A new Virginia law expands the state’s prohibitions on discrimination in residential real estate transactions and in employment against military members.
HB 2161 adds “military status” to the list of protected classes of individuals under the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA), as well as to the list of classes protected under the Virginia Fair Housing Law. Previously, these statutes protected only individuals who served in the military on the basis of their “status as a veteran.” The term “military status” is more expansive, protecting a larger class of individuals from discrimination in both housing and employment.
HB 2161 defines “military status” by referencing sections of the United States Code. Persons having “military status” include:
Members of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard);
Members of the Reserves;
The commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
The commissioned corps of the Public Health Service;
Veterans of the active military, naval, air, or space service who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable; and
A servicemember’s dependents, such as the servicemember’s spouse and children.
All employers in the Commonwealth should be mindful of the expanded protections afforded military status individuals under the VHRA. The enactment has additional significance for the real estate industry, however, because it makes the same changes to the Virginia Fair...
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