Va. Fair Housing Law; responsibilities with respect to use of an assistance animal in a dwelling. (HB2006)

Introduced By

Del. Betsy Carr (D-Richmond) with support from co-patron Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-McLean)

Description

Virginia Fair Housing Law; rights and responsibilities with respect to the use of an assistance animal in a dwelling. Sets out the rights and responsibilities under the Virginia Fair Housing Law ( 36-96.1 et seq.) with respect to maintaining an assistance animal in a dwelling. The bill establishes a process for the review and approval or denial of a request from a person with a disability for reasonable accommodation to maintain an assistance animal in such person's dwelling. Under the bill, whenever a request for a reasonable accommodation to maintain an assistance animal in a dwelling is denied for reasons other than that the requester does not have (i) a disability or (ii) a disability-related need for an assistance animal, the person who receives the request shall initiate an interactive process with the individual requesting accommodation to determine if there is an alternative accommodation that would effectively address the disability-related need. The bill removes language providing that the terms "individual with a handicap" nor the term "handicap" do not apply to an individual solely because that individual is a transvestite. The bill also defines assistance animal, major life activities, and physical or mental impairment. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History