Virginia bill adds AI risk management to K-12 internet safety; heads to Senate
Virginia lawmakers advanced a measure to update school internet safety policies with explicit instruction on AI risks, online scams, and misinformation. House Bill 171 passed the House with bipartisan support and now moves to the Senate Education and Health Committee for review.
Why it matters
Students are running into AI-driven scams, deepfakes, and cyberbullying more often, and the current policy doesn't spell out how to address it. Del. Alex Askew said the update is about keeping pace with the tools students face every day. "With these emerging threats, we need to continue to teach our kids to be safe online from harm and the more specific these algorithms get, the more potential harm they can face," Askew said.
What's in HB 171
The bill updates division policies to include instruction on scams, misinformation, and content generated by AI-building on the existing internet safety component already required in Virginia schools. It follows prior guidance from Executive Order 30 (2024), which called for responsible and effective use of AI in education.
Read more: Virginia Legislative Information System | Executive Orders, Office of the Governor
What educators are saying
Representatives from the Virginia PTA and the Virginia Education Association supported the bill in a K-12 subcommittee hearing. VEA lobbyist and former president Meg Gruber emphasized helping students spot AI-generated media and cautioned against extended AI use in academic work. "It's getting to the point that unless you take the time to really do some deep dives, you can't, no matter whether you trust the person who shared it or not, you can't necessarily trust that it's accurate, that it isn't AI generated," Gruber said.
Gruber also noted many students don't know how to tell if a video or clip is AI-generated, and need explicit instruction to learn the differences.
Student development concerns
As AI tools become more common, some experts worry about over-reliance. Meghan Puglia, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Virginia, said a key part of learning is letting students "figure things out on their own." "We have to have a moderate amount of hardship and challenge to overcome in order to actually learn," Puglia said. "So when AI takes that away, there's a big concern for… how does that impact cognitive development, learning, creativity, certainly." She supports educating students early about AI-generated content with age-appropriate guidance.
Where the bill stands
The measure cleared the House with bipartisan support and is now before the Senate Education and Health Committee for further consideration.
Action steps for school and district leaders
- Update acceptable use policies to address AI-generated content, deepfakes, and AI-assisted academic work. Define what's allowed, what's not, and what citation looks like.
- Integrate short, skills-based lessons on spotting misinformation: reverse image search, source checks, metadata basics, and telltale signs of synthetics (odd hands, mismatched lighting, inconsistent text).
- Create reporting pathways for AI-related bullying, impersonation, or fraud. Ensure counselors and admin know response protocols.
- Set clear classroom guardrails for AI tools: permitted use cases, privacy boundaries, and consequences for misuse.
- Provide PD for teachers on AI literacy and assessment design that reduces shortcut incentives (oral checks, process portfolios, version history reviews).
- Engage families with simple guides on common scams targeting students and what to do if something feels off.
If you're building staff capacity around AI literacy and classroom use, see curated options by role: AI courses by job.
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