Civil Rights Bill Will Remedy Nondiscrimination Deficiencies in State Law

assembly.ca.gov, Dec 29, 2006

Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) today announced he has introduced the Civil Rights Act of 2007, AB 14. The bill will strengthen and clarify 51 provisions in state law by referencing the strongest standards of nondiscrimination protection, which include: race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex (including gender identity) and sexual orientation.

Sponsored by Equality California, AB 14 will increase protections for various so-called “protected classes” in a variety of situations such as jury service, the issuance of credit cards, participation in the Cal Grant program, voter registration programs, delivery of emergency services, awarding of public contracts, food stamp eligibility, and the use of public beaches.

“Throughout California law there remain significant gaps in civil rights protections for Californians, leaving people vulnerable to discrimination in a wide variety of situations,” said Assemblymember Laird. “AB 14 strengthens dozens of codes so they are indexed to the strongest level of protection in state law.”

AB 14 ensures that 51 nondiscrimination provisions are consistent with the Unruh Civil Rights Act and a Government Code provision that applies to state-funded programs and activities. Because the other provisions do not include all of these protected classes, there is an existing deficiency in protection for Californians, in addition to confusion for those charged with implementing and complying with these laws. Read more at assembly.ca.gov