SB 494 Virginia Senate · 2022 Regular Session

Virginia Human Rights Act; nondiscrimination in employment, definition of employer.

Summary
Virginia Human Rights Act; nondiscrimination in employment; definition of employer, statute of limitations, and provision of attorney fees. Amends the definition of "employer" to mean a person employing five or more employees, instead of 15 or more employees under current law, for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year, and any agent of such person. The bill provides that a person claiming to be aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice may file a written complaint with the Division of Human Rights within two years of the occurrence of the alleged unlawful discriminatory practice and that an aggrieved person who has been provided a notice of his right to file a civil action for such grievance may do so within one year of receiving such notice or within two years after the alleged discriminatory practice occurred, whichever is later. The bill also changes a court's award of reasonable attorney fees and costs to a successful plaintiff from discretionary to mandatory.
Bill status failed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2022
Committee Review
Mar 2022
Senate Passage
Jan 2022
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 11, 2022 Last action Mar 3, 2022
Floor votes · Senate Jan 21, 2022

How they voted

30–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 33
Jan 21, 2022
D Democratic17
16 Yea 1
94% Yea
R Republican16
14 Yea 2
87% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
8
Committee
8
Mar 1, 2022
Committee
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Energy
lower
Mar 1, 2022
Lower · Passed
Reported from General Laws (12-Y 10-N)
lower
Feb 24, 2022
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Commerce and Energy
lower
Feb 24, 2022
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 1-N)
lower
Feb 23, 2022
Committee
Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #1
lower
Feb 23, 2022
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws
lower
Jan 27, 2022
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N)
upper
Jan 26, 2022
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 25, 2022
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 21, 2022
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (30-0-3)
senate
Jan 19, 2022
Upper · Passed
Reported from General Laws and Technology (8-Y 7-N)
upper
Jan 11, 2022
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
upper
Jan 11, 2022
Introduced
Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22102695D
upper
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors

Sponsors