By OLYMPIA MEOLA AND TYLER WHITLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS
Employers who require workers to speak English could fire an employee for not speaking the language and be safe from discrimination lawsuits under a bill that advanced in the House of Delegates yesterday.
The language requirement must be for legitimate business purposes, meaning an employee could not be fired for speaking a different tongue on a break, for example. The impetus for Del. Mark L. Cole's legislation is a case that came up in Massachusetts.
The Spotsylvania County Republican's House Bill 1472 was among a slew of bills affecting issues from mental health to immigrant rights that advanced yesterday to a third -- and final -- vote today.
On the eve of crossover, the last day for the House and Senate to act on bills before they switch to the other chamber, delegates blew through dozens of bills in a marathon 10 a.m.-to-7 p.m. floor session.
Among the other legislation moved to a third and final reading are:
Legislation that would require companies with state contracts not to employ undocumented immigrants. Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick's House Bill 1298 applies to local governments as well, though the Prince William County Republican did not have an example of any locality in which hiring undocumented workers was a problem.
A bill relaxing the standards for involuntary commitment of someone who is mentally ill. Under House Bill 559, an outgrowth of the Virginia Tech slayings, someone could be committed if there is a substantial likelihood he would harm himself or others.
Another Virginia Tech-related bill, House Bill 560, would require an independent examiner or member of the community services board to be present at a commitment hearing.
Stiffer penalties for drivers under the age of 21 who register a .02 percent to .07 percent blood alcohol level. Currently, the punishment is a loss of license for six months and a fine of no more than $500. House Bill 719 would boost the penalty to a one-year forfeiture of the driver's license and subsequent offenses could net jail time.
A "chaser bill" to the proposed repeal of the unpopular bad driver fees. House Bill 161 would create a minimum mandatory fine for felony driving offenses and for a misdemeanor of driving under the influence. The fines, starting at $2,500, would be paid into the literary fund.
Del. Robert D. Orrock Sr.'s House Bill 538 would regulate and license commercial dog breeders, some of which have been coined "puppy mills." The Caroline County Republican's bill applies to breeders that maintain and intend to sell 30 or more female dogs a year. Requirements range from record keeping to disposal of dead dogs.
All forms of animal fighting would be illegal and dogfighting would be a felony under House Bill 656, sponsored by House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem. It would increase penalties for animal fighting and adds additional charges for mitigating factors such as wagering and letting a minor attend a fight.
House Bill 1062 adds pregnancy as a reason to cast an absentee ballot.
House Bill 1174 would create an Office of Immigrant Assistance to help legal immigrants find a path to citizenship.
Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or omeola@timesdispatch.com.
Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.
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