HD34 - Report of the Human Rights Study Commission
Executive Summary: The Human Rights Study Commission was established as a result of two identical joint resolutions adopted by the 1985 Session of the General Assembly (House Joint Resolution No. 339 and Senate Joint Resolution No. 140). The Commission specifically was directed to review House Bill 900, which was introduced in the 1984 Session and carried over to the 1985 Session before being withdrawn in deference to this study. House Bill 900 proposed a comprehensive state human rights act and would have created a state human rights commission to administer and enforce the act. In this context, the Commission also was asked to review the laws of other states and any local ordinances currently in force among Virginia's local governments. The Commission submitted an interim report to the 1986 General Assembly (House Document No. 30) indicating that substantial progress had been made but requesting an extension of the study in view of the complex nature of the subject matter. The study accordingly was extended for an additional year by House Joint Resolution 33 of the 1986 Session. Appointed as House members of the Commission were Vincent F. Callahan, Jr., of Fairfax and Chief Patron of HJR No. 339, C. Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County, and Howard E. Copeland of Norfolk. Senate members were Richard L. Saslaw of Fairfax, Chief Patron of Senate Joint Resolution No. 140, and L. Douglas Wilder of Richmond City. Senator Wilder subsequently resigned from the Commission effective December 3, 1985, upon his election as Lieutenant Governor, and Senator Benjamin J. Lambert, Ill, of Richmond City was appointed in his place. Citizen members appointed by the Governor included John D. Bassett, Ill, of Galax, Harrietta Eley of Norfolk, Antonia V. Hollomon of Richmond City, Michael J. Schewel of Richmond City, and Jon D. Strother of Springfield. Delegate Callahan was elected Chairman and Senator Saslaw Vice-Chairman at the organizational meeting of the Commission in Richmond on August 16, 1985. The first order of procedure for the Commission was to afford the public an opportunity to express its views through a series of public hearings. Hearings were held on September 17 and 18, 1985, in Richmond, Norfolk, and Fairfax. Thereafter, the Commission held a total of six meetings and work sessions in Richmond between October 1985 and April 1986 to review the public hearing record, analyze in detail House Bill 900, and assess the effectiveness of existing federal civil rights laws and state statutes. The result of these deliberations was a Discussion Draft of a Proposed Human Rights Act which the Commission printed and distributed widely for public comment. Public hearings were held in Roanoke on June 26 and in Richmond on June 27 and the record was held open for written comments thereafter. The Commission then met on October 14 and October 27 to review the comments and develop a revised version of a Comprehensive Human Rights Act, a copy of which is included as Appendix D of this report. |
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