RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Ralph Northam announced on Wednesday he signed 32 bills into law.
Among these is House Bill 1514 -- banning racial discrimination on the basis of hair.
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Governor Northam stated, "It’s pretty simple—if we send children home from school because their hair looks a certain way, or otherwise ban certain hairstyles associated with a particular race—that is discrimination.”
This comes as other states have moved to ban hair discrimination, amidst a movement for people to embrace their hair’s natural texture and not change it from its natural state to fit into a workplace or school.
This bill was sponsored by Delegate Delores McQuinn and clarifies that when the law bans racial discrimination “on the basis of race,” that includes “traits historically associated with race, including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists.”
Delegate McQuinn stated in a press release, "Nobody deserves to be discriminated against simply due to the hair type they were born with, or the way in which they choose to wear it. The acceptance of one’s self is the key to accepting others.”
Here are the other 31 bills Gov. Northam signed into law:
- Senate Bill 237: School attendance officers; petitions for violation of a school attendance order.
- Senate Bill 650: Virginia Public Procurement Act; small purchases.
- Senate Bill 922: Virginia Lottery; Internet sales.
- Senate Bill 926: Fingerprints and photographs by police authorities; reports to the Central Criminal Records Exchange.
- Senate Bill 978: State Board of Education; technical professional licenses; military science endorsement.
- House Bill 400: Fostering Futures program; established.
- House Bill 505: Board of zoning appeals; writ of certiorari.
- House Bill 593: Special license plates; #TEAMTOMMIE.
- House Bill 639: Persons acquitted by reason of insanity; use of two-way electronic communications in proceedings.
- House Bill 641: Funeral service providers; caskets provided by third parties.
- House Bill 721: Post-adoption contact and communication agreements; involuntary termination of parental rights.
- House Bill 781: Accrual of cause of action; diagnoses of nonmalignant and malignant asbestos-related injury or disease.
- House Bill 821: Saliva or tissue sample required for DNA analysis after arrest for a violent felony.
- House Bill 973: Elementary and secondary schools, etc.; repealing several Acts relating to racial segregation.
- House Bill 990: Department of Military Affairs; change of secretariat.
- House Bill 995: Grand larceny; increases threshold amount.
- House Bill 1011: Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council; powers and duties; guidance; redaction of email addresses.
- House Bill 1022: Specifies that the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission is a criminal justice agency.
- House Bill 1042: Virginia Council on Environmental Justice; established.
- House Bill 1047: Fingerprints and photographs by police authorities; reports to the Central Criminal Records Exchange.
- House Bill 1048: Fingerprints and photographs by police authorities.
- House Bill 1081: School attendance officers; petitions for violation of a school attendance order.
- House Bill 1059: Certified registered nurse anesthetists; prescriptive authority.
- House Bill 1258: Coordinator of emergency services; Town of West Point.
- House Bill 1263: Drug Control Act; adds certain chemicals to Schedule 1 of Act.
- House Bill 1304: Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician trainees; registration.
- House Bill 1346: Attorney fees; control of court. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
- House Bill 1431: Art and Architectural Review Board; changes number of citizen members, staggered terms of members.
- House Bill 1562: Music therapy; definition of music therapist, licensure.
- House Bill 1568: State Board of Education; technical professional licenses; military science endorsement.
- House Bill 1605: Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act; incorporates major provisions.