                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS; SUBPOENA REQUESTS (§ 15.2-725)

A. The board may, by ordinance, establish a local commission on human rights
which shall have the following duties:

   1. To promote policies to ensure that all persons be afforded equal
   opportunity;

   2. To serve as an agency for receiving, investigating and assisting in the
   resolution of complaints from citizens of the county regarding discriminatory
   practices and, with the board&#8217;s approval, to seek, through appropriate
   enforcement authorities, prevention of or relief from such practices.

B. The board may by ordinance provide that whenever the commission has
reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in or is engaging in a
violation of an authorized local human rights ordinance, and after making a good
faith effort to obtain, voluntarily, the attendance of witnesses necessary to
determine whether such violation occurred, the commission is unable to obtain
such attendance, it may request the county attorney, with the approval of the
board, to apply to the judge of the circuit court for the locality in which the
witness resides or is doing business for a subpoena against such person refusing
to appear as a witness, and the judge of such court may, upon good cause shown,
cause the subpoena to be issued. Such ordinance shall provide that any witness
subpoena so issued shall include a statement that any statements made will be
under oath and the witness is entitled to be represented by an attorney. Such
ordinance shall further provide that any person failing to comply with such
subpoena so issued shall be subject to punishment for contempt by the court
issuing the subpoena, and that any person so subpoenaed may apply to the judge
who issued a subpoena to quash it.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, whenever a county has adopted
an ordinance prohibiting discrimination as authorized by this section, such
county may also in its ordinance prohibit discrimination in commercial real
estate transactions.

HISTORY: 1982, c. 108, § 15.1-687.3; 1991, c. 143, § 15.1-687.20; 1996, c.
877, § 15.1-687.24; 1997, c. 587.