Virginia Human Rights Acts; discrimination onthe basis of disability. Adds discrimination on the basis ofdisability as an unlawful employment practice under the VirginiaHuman Rights Act. The bill also requires employers, defined in thebill, to make reasonable accommodation to the known physical and mentalimpairments of an otherwise qualified person with a disability, ifnecessary to assist such person in performing a particular job, unlessthe employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would imposean undue hardship on the employer. The bill also prohibits employersfrom taking any adverse action against an employee who requests oruses a reasonable accommodation, from denying employment or promotionopportunities to an otherwise qualified applicant or employee because such employer will be required to make reasonable accommodation tothe applicant or employee, or from requiring an employee to takeleave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to the known limitations related to the disability. The bill creates a cause of action against any employer who denies any of the rights to reasonable accommodation afforded by the bill and permits the court or juryto award compensatory damages, back pay, and other equitable relief.
Sponsored bills
Programs to address career fatigue and wellnessin certain health care providers; civil immunity. Expands civilimmunity for health care professionals serving as members of or consultantsto entities that function primarily to review, evaluate, or makerecommendations related to health care services to include healthcare professionals serving as members of or consultants to entitiesthat function primarily to address issues related to career fatigueand wellness in health care professionals licensed, registered, orcertified by the Boards of Medicine, Nursing, or Pharmacy, or instudents enrolled in a school of medicine, osteopathic medicine,nursing, or pharmacy located in the Commonwealth. The bill containsan emergency clause.
Environmental permits; community and environmentaljustice outreach. Requires the applicant for any (i) new or majormodified stationary air pollution source, (ii) new landfill or transfer station, (iii) certification of site approval for a hazardous wastefacility, (iv) new individual Virginia Pollutant Discharge EliminationSystem permit, (v) new individual Virginia Water Protection permit,(vi) new individual Virginia Stormwater Management Program permit,(vii) new individual Virginia Pollution Abatement permit, or (viii)individual ground water withdrawal permit for a new ground water withdrawal to complete certain public notice requirements, including(a) holding a public hearing; (b) publishing notices in English andSpanish in a newspaper, on social media, and on signage at the sitelocation at least 60 days prior to such public meeting; (c) mailingnotices to interested parties; (d) accepting written comments; (e)transcribing meeting information; and (f) responding to communityconcerns to the satisfaction of the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill removes an exemption for applicantsfor a permit to operate a new captive industrial landfill or a new construction-demolition-debris landfill from certain provisions relatingto new landfills or transfer stations. The bill also removes an exemptionfrom certain public notice requirements granted to local governmentor public authority applicants for a permit to operate a landfillor transfer station.
National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol; Barbara Rose Johns. Authorizes, and directs the submission to the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library, that the vacant spot of the Commonwealth in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol be filled with a statue to commemorate Barbara Rose Johns. The request is subject to written approval by the Governor and is made in accordance with the recommendation by the Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol.
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission;confirming appointment. Confirms the appointment of Hal E. Greeras the Director of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
Equal Citizens Month. Designates November,in 2021 and in each succeeding year, as Equal Citizens Month in Virginia.
Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; certain advertising related to school quality. Adds as a prohibited practice under the Consumer Protection Act the use in any advertising any information regarding the quality of any public or private elementary or secondary school other than information derived from the school quality indicators contained in the School Quality Profiles established by the Department of Education or information derived from the school's website or the website of the school's district, unless such advertising contains a statement, displayed on its face in a conspicuous manner, that such school quality information is not derived from the school quality indicators contained in the School Quality Profiles established by the Department of Education or endorsed by the Department of Education. The bill provides that such provisions shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2022 Session of the General Assembly.The bill requires the Department of Law's Division of Consumer Counsel (the Division), to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly for any legislation that the Division deems necessary to prevent the misleading or deceiving of consumers by the use of information in advertising regarding the quality of any public or private elementary or secondary school other than information derived from the school quality indicators contained in the School Quality Profiles established by the Department of Education or information derived from the school's website or the website of the school's district. The bill requires the Division to make its recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2021.
Law-enforcement officer; duty to render aid;duty to report wrongdoing by another law-enforcement officer. Requires any law-enforcement officer on duty who witnesses another personsuffering from a serious bodily injury or a life-threatening conditionto render aid and makes it a duty to report acts of wrongdoing, definedin the bill and including bias-based profiling, committed by anotherlaw-enforcement officer on duty. Any law-enforcement officer whofails to render such aid or report such wrongdoing committed by anotherlaw-enforcement officer shall be subject to disciplinary action,including dismissal, demotion, suspension, or transfer of the law-enforcementofficer. The bill also expands the definition of "bias-based profiling,"a practice banned for sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, other local law-enforcement officers, and State Police officers in the performance of their official duties, to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Common-law crime of suicide. Abolishes thecommon-law crime of suicide. Suicide is currently a common-law crimein Virginia, although there is no statutorily prescribed punishment.
Study; staffing levels, employment conditions,and compensation at the Virginia Department of Corrections; report.Continues the joint committee of the House Committee on Health, Welfareand Institutions; the House Committee on Public Safety; the SenateCommittee on the Judiciary; and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitationand Social Services established by House Joint Resolution 29 (2020)to study staffing levels, employment conditions, and compensationat the Virginia Department of Corrections. The resolution directsthe joint committee to conclude its work by November 30, 2021, andto report its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly.