Va. Fair Housing Law; responsibilities with respect to use of an assistance animal in a dwelling. (SB1228)

Introduced By

Sen. George Barker (D-Alexandria) with support from co-patron Sen. Monty Mason (D-Williamsburg)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

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

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/10/2017Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17103819D
01/10/2017Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
01/16/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1228)
02/03/2017Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (13-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/03/2017Committee substitute printed 17104922D-S1
02/06/2017Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/07/2017Read second time
02/07/2017Reading of substitute waived
02/07/2017Committee substitute agreed to 17104922D-S1
02/07/2017Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB1228S1
02/07/2017Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/07/2017Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/08/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1228S1)
02/09/2017Placed on Calendar
02/09/2017Read first time
02/09/2017Referred to Committee on General Laws
02/14/2017Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #1
02/14/2017Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (6-Y 0-N)
02/16/2017Reported from General Laws with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2017Committee substitute printed 17105525D-H1
02/20/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1228H1)
02/20/2017Read second time
02/21/2017Read third time
02/21/2017Committee substitute agreed to 17105525D-H1
02/21/2017Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB1228H1
02/21/2017Passed House with substitute BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N)
02/21/2017VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (98-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/22/2017House substitute rejected by Senate (1-Y 39-N) (see vote tally)
02/23/2017House insisted on substitute
02/23/2017House requested conference committee
02/23/2017Senate acceded to request (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/23/2017Conferees appointed by Senate
02/23/2017Senators: Barker, Suetterlein, Sturtevant
02/23/2017Conferees appointed by House
02/23/2017Delegates: Carr, Peace, Helsel
02/24/2017Conference report agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/24/2017Conference substitute printed 17105773D-S2
02/24/2017Conference report agreed to by House (92-Y 0-N)
02/24/2017VOTE: ADOPTION (92-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1228S2)
03/07/2017Enrolled
03/07/2017Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1228ER)
03/07/2017Impact statement from DPB (SB1228ER)
03/07/2017Signed by Speaker
03/10/2017Signed by President
03/13/2017Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 3/13/17
03/13/2017G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017
03/16/2017G Approved by Governor-Chapter 575 (effective 7/1/17)
03/16/2017G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0575)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 2 clips in all, totaling 1 minute.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.



Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Moneta): BASICALLY IT'S WHAT WE CALL TRIAL BY AMBUSH. VIRGINIA HAS HISTORICALLY HAD ONE OF THE MOST LIMITED DISCOVERY PROCESSES IN CRIMINAL DEFENSE CASES. THIS LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD. ALSO THE BILL IS MUTUAL AND RECIPROCAL. IT PROVIDES OBLIGATIONS ON THE PART OF THE COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEYS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, AND IT REQUIRES THE DEFENDANT UPON WRITTEN, ONCE THEY GIVE NOTICE INSTEAD OF A MOTION, FOR REQUEST OF