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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Cover letter dated April 9, 1991 A ES ' CITY OF AMES , I OWA 50010 FILED r� APR 91991 i CITY CLERK April 9, 1991 t CmrOFAWS,WO The Honorable Larry R. Curtis, Mayor, and Members of the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa Re: Sexual Orientation Ordinance Dear Mayor Curtis and Council Members: As directed by the City Council , I have prepared an ordinance to amend the Human Relations Chapter of the Municipal Code to add "Sexual Orientation" as a prohibited form of discrimination. The Ames Human Relations Ordinance has always followed the State Civil Rights Statute. For that reason, I have modeled this ordinance after S.F. 177, a bill now pending to add "sexual orientation" to the State Civil Rights law. However, in response to a suggestion from Keith Schragg, I did add the phrase: "actual or perceived" to the definition of the term "sexual orienta- tion". A copy of S.F. 177 is also enclosed for your information. Yours truly, John R. Klaus City Attorney JRK:gmw Enclosures cc Sheila Lundt Ames Human Relations Commission Ames/ISU Task Force on Equality AMES - THE CENTER OF IT ALL RECEIVED APR 4 1991 SENATE FILE BY LLOYD-JONES, SZYMONIAK, ROSENBERG and LIND Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote : Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act prohibiting discriminatory practices based upon a person ' s 2 sexual orientation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 5 6 7 8 9 18 11 2 13 14 11ftj i6 fti ty 1 20 21 22 24 S.F. __]_VH.F. 1 Section 1. Section 601A.2, Code 19,91, is 'amended by adding 2 the following new subsection: 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 11A. "Sexual orientation" means 4 heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. "Sexual 5 orientation" does not include participation in acts which are 6 prohibited by law. 7 Sec. 2. Section 601A.5, subsections 6 and 8, Code 1991, 8 are amended to read as follows: 9 6. To issue such publications and reports of 10 investigations and research as in the judgment of the 11 commission shall tend to promote good will among the various 12 racial, religious, and ethnic groups of the state and which 13 shall tend to minimize or eliminate discrimination in public 14 accommodations, employment, apprenticeship and on-the-job 15 training programs, vocational schools, or housing because of 16 race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, 17 religion, ancestry or disability. 18 8. To make recommendations to the general assembly for 19 such further legislation concerning discrimination because of 20 race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, 21 religion, ancestry or disability as it may deem necessary and 22 desirable. 23 Sec. 3. Section 601A.6, subsection 1, paragraphs a, b, and 24 c, Code 1991, are amended to read as follows: 25 a. Person to refuse to hire, accept, register , classify, 26 or refer for employment, to discharge any employee, or to 27 otherwise discriminate in employment against any applicant for 28 employment or any employee because of the age, race, creed, 29 color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion or 30 disability of such applicant 'or employee, unless based upon 31 the nature of the occupation. If a disabled person is 32 qualified to perform a particular occupation, by reason of 33 training or experience, the nature of that occupation shall 34 not be the basis for exception to the unfair or discriminating 35 practices prohibited by this subsection. -1- S.F. .+w H.F. 1 b. Labor organization or the employees , agents or members 2 thereof to refuse to admit to membership any applicant, to 3 expel any member , or to otherwise discriminate against any 4 applicant for membership or any member in the privileges, 5 rights, or benefits of such membership because of the age, 6 race, creed, color , sex, sexual orientation, national origin, 7 religion or disability of such applicant or member . 8 C. Employer , employment agency, labor organization, or the 9 employees, agents, or members thereof to directly or 10 indirectly advertise or in any other manner indicate or 11 publicize that individuals of any particular age, race, creed, 12 color , sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion or 13 disability are unwelcome, objectionable, not acceptable, or 14 not solicited for employment or membership unless based on the 15 nature of the occupation. If a disabled person is qualified 16 to perform a particular occupation by reason of training or 17 experience, the nature of that occupation shall not be the 18 basis for exception to the unfair or discriminating practices 19 prohibited by this subsection. 20 An employer, employment agency, or their employees, 21 servants or agents may offer employment or advertise for 22 employment to only the disabled, when other applicants have 23 available to them, other employment compatible with their 24 ability which would not be available to the disabled because 25 of their handicap. Any such employment or offer of employment 26 shall not discriminate among the disabled on the basis of 27 race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, or national 28 origin. 29 Sec. 4 . Section 601A. 6, subsection 6 , paragraph d, Code 30 1991, is amended to read as follows : 31 d. Any bona fide religious institution or its educational 32 facility, association, corporation or society with respect to 33 any qualifications for employment based on religion or sexual 34 orientation when such qualifications are related to a bona 35 fide religious purpose. A religious qualification for -2- S.F. 1 1 ] H.F. 1 instructional personnel or an administrative officer, serving 2 in a supervisory capacity of a bona fide religious educational 3 facility or religious institution, shall be presumed to be a 4 bona fide occupational qualification. 5 Sec. 5. Section 601A.7 , subsection 1, paragraphs a and b, 6 Code 1991, are amended to read as .follows: 7 a. To refuse or deny to any person because of race, creed, . . 8 color , sex, - sexual orientation, national origin, religion or 9 disability the accommodations, advantages, facilities, 10 services, or privileges thereof, or otherwise to discriminate 11 against any person because of race, creed, color, sex, sexual 12 orientation, national origin, religion or disability in the 13 furnishing of such accommodations, advantages, facilities, 14 services, or privileges. 15 b. To directly or indirectly advertise or in any other 16 manner indicate or publicize that the patronage of persons of 17 any particular race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, 18 national origin, religion or disability is unwelcome, 19 objectionable, not acceptable, or not solicited. 20 Sec. 6. Section 601A.8, subsections 1 through 4, Code 21 1991, are amended to read as follows: 22 1. To refuse to sell, rent, lease, assign or sublease any 23 real property or housing accommodation or part, portion or 24 interest therein, to any person because of the race, color, 25 creed, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, 26 disability, or familial status of such person. 27 2. To discriminate against any person because of the 28 person' s race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, 29 religion, national origin, disability, or familial status, in 30 the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental, lease 31 assignment or sublease of any real property or housing 32 accommodation or any part, portion or interest therein. 33 3 . To directly or indirectly advertise, or in any other 34 manner indicate or publicize that the purchase, rental , lease, 35 assignment, or sublease of any real property or housing -3- S.F. ' H. F. 1 accommodation or any part , portion or interes- -_herein, by 2 persons of any particular race, color , creed, sex, sexual 3 Orientation, religion, national Origin, di.sabiiity, OT 4 familial status is unwelcome, objectionable ; n-.)t acceptable or 5 not solicited. 6 4 . To discriminate against the lessee or purchaser of any 7 real property or housing accommodation or parr , portion or 8 interest of the real property or housing accommodation, or 9 against any prospective lessee or purchaser of the property or 10 accommodation, because of the race, color , creed, religion, 11 sex , sexual orientation, disability, age or national origin of 12 persons who may from time to time be present in or on the 13 lessee ' s or owner ' s premises for lawful purposes at the 14 invitation of the lessee or owner as friends , guests, 15 visitors, relatives or in any similar capacity. 16 Sec. 7 . Section 601A. 9 , unnumbered paragraph 1 , Code 1991 , 17 is amended to read as follows : 18 It is an unfair or discriminatory practice for any 19 educational institution to discriminate on the basis of race, 20 creed, color, sex; sexual orientation, national origin, 21 religion, or disability in any program or activity. Such 22 discriminatory practices shall include but not be limited to 23 the following practices: 24 Sec. 8. Section 601A. 9 , subsection 4 , unnumbered paragraph 25 2, Code 1991, is amended to read as follows : 26. For the purpose of this section "educational institution" 27 includes any preschool, elementary, secondary, or community 28 college, area education agency, or postsecondary college or 29 university and their governing boards. This section does not 30 prohibit an educational institution from maintaining separate 31 toilet facilities, locker rooms or living facilities for the 32 different sexes so long as comparable facilities are provided. 33 Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting any 34 bona fide religious institution from imposing gualificatio--s 35 based on religion or sexual orientation when suer°. -4- S.F. H.F. 1 qualifications are related to a bona fide religious purpose or 2 any institution from admitting students of only one sex. 3 Sec. 9 . Section 601A. 10, subsections 1 through 3, Code 4 1991, are amended to read as follows: 5 1. Creditor to refuse to enter into a consumer credit 6 transaction_ or impose finance charges or other terms or 7 conditions more onerous than those regularly extended by that 8 creditor to consumers of similar economic backgrounds because 9 of age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital 10 status, sex, sexual orientation, physical disability, or 11 familial status. 12 2 . Person authorized or licensed to do business in this 13 state pursuant to chapter 524; 533, 534, 536, or 536A to 14 refuse to loan or .extend credit or to impose terms or 15 conditions more onerous than those regularly extended to 16 persons of similar economic backgrounds because of age, color , 17 creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, 18 sexual orientation, physical disability, or familial status. 19 3. Creditor to refuse to offer credit life or health and 20 accident insurance because of color, creed, national origin, 21 race, religion, marital status, age, physical disability, sex, 22 sexual orientation, or familial status. Refusal by a creditor 23 to offer credit life or health and accident insurance based 24 upon the age or physical disability of the consumer shall not 25 be an unfair or discriminatory practice if such denial is 26 based solely upon bona fide underwriting considerations not 27 prohibited by title XX. 28 Sec. 10 . Section 601A.11, subsection 2, Code 1991, is 29 amended to read as follows: 30 2. Any person to discriminate against another person in 31 any of the rights protected against discrimination on the 32 basis of age, race, creed, color , sex, sexual orientation, 33 national origin, religion or disability by this chapter 34 because such person has lawfully opposed any practice 35 forbidden under this chapter , obeys the provisions of this -5- .sue, S.F. H.F F. 7 1 chapter, or has filed a complaint , testified, or assisted in 2 any proceeding under this chapter . An employer , employment 3 agency, or their employees , servants or agents may offer 4 employment or advertise for employment to only the disabled, 5 when other applicants have available to them other employment 6 compatible with their ability which would not be available to 7 the disabled because of their handicap. Any such employment 8 or offer of employment shall not discriminate among the 9 disabled on the basis of race, color , creed, sex, sexual 10 orientation, or national origin. 11 EXPLANATION 12 This bill defines "sexual orientation" and prohibits 13 discriminatory employment, public accommodation, housing, 14 education, and credit practices based upon a person' s sexual 15 orientation. However , the bill does allow for the imposition 16 of qualifications by bona fide religious institutions based 17 upon sexual orientation if related to a bona fide religious 18 purpose. 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 LSB 1785SS 74 -6- pf/sc/14 SB�+ate F le 177 p� act �/�Oh� bi t,�y �i s c rr��rytot-y �tacf,ces busGt/ v�e,� a f'�rsci>> sexvcr� �riet/f�rfrov! 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