VA SB381

Shifts appointment authority for the State Council of Higher Education from solely the Governor to a divided structure: four members appointed by the Governor, four by the Senate Committee on Rules, and four by the House Committee on Rules.

Grants governing boards of public universities full authority to hire their own legal counsel, removing the default requirement to use the Attorney General's office for legal services.

Requires institutions with 7,500+ full-time students to appoint their own general counsel as chief legal officer, while smaller institutions may choose to delegate legal services to the Attorney General.

Establishes a 30-day waiting period before gubernatorial appointees to boards and commissions can take office or be counted toward a quorum, for appointments made between February 1 and December 31.

Mandates annual reporting by university governing boards to the Attorney General and Council on outside legal services, including firm names, amounts paid, types of matters handled, and total costs by matter type.