Virginia HB 223: Virginia Human Rights Act; limitations on causes of action.

Bill Text

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2018 SESSION

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18101370D

HOUSE BILL NO. 223 

Offered January 10, 2018 

Prefiled December 29, 2017 

A BILL to amend and reenact � 2.2-3903 of the Code of 
 Virginia, relating to the Virginia Human Rights Act; limitations on causes of 
 action. 
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Patron-- Krizek 

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Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That � 2.2-3903 of the Code of Virginia is amended and 
 reenacted as follows:

� 2.2-3903. Causes of action not created.

A. Nothing in this chapter or in Article 4 (� 2.2-520 et seq.) 
 of Chapter 5 creates, nor shall it be construed to create, an independent or 
 private cause of action to enforce its provisions, except as specifically 
 provided in subsections B and C.

B. No employer employing more than five but less than 15 
 persons shall discharge any such employee on the basis of race, color, 
 religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical 
 conditions, including lactation. No employer employing more than five but less 
 than 20 persons shall discharge any such employee on the basis of age if the 
 employee is 40 years of age or older. For the purposes of this section, 
 "lactation" means a condition that may result in the feeding of a 
 child directly from the breast or the expressing of milk from the breast.

C. The employee may bring an action in a general district or 
 circuit court having jurisdiction over the employer who allegedly discharged 
 the employee in violation of this section. Any such action shall be brought 
 within 300 days from the date of the discharge or, if the employee has filed a 
 complaint with the Division of Human Rights of the Department of Law or a local 
 human rights or human relations agency or commission within 300 days of the 
 discharge, such action shall be brought within 90 days from the date that the 
 Division or a local human rights or human relations agency or commission has 
 rendered a final disposition on the complaint. The court may award up to 12 months' back pay with 
 interest at the judgment rate as provided in � 6.2-302, and 
 front pay. However, if the court finds that either party 
 engaged in tactics to delay resolution of the complaint, it may (i) increase or diminish the award or (ii) award back pay to the date of 
 judgment without regard to the 12-month limitation.

In any case where the employee prevails, the court shall award 
 attorney fees from the amount recovered, not to exceed 25 40 percent of the back pay and front pay awarded. The 
 court shall not award other damages, compensatory or punitive, nor shall it 
 order reinstatement of the employee.

D. Causes of action based upon the public policies reflected 
 in this chapter shall be exclusively limited to those