Adding veteran status as protected class to Human Rights Act

SB 159 Text

skip navigation

SENATE

PRESIDENT

SENATORS

COMMITTEES

VIDEO/AUDIO

DISTRICT MAPS

SENATE CLERK

SENATE RULES

HOUSE

SPEAKER

DELEGATES

COMMITTEES

VIDEO/AUDIO

DISTRICT MAPS

HOUSE CLERK

HOUSE RULES

HOUSE STAFF

JOINT

INTERIM COMMITTEES

LEGISLATIVE ADMINISTRATOR

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES DIVISION

PUBLIC INFORMATION

LEGISLATIVE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS DIVISION

LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR'S OFFICE

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION & RESEARCH DIVISION

POST AUDIT DIVISION

BUDGET DIVISION

REGULATORY AND FISCAL AFFAIRS DIVISION

CLAIMS COMMISSION

CRIME VICTIMS

RULE-MAKING REVIEW

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS

JUDICIAL COMP. COMMISSION

JOINT RULES

STAFF INFO

BILL STATUS

BILL STATUS

BILL TRACKING

STATE LAW

WEST VIRGINIA CODE

ACTS OF THE LEGISLATURE

CODE OF 1931

WV CONSTITUTION

US CONSTITUTION

REPORTS

AGENCY REPORTS

AGENCY GRANT AWARDS

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

POST AUDITS

EDUCATIONAL

CITIZEN’S GUIDE

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

PAGE PROGRAM

PUBLICATIONS

PHOTO GALLERY

CAPITOL HISTORY

HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW

CONTACT

SENATE ROSTER

HOUSE ROSTER

PUBLIC INFO.

NEWS RELEASES

HELPFUL LINKS

Introduced Version

Senate Bill 159 History

|
Email

Key:
Green
= existing Code.
Red
= new code to be enacted

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2026
REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 159
By Senator Chapman
[
Introduced January 14, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Military; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary
]
A BILL to amend and reenact §16B-17-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the Human Rights Act; and creating veteran status as a protected class.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 17. human rights commission.

§
16B-17-9. Unlawful discriminatory practices.

It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification, or except where based upon applicable security regulations established by the United States or the State of West Virginia or its agencies or political subdivisions:
(1) For any employer to discriminate against an individual with respect to compensation, hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment if the individual is able and competent to perform the services required even if such individual is blind or disabled:
Provided
, That it shall not be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer to observe the provisions of any bona fide pension, retirement, group or employee insurance or welfare benefit plan or system not adopted as a subterfuge to evade the provisions of this subdivision:
Provided further
, That an employer may grant preference in hiring to a military spouse or to a veteran or disabled veteran in accordance with the provisions of §16B-17-9a of this code without violating the provisions of this article. For purposes of this subdivision, "military spouse" means the husband or wife of a member of the Armed Forces who, as determined by the United States Secretary of Defense, is performing active duty pursuant to orders that authorize a permanent change of station move, if such husband or wife relocates to the member's new permanent duty station.
(2) For any employer, employment agency, or labor organization, prior to the employment or admission to membership, to: (A) Elicit any information or make or keep a record of or use any form of application or application blank containing questions or entries concerning the race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
or age of any applicant for employment or membership; (B) Print or publish or cause to be printed or published any notice or advertisement relating to employment or membership indicating any preference, limitation, specifications, or discrimination based upon race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
disability, or age; or (C) Deny or limit, through a quota system, employment or membership because of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
age, blindness, or disability;
(3) For any labor organization because of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
age, blindness, or disability of any individual to deny full and equal membership rights to any individual or otherwise to discriminate against such individual with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment or any other matter, directly or indirectly, related to employment;
(4) For an employer, labor organization, employment agency, or any joint labor-management committee controlling apprentice training programs to:
(A) Select individuals for an apprentice training program registered with the State of West Virginia on any basis other than their qualifications as determined by objective criteria which permit review;
(B) Discriminate against any individual with respect to his or her right to be admitted to or participate in a guidance program, an apprenticeship training program, on-the-job training program, or other occupational training or retraining program;
(C) Discriminate against any individual in his or her pursuit of such programs or to discriminate against such a person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of such programs;
(D) Print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for these programs or to make any inquiry in connection with a program which expresses, directly or indirectly, discrimination or any intent to discriminate unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification;
(5) For any employment agency to fail or refuse to classify properly, refer for employment or otherwise to discriminate against any individual because of his or her race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
age, blindness, or disability;
(6) For any person being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent, or employee of any place of public accommodations to:
(A) Refuse, withhold from, or deny to any individual because of his or her race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
age, blindness, or disability, either directly or indirectly, any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services of the place of public accommodations;
(B) Publish, circulate, issue, display, post or mail, either directly or indirectly, any written or printed communication, notice or advertisement to the effect that any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services of any such place shall be refused, withheld from, or denied to any individual on account of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
age, blindness, or disability, or that the patronage or custom thereat of any individual, belonging to or purporting to be of any particular race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,
veteran status,
or age, or who is blind or disabled, is unwelcome, objectionable, not acceptable, undesired, or not solicited; or
(7) For any person, employer, employment agency, labor organization, owner, real estate broker, real estate salesman, or financial institution to:
(A) Engage in any form of threats or reprisal, or to engage in, or hire, or conspire with others to commit acts or activities of any nature, the purpose of which is to harass, degrade, embarrass, or cause physical harm or economic loss or to aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce any person to engage in any of the unlawful discriminatory practices defined in this section;
(B) Willfully obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions of this article, or to resist, prevent, impede, or interfere with the commission or any of its members or representatives in the performance of a duty under this article; or
(C) Engage in any form of reprisal or otherwise discriminate against any person because he or she has opposed any practices or acts forbidden under this article or because he or she has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any proceeding under this article.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to add veteran status as a protected class under the Human Rights Act.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

Bill Status
|

Bill Tracking
|

Legacy WV Code
|

Bulletin Board
|

District Maps
|

Senate Roster
|

House Roster
|

Live
|

Blog
|

Jobs
|

Links
|

Home

This Web site is maintained by the
West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information.
|
Terms of Use
|

Webmaster
| © 2026 West Virginia Legislature **

Print On Demand

Name:

Email:

Phone: