republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/sb-321.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Veterans; eligibility for status under state and local laws.	Department of Veterans Services; eligibility for veteran status under state and local laws; change in treatment of certain discharges. Provides that any person who was separated from active military, naval, or air service with an other than honorable discharge due solely to such person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression may petition the Department of Veterans Services to have such discharge recorded with the Department as honorable. The bill provides that persons whose discharge status is changed pursuant to such petition shall be afforded the same rights, privileges, and benefits authorized by state law and local ordinances as any other veteran who was honorably discharged.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2020	SB 321	Virginia SB 321 (2020)	bill		enacted	Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr.	4	33	9	2020-01-06	2020-04-11	openstates	ocd-bill/408fe0f4-731a-4df9-ad8a-03df9ff095a4	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB321	6d2ce16ef7de0ee1e36e54f0f245e1e7c897e34d48e42c3028d0e02f06fec86e	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 321 (2020) — Veterans; eligibility for status under state and local laws.

Department of Veterans Services; eligibility for veteran status under state and local laws; change in treatment of certain discharges. Provides that any person who was separated from active military, naval, or air service with an other than honorable discharge due solely to such person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression may petition the Department of Veterans Services to have such discharge recorded with the Department as honorable. The bill provides that persons whose discharge status is changed pursuant to such petition shall be afforded the same rights, privileges, and benefits authorized by state law and local ordinances as any other veteran who was honorably discharged.

Version chain

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

1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1172) (committee substitute) — source
2. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB321ER) (committee substitute) — source
3. Engrossed by Senate as amended SB321E (committee substitute) — source
4. Engrossed by Senate as amended SB321E (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Reported from Appropriations (20-Y 0-N) — 20–0 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N) — 7–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from General Laws (16-Y 5-N) — 16–5 (pass) · lower
• Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N) — 37–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Passage (79-Y 17-N) — 78–17 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 1-N) — 5–1 (pass) · lower
• Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendments (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2020-01-06 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20104030D introduction
• 2020-01-06 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology referral-committee
• 2020-02-05 Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendments (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-07 Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
• 2020-02-10 Read second time reading-2
• 2020-02-10 Reading of amendments waived
• 2020-02-10 Committee amendments agreed to
• 2020-02-10 Engrossed by Senate as amended SB321E
• 2020-02-10 Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
• 2020-02-10 Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) passage
• 2020-02-10 Printed as engrossed 20104030D-E
• 2020-02-12 Impact statement from DPB (SB321E)
• 2020-02-13 Placed on Calendar
• 2020-02-13 Read first time reading-1
• 2020-02-13 Referred to Committee on General Laws referral-committee
• 2020-02-14 Assigned GL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process referral-committee
• 2020-02-18 Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 1-N)
• 2020-02-20 Reported from General Laws (16-Y 5-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-20 Referred to Committee on Appropriations referral-committee
• 2020-02-21 Assigned App. sub: Transportation & Public Safety referral-committee
• 2020-02-24 Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)
• 2020-02-28 Reported from Appropriations (20-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2020-03-03 Read second time reading-2
• 2020-03-04 Read third time reading-3
• 2020-03-04 Passed House (79-Y 17-N) passage
• 2020-03-04 VOTE: Passage (79-Y 17-N)
• 2020-03-07 Enrolled
• 2020-03-07 Signed by President
• 2020-03-08 Signed by Speaker
• 2020-03-09 Impact statement from DPB (SB321ER)
• 2020-03-12 Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 12, 2020
• 2020-03-12 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
• 2020-04-11 Approved by Governor-Chapter 1172 (effective 7/1/20) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/408fe0f4-731a-4df9-ad8a-03df9ff095a4. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).