SB 1442: Discrimination: regulations and enforcement.

Existing law prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and eligibility for government programs and benefits based upon specified personal characteristics. Under existing law, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency is charged with enforcement of civil rights violations, including discrimination. Existing law requires the department and other state agencies that administer programs or activities funded by the state or that receive financial assistance from the state and that enter into contracts for services to be provided to the public, as specified, to promulgate regulations to prohibit discrimination.

This bill would reorganize various statutes regarding discrimination. The bill would also remove the requirement that those state agencies promulgate regulations to prohibit discrimination under these provisions and would require the investigation and enforcement of the above-described antidiscrimination provisions to be performed by the department. The bill would require that specified regulations implementing these provisions be transferred to the portion of the California Code of Regulations that is under the authority of the department and would authorize the department to add to, amend, or repeal the regulations, as necessary.

Existing law authorizes the provision of housing for homeless youth, as defined, and occupies the field of regulation of housing for homeless youth.

This bill would reorganize these provisions by making them part of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. The bill would also make conforming changes.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 12930 of the Government Code, proposed by AB 2707, to be operative only if AB 2707 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2017, and this bill is chaptered last.