Members of the Virginia General Assembly were able to pre-file many pieces of proposed legislation prior to the opening of the 2020 legislative session and are able to continue filing proposed bills even as the session is underway.
There are several bills under consideration that may impact community integration rights for people with disabilities, such as:
HB 828 (Sullivan) would prohibit any group home or assisted living facility that is within a half mile of another facility. The proposal may be in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.
HB 829 (Sullivan) establishes an extensive notice and public hearing requirement before any group home may receive a license. The proposal may be in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act
HB 855 (Murphy) defines a group home to include providers licensed by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, but does not include providers licensed by the Department of Health.
There are hundreds of bills that will be considered by the Virginia General Assembly this year, and many will impact people with disabilities. At the disAbility Law Center of Virginia (dLCV), we do our best to stay on top of the most important issues for people with disabilities, but clearly we cannot know everything! If you know of bills related to disability rights in the legislature that you think we should know about, please contact us. You can reach us by email at info@dlcv.org or by calling 1-800-552-3962 or 804-225-2042.
The mission of dLCV is to advance independence, choice and self-determination; protect legal, human and civil rights; and eliminate abuse, neglect and discrimination of people with disabilities through zealous and uncompromising legal advocacy and representation.