2008 Legislative Session

These are the 2008 Virginia bills that are supported by Equality Virginia. Click on a bill number to view the Richmond Sunlight page for that bill.

Fair Housing

HB 36 ““- Del. Jim Scott

Fair Housing Law; unlawful discrimination; sexual orientation. Adds discrimination based on sexual orientation as an unlawful discriminatory housing practice.

• Status: Referred to Committee on General Laws

Fairfax County Non-discrimination

HB 675 ““- Del. Ken Plum

Urban county executive form of government; discrimination based on sexual orientation. Allows Fairfax County (the only county with such form of government) by ordinance to prohibit discrimination in housing, real estate transactions, employment, public accommodations, credit, and education on the basis of sexual orientation. Such authority currently exists with regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin, age, marital status, or disability.

• Status: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns

Advance Health Care Directive

HB 805 / SB 290 ““- Del. David Englin and Senator George Barker

Advance Health Care Directive Registry; creation. Requires the Department of Health to create and maintain a secure online central registry for advance health care directives. The registry shall be accessible to health care providers licensed by the Board, through a site maintained by the Department of Health.

• Status: (SB 209) Passed the Senate unanimously; Communicated to House.
• (HB 805) Referred to House Committee on Appropriations

Group life insurance coverage

HB 865 ““- Del. Adam Ebbin

Group life insurance coverage. Allows coverage under a group life insurance policy to be extended to insure any class of persons as may mutually be agreed upon by the insurer and the group policyowner.

• Status: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

Nondiscrimination in state public employment

HB 1493 ““- Del. Adam Ebbin

Nondiscrimination in state public employment. Prohibits discrimination in state government employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a special disabled veteran or other veteran covered by the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974.

• Status: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Health insurance coverage in localities

SB 51 — Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple

Extension of health insurance coverage funded by localities. Provides that the governing body of any locality that self-funds a health insurance program for its officers and employees may extend coverage under such program to any other class of persons as may be mutually agreed upon by the locality and the policyholder.

• Status: Reported from Local Government (8-Y 7-N); Passed in the Senate, 23-17. Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel (27-R) voted no; Senator Mark Herring (33-D) voted yes.

Commending the Richmond Gay Community Foundation

HJ 144 ““- Del. Jennifer McClellan

• Status: Passed in both the House and Senate on a voice vote (no recorded votes).
• See blog entry: Extreme pettiness, caught on video

HIV Prevention Funding for Youth

Budget Amendments — Sen. Henry Marsh and Del. John O’Bannon

Senator Marsh and Del. O’Bannon have introduced budget amendments to provide for $250,000 that will support aggressive community-based prevention education in 12 state health districts that are showing a higher-than-average rate of HIV infection among young people.