced from the Virginia State Senate. Source data is available here.
