2018 Virginia General Assembly
Legislative Highlights
February 2, 2018
The mission of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia 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.
The legislature considered bills that would have protected the rights of parents with a disability. All of these bills have now been stricken.
SB 70 (Favola) would have provided that a person’s disability may not be the sole basis of parental custody or visitation rights. The bill was withdrawn by the patron because of disagreements about proposed amendments.
HB 491 (LaRock) and HB 515 (Bell, Robert) likewise would have provided that a person’s disability may not be the sole basis of custody or visitation decisions. Both bills require that a court may order supportive services if necessary for a parent with a disability to retain parental rights. These bills were heard in the House Courts of Justice subcommittee #2 in mid-January, but both bills were temporarily passed by the patron to try to resolve issues. Both bills were later stricken in subcommittee on Wednesday, January 31.
The disAbility Law Center of Virginia monitors issues in the legislature that may be of interest to people with disabilities. Please let us know of any legislative proposals or budget issues that you think we should be following. Contact us at info@dlcv.org or by calling 1-800-552-3962 or 804-225-2042.