Liberty Amendments Month. Designates June19 through the third Monday in July, in 2021 and in each succeedingyear, as Liberty Amendments Month in Virginia.
Victims of COVID-19 Remembrance Day. DesignatingMarch 14, in 2021 and in each succeeding year, as Victims of COVID-19Remembrance Day in Virginia.
Equal Citizens Month. Designates November,in 2021 and in each succeeding year, as Equal Citizens Month in Virginia.
Study; Department of Behavioral Health andDevelopmental Services; database of criminal justice, behavioral health, and other human services records; report. Requests the Departmentof Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a workgroup to study the feasibility of developing a secure, de-identified,renewable, and relational database of criminal justice, behavioral health, and other human services records to facilitate developmentof more effective interventions.
Virginia Human Rights Act; nondiscriminationin employment; sexual harassment and workplace harassment. Clarifies,by defining sexual harassment and workplace harassment, what constitutesan unlawful employment practice if engaged in by an employer. Thebill also provides (i) a nonexhaustive list of factors to considerwhen determining whether certain conduct constitutes workplace harassment; (ii) that a person claiming to be aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice may file a written complaint with the Division of HumanRights within two years after the occurrence of the alleged unlawfuldiscriminatory practice; and (iii) that an aggrieved person who hasbeen provided a notice of his right to file a civil action for suchgrievance may do so within one year of receiving such notice andmay be awarded reasonable attorney fees, including costs and reasonablelitigation expenses, if the court or jury finds in his favor. Thebill also amends the definition of "employer" to mean a person employingfive or more employees, instead of 15 or more employees under currentlaw, for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks inthe current or preceding calendar year, and any agent of such a person.
Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribeof Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek CherokeeTribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.
Virginia Redistricting Commission; removal of commissioners; emergency. Provides for the removal of a commissioner from the Virginia Redistricting Commission for neglect of duty or gross misconduct. Removal would require affirmative votes of at least six of the eight legislative commissioners and at least six of the eight citizen commissioners. Such a vote is required to be recorded and taken in a public meeting. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Study; Department of Conservation and Recreationand Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; invasiveplant species work group; report. Requests the Department of Conservation and Recreation, jointly with the Department of Agricultureand Consumer Services, to establish a work group to study the saleand use of invasive plant species. The resolution requests that thedepartments work with several state agencies, conservation nonprofits,and plant industry and agriculture groups to develop recommendationsregarding statutory and regulatory changes intended to reduce oreliminate the sale and use of invasive plant species in the Commonwealthand promote the sale and use of native plants.
Secretary of Health and Human Resources; contractfor study of options for financing universal health care. Directsthe Secretary of Health and Human Resources to enter into a contractwith a qualified entity to study options for financing universalhealth care in the Commonwealth. The Secretary shall report the findings,conclusions, and recommendations of the qualified entity to the Governorand the General Assembly by December 1, 2021.
Wrongful death statute of limitations; criminal investigations by law enforcement. Provides that, in a civil action for the wrongful death of an injured person, such an action may be brought by a personal representative of a decedent within two years after the death of the person or, if applicable, within two years of the conclusion of a criminal investigation by law enforcement of such death, whichever is longer. Under current law, a wrongful death action must be brought within two years of the death of the decedent. The bill contains an emergency clause.
