Signed by Governor John Carney, Jr.

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits hair discrimination towards protected groups such as employees.

Highlights:

• Specifies “protective hairstyle” includes braids, locks, and twists (Sec. 1-4).

• Specifies “race” includes traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and a protective hairstyle (Sec. 1-5).

• Prohibits a person from being appointed to, or removed from, or in any way favored or discriminated against with respect to, any county position, or appointive county administrative office, because of race, or color, or national origin, or political, political or religious opinions or affiliations, or sex, or sexual orientation, or gender identity (Sec. 4.a-1).

• Prohibits a  recorder from knowingly recording or receiving for filing any contract, mortgage, lease, deed or conveyance, or any other indenture or agreement affecting real property that contains any promise, covenant, or restriction that limits, restrains, prohibits, or otherwise provides against the sale, gift, transfer, assignment, conveyance, ownership, lease, rental, use, or occupancy of real property to or by any person because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, marital status, familial status, source of income, national origin, or ancestry (Sec. 5.b-1).

• Specifies a person commits a hate crime or a felony if any person who commits, or attempts to commit, any crime as defined by the laws of this State, and who intentionally (Sec. 8.a):

• Commits said crime for the purpose of interfering with the victim’s free exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege or immunity protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or commits said crime because the victim has exercised or enjoyed said rights; or

• Selects the victim because of the victim’s race, religion, color, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, shall be guilty of a hate crime.

• Establishes it is an unlawful practice for any insurance company licensed to do business in this State to discriminate in any way because of the insured’s race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, or to make, publish, disseminate, circulate, or place before the public, or cause, directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public, in a newspaper, magazine magazine, or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter, or poster, or over any radio or television station, or in any other way, to include the writing of any policy or the application therefor, an advertisement, announcement announcement, or statement containing any assertion, representation, or statement with respect to the business of insurance or with respect to any person in the conduct of the insurance business, which discriminates in any way because of the insured’s race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin or to classify or refer to any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin (Sec. 12.a).

• Specifies the recruitment, selection, and training of apprentice trainees during their apprenticeship will be without discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The State will take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in apprenticeship programs and will operate the training program as required under the State plan for equal employment in apprenticeship and training (Sec. 13.g).

• Requires the Secretary of the Department of Labor to be responsible for the administration of this law and to adopt such rules and regulations and issue such orders as deemed necessary to achieve its purposes (Sec. 24.b).

Full Bill Text