Anti-Discrimination Bills
DEAD Louisiana Senate Bill 211 This bill would have prohibited discrimination against state employees including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. STATUS: This bill was introduced in the Senate on April 25, 2011, and referred to the Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations. It died upon adjournment on June 23, 2011. DEAD Maine Legislative Document 1046 This bill would have amended the Maine Human Rights Act to provide that it is not unlawful public accommodations discrimination for a public or private entity to restrict rest room or shower facilities designated single sex to members of a “biological” sex. STATUS: This bill was introduced in the House on March 15, 2011, and was referred to the Committee on Judiciary. The bill died when it was voted down by the full House on June 7, 2011 and by the full Senate the next day. DEAD Maryland House Bill 235 This bill would have prohibited discrimination based on gender identity with regard to housing, employment, and credit. STATUS: This bill was introduced in the House on Jan. 28, 2011. It passed the Committee on Health and Government Operations, and the full House on March 25, 2011. On April 6, 2011, the bill passed the Senate Committee on Judicial Proceedings. It died upon adjournment on April 11, 2011. DEAD Massachusetts House Bill 502/ Senate Bill 764 These bills would have amended the state nondiscrimination laws to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in credit, education, employment, housing, and public accommodations. It would have also added gender identity to the state hate crimes law. Note: An alternate version of this bill was signed into law. STATUS: These bills were introduced in their respective chambers on Jan. 24, 2011, and were referred to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. The bills died when a new draft was offered on Nov. 15, 2011. DEAD Mississippi House Bill 159 This bill would have abolished employment at will and required that decisions to terminate the employment of employees be made for good-
faith business reasons only. Neither sexual orientation nor gender identity would have been included in the enumerated categories, but the bill would have explicitly prohibited termination “based on personal dislike.” STATUS: This bill was introduced on Jan. 4, 2011. It died in the Judiciary A Committee on Feb. 1, 2011. DEAD Missouri House Bill 477/ Senate Bill 239 These bills would have added sexual orientation – defined to include gender identity – to the list of protected classes in the state nondiscrimination laws. Discrimination would have been prohibited in employment, housing, and public accommodations. STATUS: SB 239 was introduced in the Senate on Feb. 9, 2011, and was referred to the Progress and Development Committee. HB 477 was introduced in the House on Feb. 10, 2011, and was referred to the Judiciary Committee. They died upon adjournment on May 30, 2011.
Anti-Discrimination Bills DEAD
on Jan. 4, 2011, and SB 98 was introduced in the Senate on Feb. 2, 2011. The bills were referred to their respective Judiciary Committees. Both bills died upon adjournment on March 9, 2011.
DEAD Montana House Bill 512 This bill would have amended the state nondiscrimination laws to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of categories for protection in credit, education, employment, housing, and public accommodations. STATUS: This bill was introduced in the House on Feb. 12, 2011, and was tabled by the Judiciary Committee on Feb. 21, 2011. It died in the Standing Committee on April 28, 2011. DEAD Oregon House Bill 3081 This bill would have prohibited the awarding of a public contract to a prospective contractor who provides benefits in a way that discriminates between employees with a domestic partner and employees with a spouse. STATUS: This bill was introduced in the House on Feb. 1, 2011, and was referred to the Business and Labor Committee. It died upon adjournment on June 30, 2011. DEAD Tennessee House Bill 330/ House Bill 331 These bills would have prohibited any local government from imposing on any person contracting or doing business with the local government an anti-discrimination practice, standard, definition or provision that varies in any manner from the definition of “discriminatory practices” under present law; mandated that local government ordinances adopted prior to the effective date of this bill would be null and void; and defined sex as “the designation of the person as male or female as indicated on the person’s birth certificate.” Note: A broader
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