Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §23.1-818 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 31 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-3100.1 as follows:

§23.1-818. Security departments and other security services.

Nothing in this article shall abridge the authority of the governing board of a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education to establish security departments, whose officers and employees shall not have the powers and duties set forth in § 23.1-815, in place of or in addition to campus police departments, rely upon local or state police forces, or contract for security services from private parties. Nothing in this article shall abridge the authority of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind to establish and maintain a campus security department and to employ campus security personnel therein in accordance with the provisions of subsection F of §22.1-346.2. Nothing in this article shall abridge the authority of the governing board of any educational institution established pursuant to Chapter 31 (§23.1-3100 et seq.) to establish and maintain a campus security department and to employ campus security personnel therein.

§23.1-3100.1. Governing boards of educational institutions; powers.

The governing board of any educational institution established pursuant to this chapter is hereby authorized to establish and maintain a campus security department and to employ campus security personnel therein.