2018 Virginia General Assembly
Legislative Highlights
January 23, 2018
The deadline to request new proposed bills was on Friday, January 19, 2018, but because it can take legislative staff some time to get the request into proper form, we expect to see new bills appearing on-line for several more days this week.
The legislature is considering some bills to protect the rights of parents with a disability.
SB 70 (Favola) provides that a person’s disability may not be the sole basis of parental custody or visitation rights. The bill was scheduled to be heard by Senate Court of Justice on Monday, but was instead withdrawn by the patron because of disagreements about proposed amendments.
HB 491 (LaRock) and HB 515 (Bell, Robert) likewise provide 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 on Monday, but after discussion, the committee passed the bill by, temporarily, to enable the parties to do additional work.
The disAbility law Center of Virginia will be monitoring developments in the legislature that may be of interest to people with disabilities. We are available to educate policymakers about the potential impact of legislative proposals. 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.
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.