Bill > HB1663

Introduced Session

Prohibited discrimination; public accommodations, employment, credit, and housing: causes of action; sexual orientation and gender identity. Creates explicit causes of action for unlawful discrimination in public accommodations and employment in the Virginia Human Rights Act. Currently, under the Act there is no cause of action for discrimination in public accommodations, and the only causes of action for discrimination in employment are for (i) unlawful discharge on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, including lactation, by employers employing more than five but fewer than 15 persons and (ii) unlawful discharge on the basis of age by employers employing more than five but fewer than 20 persons. The bill allows the causes of action to be pursued privately by the aggrieved person or, in certain circumstances, by the Attorney General. The bill prohibits discrimination in public and private employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill also codifies for state and local government employment the current prohibitions on discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, or status as a veteran. Additionally, the bill (a) prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a veteran; (b) prohibits discrimination in credit on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, disability, and status as a veteran; and (c) adds discrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a veteran as an unlawful housing practice. The bill makes technical amendments.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Eileen Filler-Corn (D)*,  Mark Levine (D)*,  Delores McQuinn (D)*,  Mark Sickles (D)*,  Dawn Adams (D),  Lashrecse Aird (D),  Alex Askew (D),  Hala Ayala (D),  Lamont Bagby (D),  Jeffrey Bourne (D),  David Bulova (D),  Betsy Carr (D),  Jennifer Carroll Foy (D),  Lee Carter (D),  Joshua Cole (D),  Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D),  Karrie Delaney (D),  Wendy Gooditis (D),  Nancy Guy (D),  Elizabeth Guzmán (D),  C.E. Hayes (D),  Dan Helmer (D),  Stephen Heretick (D),  Charniele Herring (D),  Patrick Hope (D),  Sally Hudson (D),  Chris Hurst (D),  Clinton Jenkins (D),  Jay Jones (D),  Mark Keam (D),  Kaye Kory (D),  Paul Krizek (D),  Joseph Lindsey (D),  Alfonso Lopez (D),  Martha Mugler (D),  Michael Mullin (D),  Kathleen Murphy (D),  Kenneth Plum (D),  Marcia Price (D),  Sam Rasoul (D),  David Reid (D),  Danica Roem (D),  Ibraheem Samirah (D),  Don Scott (D),  Marcus Simon (D),  Shelly Simonds (D),  Suhas Subramanyam (D),  Richard Sullivan (D),  Luke Torian (D),  Kathy Tran (D),  Roslyn Tyler (D),  Schuyler VanValkenburg (D),  Jeion Ward (D),  Vivian Watts (D),  Rodney Willett (D), 

Failed to pass in House (on 03/12/2020)

Official Document