Section 180. Local Human Rights Committee hearing and review procedures

A. Any individual or his authorized representative who does not accept the relief offered by the director or disagrees with (i) a director's final decision and action plan resulting from the complaint resolution; (ii) a director's final action following a report of abuse, neglect, or exploitation; or (iii) a director's final decision following a complaint of discrimination in the provision of services may request an LHRC hearing by following the steps provided in subsections B through I of this section.

B. Step 1: The individual or his authorized representative must file the petition for a hearing with the chairperson of the LHRC within 10 working days of the director's action or final decision on the complaint.

1. The petition for hearing must be in writing. It should contain all facts and arguments surrounding the complaint and reference any section of the regulations that the individual believes the provider violated.

2. The human rights advocate or any person the individual chooses may help the individual in filing the petition. If the individual chooses a person other than the human rights advocate to help him, he and his chosen representative may request the human rights advocate's assistance in filing the petition.

C. Step 2: The LHRC chair shall forward a copy of the petition to the director and the human rights advocate as soon as he receives it. A copy of the petition shall also be forwarded to the provider's governing body.

D. Step 3: Within five working days, the director shall submit to the LHRC:

1. A written response to everything contained in the petition; and

2. A copy of the entire written record of the complaint.

E. Step 4: The LHRC shall hold a hearing within 20 working days of receiving the petition.

1. The parties shall have at least five working days' notice of the hearing.

2. The director or his designee shall attend the hearing.

3. The individual or his authorized representative making the complaint shall attend the hearing.

4. At the hearing, the parties and chosen representatives and designees have the right to present witnesses and other evidence and the opportunity to be heard.

F. Step 5: Within 10 working days after the hearing ends, the LHRC shall give its written findings of fact and recommendations to the parties and their representatives. Whenever appropriate, the LHRC shall identify information that it believes the director shall take into account in making decisions concerning discipline or termination of personnel.

G. Step 6: Within five working days of receiving the LHRC's findings and recommendations, the director shall give the individual, the individual's chosen representative, the human rights advocate, the governing body, and the LHRC a written action plan he intends to take to respond to the LHRC's findings and recommendations. Along with the action plan, the director shall provide written notice to the individual about the time frame for the individual's response pursuant to Step 7 (subsection H of this section) and a statement that if the individual does not respond that the complaint will be closed. The plan shall not be implemented for five working days after it is submitted, unless the individual agrees to its implementation sooner.

H. Step 7: The individual, his chosen representative, the human rights advocate, or the LHRC may object to the action plan within five working days by stating the objection and what the director can do to resolve the objection.

1. If an objection is made, the director may not implement the action plan, or may implement only that portion of the plan that the individual making the complaint agrees to, until he resolves the objection as requested or appeals to the SHRC for a decision under 12VAC35-115-210.

2. If no one objects to the action plan, the director shall begin to implement the plan on the sixth working day after he submitted it.

I. Step 8: If an objection to the action plan is made and the director does not resolve the objection to the action plan to the individual's satisfaction within two working days following its receipt by the director, the individual may appeal to the SHRC under 12VAC35-115-210.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 18, Issue 03, eff. November 21, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 23, Issue 25, eff. September 19, 2007.

Statutory Authority

§§ 37.2-203 and 37.2-400 of the Code of Virginia.