Del. Roslyn C. Tyler

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;Division of Marketing. Removes references to the Division ofMarketing of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Servicesand authorizes the Commissioner of the Department to adopt regulationsin its place. The bill also states that any regulations promulgatedby the Director of the Division remain in full force and effect untilnew regulations are promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department.

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. This bill incorporates HB 3, HB 21, HB 23, HB 217, HB 1050, HB 1200, and HB 1512.

Personal property tax; farm machinery; classificationof forest harvesting and silvicultural activity equipment. Providesthat for the purposes of local personal property tax exemptions,"farm machinery" includes any machinery designed solely for theplanting, production, or harvesting of any agricultural product, asdefined in § 3.2-6400. The bill removes forest harvesting and silviculturalactivity equipment from the list of property that may be classifiedseparately and taxed at a lower rate than general personal property.Forest harvesting and silvicultural activity equipment that is notexempted from property taxes is also added to the list of propertyseparately classified for valuation purposes, but not for rate purposes.The bill contains a nonseverability clause.

Celebrating the life of Dr. Carolyn Walker Hines.

Study; staffing levels, employment conditions, and compensation at the Virginia Department of Corrections; report. Establishes a joint committee of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions; the House Committee on Public Safety; the Senate Committee on the Judiciary; and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services to study staffing levels, employment conditions, and compensation at the Virginia Department of Corrections. The resolution directs the joint committee to conclude its work by November 30, 2020, and to report its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2021 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Commending Bob Brown.

Commending Shirley Morrow Marshall.

Commending the Dochiki Civic and Social Club,Inc.

Celebrating the life of E. Bruce Heilman.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable CharlesHenry Duff, Jr.