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Other Issues - Anti-Discrimination Laws
LWVAL Action Priority Level III - Issues identified by LWVAL Advocacy Committee and/or State Board or Local Leagues. Monitoring occurs; action dependent on opportunity and available resources.Click a bill to see sponsor(s), synopsis, link to the bill, League action and justification for that action, and progress of the bill through the legislative process.
Legend:
= LWVAL's support for the legislation. 
= LWVAL's opposition to the legislation.
= new bill activity; change from previous week's report such as new progress in the legislature and/or League action. Bill may be one newly added to the report. These updates are in green font.Contact information for legislators and committees referenced in the bills below:
Representatives Standing House Committees Senators Standing Senate Committees Find my legislators
LWVAL has taken a position on these bills:
HB8 - Hate crimes, motivated by victim's sexual orientation, additional penalties imposed, Sec. 13A-5-13 am'd.
Sponsor(s): Representative Givan
Synopsis: This bill adds "sexual orientation or gender identity or expression" to the characteristics protected under the hate crimes statutes.
League Action and Justification: Support. League endorses protection of LGBTQ persons.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2017: First Read and assigned to House committee on Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T)
Synopsis: This bill adds "sexual orientation or gender identity or expression" to the characteristics protected under the hate crimes statutes.
League Action and Justification: Support. League endorses protection of LGBTQ persons.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2017: First Read and assigned to House committee on Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T)
HB74 - Civil Rights, provide right of a person to be free from discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or familial status; remedies provided
Sponsor(s): Representative England
Synopsis: This bill would provide that the right of a person to be free from discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or familial status is a civil right and would provide remedies for violations.
The bill also defines various exclusions including "lodging establishments of not more than five rooms for rent and which is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as a residence; any private club or other establishment not in fact open to the public; house of worship."
League Action and Justification: Support. League endorses protection of LGBTQ persons.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2017: First Read and assigned to House committee on Judiciary (JUD)
Synopsis: This bill would provide that the right of a person to be free from discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or familial status is a civil right and would provide remedies for violations.
The bill also defines various exclusions including "lodging establishments of not more than five rooms for rent and which is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as a residence; any private club or other establishment not in fact open to the public; house of worship."
League Action and Justification: Support. League endorses protection of LGBTQ persons.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2017: First Read and assigned to House committee on Judiciary (JUD)
SB141 and HB332 - Employment discrimination, prohibited based on race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or age
SB141 Sponsor(s): Senator Singleton
HB332 Sponsor(s): Representatives Coleman, Todd, Warren, Forte, Boyd, Clarke, Lawrence, McClammy, Alexander, Black, Moore (M), Jackson, Buskey, Scott and Givan
Synopsis: This bill would prohibit discrimination against a certain state employee or a prospective state employee on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or age.
This bill would also provide that a violation of this act does not authorize a state employee or prospective state employee to pursue a private cause of action against the state or any state employee.
League Action and Justification: Support.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
SB141
02/09/2017: First Read and referred to Senate committee on Governmental Affairs (GA)
HB332
02/28/2017: First Reading and referred to the House committee on Judiciary (JUD)
HB332 Sponsor(s): Representatives Coleman, Todd, Warren, Forte, Boyd, Clarke, Lawrence, McClammy, Alexander, Black, Moore (M), Jackson, Buskey, Scott and Givan
Synopsis: This bill would prohibit discrimination against a certain state employee or a prospective state employee on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or age.
This bill would also provide that a violation of this act does not authorize a state employee or prospective state employee to pursue a private cause of action against the state or any state employee.
League Action and Justification: Support.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
SB141
02/09/2017: First Read and referred to Senate committee on Governmental Affairs (GA)
HB332
02/28/2017: First Reading and referred to the House committee on Judiciary (JUD)
HB224 - Hate crimes, enhanced penalties expanded to include crimes motivated by victim's actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer or firefighter, Sec. 13A-5-13 am'd.
Sponsor(s): Representative Rogers
Synopsis: This bill would expand the definition of a hate crime to include crimes perpetrated because the victim is a law enforcement officer or a firefighter.
League Action and Justification: Support. This enhances protection of the public in a reasonable way.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/14/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Judiciary
Synopsis: This bill would expand the definition of a hate crime to include crimes perpetrated because the victim is a law enforcement officer or a firefighter.
League Action and Justification: Support. This enhances protection of the public in a reasonable way.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/14/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Judiciary
HB228 - Hate crimes, enhanced penalties expanded to include crimes motivated by victim's actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer, Sec. 13A-5-13 am'd.
Sponsor(s): Representatives Rogers and Moore (M)
Synopsis: Under existing law, additional criminal penalties are provided for crimes if an offense was motivated by the victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or physical or mental disability. This bill would provide an additional criminal penalty if an offense is motivated by the victim's actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer.
League Action and Justification: Support. This enhances protection of the public in a reasonable way.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/14/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Judiciary
Synopsis: Under existing law, additional criminal penalties are provided for crimes if an offense was motivated by the victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or physical or mental disability. This bill would provide an additional criminal penalty if an offense is motivated by the victim's actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer.
League Action and Justification: Support. This enhances protection of the public in a reasonable way.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/14/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Judiciary
SB112 - Traffic stops, racial profiling by law enforcement officers, prohibited, written policies, forms for statistics, and reports to Attorney General required, provision for complaints
Sponsor(s): Senator Smitherman
Synopsis: This bill prohibits the stopping, detention, or search of any motorist when the action is solely motivated by considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation. It also requires each law enforcement agency to record the characteristics listed above (except sexual orientation) of anyone stopped for a traffic violation, based on the officer's observation, as well as those characteristics of the officer involved. An annual review of this information shall be provided to the Attorney General.
League Action and Justification: Support based on our position against discrimination.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate committee on Judiciary (JUD)
02/16/2017: Read for the 2nd time and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd Read and Favorable from JUD
03/09/2017: 3rd Read Passed; Motion to Read a 3rd Time and Pass adopted by Roll Call
03/14/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the House committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security (PS&HS)
04/13/2017: 2nd Read and placed on the Calendar; pending 3rd Read and Favorable rom PS&HS
Synopsis: This bill prohibits the stopping, detention, or search of any motorist when the action is solely motivated by considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation. It also requires each law enforcement agency to record the characteristics listed above (except sexual orientation) of anyone stopped for a traffic violation, based on the officer's observation, as well as those characteristics of the officer involved. An annual review of this information shall be provided to the Attorney General.
League Action and Justification: Support based on our position against discrimination.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate committee on Judiciary (JUD)
02/16/2017: Read for the 2nd time and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd Read and Favorable from JUD
03/09/2017: 3rd Read Passed; Motion to Read a 3rd Time and Pass adopted by Roll Call
03/14/2017: Read for the first time and referred to the House committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security (PS&HS)
04/13/2017: 2nd Read and placed on the Calendar; pending 3rd Read and Favorable rom PS&HS
LWVAL is monitoring this bill:
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