---
type: "Bill"
title: "Local human rights ordinances; sexual orientation and gender identity."
description: "Local human rights ordinances; sexual orientationand gender identity. Provides that localities may prohibit discriminationin housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, and educationon the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "HB 696"
citation: "Virginia HB 696 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Danica A. Roem"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 21
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2020-01-06"
last_action: "2020-03-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cc09d33d-1eee-4041-a5d3-a6470f71eafb"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB696"
source_hash: "f7c687bb7b3ef5e25f18e0c5742cee8a3c5a2577e9a52f5752fc01ba74cd007e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 696 (2020) — Local human rights ordinances; sexual orientation and gender identity.

Local human rights ordinances; sexual orientationand gender identity. Provides that localities may prohibit discriminationin housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, and educationon the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0131)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0131)
2. **Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB696ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB696ER)
3. **Impact statement from DHCD (HB696)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB696)

## Votes

- Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (19-Y 2-N) — **19–2** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Local Government (13-Y 1-N 1-A) — **13–1** (pass) · upper
- Passed Senate (34-Y 5-N) — **34–5** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (75-Y 24-N) — **74–24** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Danica A. Roem — primary (person)
- Ibraheem S. Samirah — cosponsor (person)
- Kaye Kory — cosponsor (person)
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler — cosponsor (person)
- Mark D. Sickles — cosponsor (person)
- Mark H. Levine — cosponsor (person)
- Patrick A. Hope — cosponsor (person)
- Sam Rasoul — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-06** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20104504D `introduction`
- **2020-01-06** Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-18** Impact statement from DHCD (HB696)
- **2020-01-21** Assigned CC & T sub: Land Use `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-31** Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (19-Y 2-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-04** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-05** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-02-06** Read third time and passed House (75-Y 24-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-02-06** VOTE: Passage (75-Y 24-N)
- **2020-02-07** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2020-02-07** Referred to Committee on Local Government `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-17** Reported from Local Government (13-Y 1-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-18** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-19** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-19** Passed Senate (34-Y 5-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-21** Enrolled
- **2020-02-21** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-02-24** Signed by President
- **2020-02-26** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on February 26, 2020
- **2020-02-26** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 4, 2020
- **2020-03-04** Approved by Governor-Chapter 131 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cc09d33d-1eee-4041-a5d3-a6470f71eafb`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).