2023 -- S 0342 AS AMENDED

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

     

     Introduced By: Senators DiMario, Euer, Murray, Gu, Valverde, Lauria, Ujifusa,

     Date Introduced: February 16, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 28-5-6 and 28-5-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-5 entitled

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"Fair Employment Practices" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     28-5-6. Definitions.

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     When used in this chapter:

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     (1) “Age” means anyone who is at least forty (40) years of age.

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     (2) “Because of sex” or “on the basis of sex” includes, but is not limited to, because of or

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on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, and women affected by

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pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated the same for all employment

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related purposes, including receipt of benefits under fringe benefit programs, as other persons not

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so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work, and nothing in this chapter shall be

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interpreted to permit otherwise.

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     (3) “Commission” means the Rhode Island commission against discrimination created by

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this chapter.

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     (4) "Confidential" means to remain secret and not to be disclosed to another person or

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entity.

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     (4)(5) “Conviction” means, for the purposes of this chapter only, any verdict or finding of

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guilt after a criminal trial or any plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a criminal charge.

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     (5)(6) “Disability” means a disability as defined in § 42-87-1.

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     (6)(7) “Discriminate” includes segregate or separate.

 

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     (7)(8) “Employee” does not include any individual employed by his or her parents, spouse,

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or child, or in the domestic service of any person.

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     (8)(9)(i) “Employer” includes the state and all political subdivisions of the state and any

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person in this state employing four (4) or more individuals, and any person acting in the interest of

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an employer directly or indirectly.

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     (ii) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to apply to a religious corporation,

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association, educational institution, or society with respect to the employment of individuals of its

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religion to perform work connected with the carrying on of its activities.

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     (9)(10) “Employment agency” includes any person undertaking, with or without

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compensation, to procure opportunities to work, or to procure, recruit, refer, or place employees.

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     (10)(11) “Firefighter” means an employee the duties of whose position include work

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connected with the control and extinguishment of fires or the maintenance and use of firefighting

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apparatus and equipment, including an employee engaged in this activity who is transferred or

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promoted to a supervisory or administrative position.

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     (11)(12) “Gender identity or expression” includes a person’s actual or perceived gender,

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as well as a person’s gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-related appearance, or

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gender-related expression; whether or not that gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-

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related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with

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the person’s sex at birth.

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     (12)(13) “Labor organization” includes any organization that exists for the purpose, in

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whole or in part, of collective bargaining or of dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms

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or conditions of employment, or of other mutual aid or protection in relation to employment.

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     (13)(14) “Law enforcement officer” means an employee the duties of whose position

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include investigation, apprehension, or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses

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against the criminal laws of the state, including an employee engaged in such activity who is

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transferred or promoted to a supervisory or administrative position. For the purpose of this

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subdivision, “detention” includes the duties of employees assigned to guard individuals

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incarcerated in any penal institution.

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     (15) "Non-disparagement agreement" means an agreement which restricts an individual

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from taking any action to include, but not be limited to, speaking or publicizing information that

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negatively impacts the other party to the agreement to include the reputation, products, services,

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employees and management of the protected party.

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     (14)(16) “Person” includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations,

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organizations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, or receivers.

 

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     (15)(17) “Religion” includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as

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belief, unless an employer, union, or employment agency demonstrates that it is unable to

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reasonably accommodate to an employee’s or prospective employee’s or union member’s religious

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observance or practice without undue hardship on the conduct of its business.

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     (16)(18) “Sexual orientation” means having or being perceived as having an orientation for

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heterosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality.

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     (17)(19) The terms, as used regarding persons with disabilities:

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     (i) “Auxiliary aids and services” and “reasonable accommodation” shall have the same

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meaning as those items are defined in § 42-87-1.1; and

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     (ii) “Hardship” means an “undue hardship” as defined in § 42-87-1.1.

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     28-5-7. Unlawful employment practices.

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     It shall be an unlawful employment practice:

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     (1) For any employer:

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     (i) To refuse to hire any applicant for employment because of his or her race or color,

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religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of

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ancestral origin;

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     (ii) Because of those reasons, to discharge an employee or discriminate against him or her

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with respect to hire, tenure, compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, or any

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other matter directly or indirectly related to employment. However, if an insurer or employer

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extends insurance-related benefits to persons other than or in addition to the named employee,

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nothing in this subdivision shall require those benefits to be offered to unmarried partners of named

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employees;

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     (iii) In the recruiting of individuals for employment or in hiring them, to utilize any

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employment agency, placement service, training school or center, labor organization, or any other

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employee referring source that the employer knows, or has reasonable cause to know, discriminates

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against individuals because of their race or color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity

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or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

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     (iv) To refuse to reasonably accommodate an employee’s or prospective employee’s

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disability unless the employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would pose a hardship on

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the employer’s program, enterprise, or business; or

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     (v) When an employee has presented to the employer an internal complaint alleging

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harassment in the workplace on the basis of race or color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual

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orientation, gender identity or expression, or country of ancestral origin, to refuse to disclose in a

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timely manner in writing to that employee the disposition of the complaint, including a description

 

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of any action taken in resolution of the complaint; provided, however, no other personnel

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information shall be disclosed to the complainant; or

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     (vi) To require an employee as a condition of employment, to execute a nondisclosure

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agreement that requires alleged violations of civil rights remain confidential, or a non-

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disparagement agreement concerning alleged violations of civil rights or alleged unlawful conduct,

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or any agreement with a clause that requires alleged violations of civil rights remain confidential.

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Any contract provision in violation of this subsection shall be void as a violation of public policy.

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     (2)(i) For any employment agency to fail or refuse to properly classify or refer for

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employment or otherwise discriminate against any individual because of his or her race or color,

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religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of

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ancestral origin; or

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     (ii) For any employment agency, placement service, training school or center, labor

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organization, or any other employee referring source to comply with an employer’s request for the

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referral of job applicants if the request indicates, either directly or indirectly, that the employer will

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not afford full and equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of their race or color,

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religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of

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ancestral origin;

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     (3) For any labor organization:

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     (i) To deny full and equal membership rights to any applicant for membership because of

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his or her race or color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability,

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age, or country of ancestral origin;

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     (ii) Because of those reasons, to deny a member full and equal membership rights, expel

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him or her from membership, or otherwise discriminate in any manner against him or her with

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respect to his or her hire, tenure, compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, or

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any other matter directly or indirectly related to membership or employment, whether or not

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authorized or required by the constitution or bylaws of the labor organization or by a collective

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labor agreement or other contract;

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     (iii) To fail or refuse to classify properly or refer for employment, or otherwise to

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discriminate against any member because of his or her race or color, religion, sex, sexual

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orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin; or

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     (iv) To refuse to reasonably accommodate a member’s or prospective member’s disability

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unless the labor organization can demonstrate that the accommodation would pose a hardship on

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the labor organization’s program, enterprise, or business;

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     (4) Except where based on a bona fide occupational qualification certified by the

 

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commission or where necessary to comply with any federal mandated affirmative action programs,

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for any employer or employment agency, labor organization, placement service, training school or

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center, or any other employee referring source, prior to employment or admission to membership

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of any individual, to:

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     (i) Elicit, or attempt to elicit, any information directly or indirectly pertaining to his or her

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race or color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or

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country of ancestral origin;

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     (ii) Make or keep a record of his or her race or color, religion, sex, sexual orientation,

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gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

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     (iii) Use any form of application for employment, or personnel or membership blank

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containing questions or entries directly or indirectly pertaining to race or color, religion, sex, sexual

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orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

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     (iv) Print or publish, or cause to be printed or published, any notice or advertisement

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relating to employment or membership indicating any preference, limitation, specification, or

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discrimination based upon race or color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or

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expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin; or

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     (v) Establish, announce, or follow a policy of denying or limiting, through a quota system

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or otherwise, employment or membership opportunities of any group because of the race or color,

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religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of

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ancestral origin of that group;

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     (5) For any employer or employment agency, labor organization, placement service,

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training school or center, or any other employee referring source to discriminate in any manner

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against any individual because he or she has opposed any practice forbidden by this chapter, or

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because he or she has made a charge, testified, or assisted in any manner in any investigation,

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proceeding, or hearing under this chapter;

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     (6) For any person, whether or not an employer, employment agency, labor organization,

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or employee, to aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of any act declared by this section to

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be an unlawful employment practice, or to obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the

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provisions of this chapter or any order issued pursuant to this chapter, or to attempt directly or

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indirectly to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful employment practice;

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     (7) For any employer to include on any application for employment, except applications

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for law enforcement agency positions or positions related to law enforcement agencies, a question

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inquiring or to otherwise inquire either orally or in writing whether the applicant has ever been

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arrested, charged with or convicted of any crime; provided, that:

 

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     (i) If a federal or state law or regulation creates a mandatory or presumptive disqualification

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from employment based on a person’s conviction of one or more specified criminal offenses, an

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employer may include a question or otherwise inquire whether the applicant has ever been

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convicted of any of those offenses; or

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     (ii) If a standard fidelity bond or an equivalent bond is required for the position for which

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the applicant is seeking employment and his or her conviction of one or more specified criminal

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offenses would disqualify the applicant from obtaining such a bond, an employer may include a

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question or otherwise inquire whether the applicant has ever been convicted of any of those

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offenses; and

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     (iii) Notwithstanding, any employer may ask an applicant for information about his or her

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criminal convictions at the first interview or thereafter, in accordance with all applicable state and

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federal laws;

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     (8)(i) For any person who or that, on June 7, 1988, is providing either by direct payment

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or by making contributions to a fringe benefit fund or insurance program, benefits in violation with

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§§ 28-5-6, 28-5-7 and 28-5-38, until the expiration of a period of one year from June 7, 1988, or if

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there is an applicable collective bargaining agreement in effect on June 7, 1988, until the

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termination of that agreement, in order to come into compliance with §§ 28-5-6, 28-5-7 and 28-5-

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38, to reduce the benefits or the compensation provided any employee on June 7, 1988, either

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directly or by failing to provide sufficient contributions to a fringe benefit fund or insurance

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program.

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     (ii) Where the costs of these benefits on June 7, 1988, are apportioned between employers

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and employees, the payments or contributions required to comply with §§ 28-5-6, 28-5-7 and 28-

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5-38 may be made by employers and employees in the same proportion.

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     (iii) Nothing in this section shall prevent the readjustment of benefits or compensation for

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reasons unrelated to compliance with §§ 28-5-6, 28-5-7 and 28-5-38.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

***

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     This act would prohibit an employer from requiring an employee to execute a

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nondisclosure agreement or non-disparagement agreement, regarding alleged violations of civil

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rights or criminal conduct, as a condition of employment. It would also add the definition of

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"confidential" to the fair employment practices statute.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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