Virginia introduces bill to create nation's 1st boys and men commission
K12, higher ed, workforce development and mental and physical health addressed
January 14, 2026, Chief Patron Del. Josh Thomas (D21) introduced HB1188, which:
Establishes the Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission as an advisory commission in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of advising the General Assembly on issues of concern, including education inequity, economic opportunities, disparity in health outcomes, and the impact of social media use, as such issues relate to boys and men in the Commonwealth.
The effort was first announced at an October event by House Speaker Don Scott, Thomas, Sen. Lamont Bagby (Senate Patron and party chair) Sen. Lashrecse Aird and Del. Michael Feggans, an event that attracted attention from national media including a Scott Galloway podcast, ABC News and American Institute for Boys and Men founder Richard Reeves.
HB1188 is written to be enacted this year, which will make it the first such legislatively created body in the United States.
Other U.S. state bills to create boys and mens commissions
Our friend Blair Daly, founder of Washington Initiative for Boys and Men, who consulted on HB1188, wrote that two bills in his Washington have been filed to create a similar commission:
January 9, Representative April Berg (D) introduced House Bill 2401 establishing the Washington boys and men commission with 19 Democratic sponsors and 1 Republican sponsor.
January 13, Representative Mary Dye (R) introduced House Bill 2461 establishing the Washington commission on boys and men with 18 Republican sponsors and 0 Democratic sponsors.
I’ve said it many times: Caring about boys and men — true gender equality — is the bipartisan issue of our time. Thank you for your good work Blair and godspeed Washington!
Full language of Virginia HB1188 to create Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission
Official HB1188 filing, here in PDF.
HOUSE BILL NO. 1188
Offered January 14, 2026
Prefiled January 14, 2026
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 30 a chapter numbered 70, consisting of sections numbered 30-454 through 30-457, relating to the establishment of the Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission; report.
Patron—Thomas
Committee Referral Pending
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 30 a chapter numbered 70, consisting of sections numbered 30-454 through 30-457, as follows:
CHAPTER 70
VIRGINIA BOYS AND MEN ADVISORY COMMISSION
§ 30-454. Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission; membership; terms; quorum; meetings.
A. The Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission (the Commission) is established as an advisory commission in the legislative branch of state government.
B. The Commission shall have a total membership of 26 members consisting of 12 legislative members, nine nonlegislative citizen members, and five ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows:
Seven members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates;
Five members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules;
Four nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, of whom:
one shall be a licensed pediatrician,
one shall be an elementary school administrator,
one shall be a representative of the Virginia Community College System, and
one shall have experience and expertise in public safety; and
Five nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, of whom:
one shall be a board-certified mental health specialist,
one shall be a high school administrator,
one shall be a representative of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia,
one shall be a representative of the Department of Education with a focus on career and technical education, and
one shall be a member of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
The Secretaries of the Commonwealth, Commerce and Trade, Education, Health and Human Resources, and Public Safety and Homeland Security, or their designees, shall serve ex officio with nonvoting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be citizens of the Commonwealth.
C. Ex officio members and legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired term and made in the same manner as the original appointment. All members may be reappointed.
After the initial staggering of terms, nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for four-year terms. No nonlegislative citizen member shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. The remainder of any term served to fill a vacancy shall not count toward term limits.
D. The Commission shall elect a chair and vice-chair from among its membership, both of whom shall be members of the General Assembly. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. Meetings shall be held at the call of the chair or upon request of a majority of the members.
§ 30-455. Compensation; expenses.
Legislative members shall receive compensation as provided in § 30-19.12. Nonlegislative citizen members shall receive compensation as provided in § 2.2-2813. All members shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.
Compensation to members of the General Assembly shall be paid by the offices of the Clerk of the House of Delegates or the Clerk of the Senate, as applicable. All other compensation and expenses shall be paid from existing appropriations to the Commission or, if unfunded, shall be approved by the Joint Rules Committee.
§ 30-456. Powers and duties of the Commission; report.
The Commission shall have the power and duty to:
Advise the General Assembly regarding issues affecting boys and men in the Commonwealth, including education inequity, economic opportunities, disparities in health outcomes, family life, and the impact of social media use.
Undertake studies, sponsor symposiums, conduct research, and prepare factual reports to formulate recommendations to the General Assembly, with particular focus on the issues listed in subdivision 1.
Advise the General Assembly as needed regarding statutory, regulatory, or other issues of importance to boys and men in the Commonwealth.
Submit an annual report to the General Assembly and the Governor for publication in accordance with procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems. The chair shall submit an executive summary of interim activity and work no later than the first day of the regular session of the General Assembly. Such reports shall be made available on the General Assembly’s website.
§ 30-457. Staffing.
The Office of the Clerk of the house in which the chair serves shall provide administrative staff support. The Division of Legislative Services shall provide legal and legislative research and analysis as requested by the Commission.
2. The provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2029.
3. Initial appointments of nonlegislative citizen members shall be staggered as follows:
one member appointed by the Speaker and one by the Senate Committee on Rules for one-year terms;
one member appointed by the Speaker and one by the Senate Committee on Rules for two-year terms;
one member appointed by the Speaker and one by the Senate Committee on Rules for three-year terms; and
one member appointed by the Speaker and two by the Senate Committee on Rules for four-year terms.
4. In addition to the annual report required under § 30-456, the Commission shall submit a one-time special report to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before October 1, 2026, consisting of no more than three recommendations. This report shall be published in accordance with procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
