SB 1442 — AN ACT CONCERNING LEGAL PROCEEDINGS CONDUCTED BY THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES.

(c) The executive director may, within available appropriations, LCOassign 5785a 11commission legal counsel to bring a civil action concerning an alleged discriminatory practice, in accordance with this subsection, in lieu of 13an Raisedadministrative Billhearing pursuant to section 46a-84, when the SB1442 / File No.

1442760 assign11 aSB1442 commissionFile legalNo. counsel to bring a civil action concerning an alleged discriminatory practice, in accordance with this subsection, in lieu of an administrative hearing pursuant to section 46a-84, when the executive director determines that a civil action is in the public interest and if the parties to the administrative hearing mutually agree, in writing, to thebringing ofsuch civilactionby commissionlegalcounsel.

760 executive director determines that a civil action is in the public interest and if the parties to the administrative hearing mutually agree, in writing, to thebringing ofsuch civilactionby commissionlegalcounsel.

(b) If the commission fails to issue a determination of reasonable cause or no reasonable cause on any such complaint not later than January 1, 1997, the executive director of the commission shall issue LCOforthwith 5785a 12release of 13the Raisedcomplaint Billfrom No.the commission, allowing the complainant to bring a civil action.

1442Upon forthwithreceipt of a release ofpursuant theto complaintthis fromsection, the commission, allowing the complainant tomay bring a civil action.action in accordance SB1442 / File No.

Upon760 receipt12 ofSB1442 aFile releaseNo. pursuant to this section, the complainant may bring a civil action in accordance with the provisions of sections 46a-100, 46a-101, 46a-103 and 46a-104.

760 with the provisions of sections 46a-100, 46a-101, 46a-103 and 46a-104.

Section 1 July 1, 2025 Section 1 46a-51 Sec.

7 July 1, 2025 46a-82b(b) July 1, 2025 Sec.

8 July 1, 2025 46a-83a Sec.

9 July 1, 2025 Repealer section JUD Joint Favorable LCOSB1442 5785/ 13File ofNo. 13

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760 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 26 $ FY 27 $ Human Rights & Opportunities, GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Com.

Cost Judicial Dept.

(Probation) GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Cost Resources of the General Fund GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Revenue Gain Note:

GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill makes a variety of changes to the current Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) proceedings process and results in the fiscal impacts outlined below.

The bill expands “discriminatory practice” under CHRO law to include an “employer’s agent”, and makes a variety of changes concerning early intervention, and the statute of limitations resulting in a potential cost to CHRO and potential revenue to the General Fund.

The exact cost will depend on the number of additional cases brought due to the legislation.

The exact revenue will depend on the number of additional fines imposed due to the legislation.

The bill additionally expands an existing class D misdemeanor for housing discrimination, which results in a potential cost to the Judicial Department for probation and a potential revenue gain to the General 1This cost is associated with additional staff time, materials, and resources to facilitate additional proceedings.

SB1442 / File No.

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760 Fund from fines.

On average, the marginal cost for supervision in the community is less than $600 each year for adults and $450 each year for juveniles.

Few, if any, violations are anticipated.

3 The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to the number of violations and penalties imposed.

Probation marginal cost is based on services provided by private providers and only includes costs that increase with each additional participant.

This does not include a cost for additional supervision by a probation officer unless a new offense is anticipated to result in enough additional offenders to require additional probation officers.

3No charges have been recorded nor associated revenue have been collected since FY 01.

SB1442 / File No.

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760 OLR Bill Analysis SB 1442 AN ACT CONCERNING LEGAL PROCEEDINGS CONDUCTED BY THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES.

SUMMARY This bill makes several changes affecting the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) and related laws.

First,thebillprohibits discriminationonthebasisofsomeone’sstatus as a domestic violence victim in certain actions related to selling or renting housing.

This authorizes someone aggrieved by the alleged discriminatory practice to file a complaint with CHRO, which enforces these antidiscrimination provisions.

The bill also:

1.

limits when the parties or CHRO may request early legal intervention after the mandatory mediation conference by requiring it be before there is an issued draft investigative report;

2.

limits when parties may reopen a previously closed matter to those matters closed before the start of a contested case;

and 3.

eliminates the two-year statute of limitations after filing a complaint with CHRO to bring an action in Superior Court for an alleged violation, instead applying the 90-day window after receiving a release of jurisdiction to bring the action (§§ 6-9).

Lastly, it specifies that for purposes of discriminatory employment practice claims based on an employer’s agent’s actions, an “employer’s agent” is someone who the employer authorizes to (1) undertake or recommend tangible employment decisions affecting the employee or (2) direct the employee’s daily work activities.

This applies to claims in SB1442 / File No.

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760 existing law based on a refusal to hire, a bar or discharge from employment, or discrimination against an individual in pay or employment terms due to the individual’s status in one of the protected classes (§§ 1 & 2).

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2025 § 3 — HOUSING DISCRIMINATION DUE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM STATUS The bill makes it a form of housing discrimination, and a class D misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 30 days imprisonment, a fine of up to $250, or both, to take any of the following actions because of a person’s status as a victim of domestic violence:

1.

discriminateintheterms,conditions,orprivilegesofadwelling’s sale or rental, or when providing services or facilities in connection with the sale or rental;

2.

make, print, or publish any notice, statement, or advertisement for the sale or rental of a dwelling that shows, or indicates an intent to make, a preference, limitation, or discrimination, or cause this to be done;

3.

falsely represent to someone that an available dwelling is not available for inspection, sale, or rental;

4.

restrict or attempt to restrict the choices of a buyer or renter to a certain area while other suitable areas are available;

5.

for profit, induce or attempt to induce someone to sell or rent a dwelling by representing that victims of domestic violence are moving, or may move, into the neighborhood;

6.

when engaging in residential real estate-related transactions, discriminate in (a) making a transaction available or (b) the transaction’s terms or conditions;

7.

deny someone access to, or membership or participation in, any SB1442 / File No.

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760 multiple-listing service;

real estate brokers’ organization;

or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings, or discriminate in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation;

or 8.

coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with someone in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of the person having exercised, enjoyed, or aided or encouraged someone else in the exercise or enjoyment of, these rights.

It is already discriminatory to refuse to sell or rent after a person makes a bona fide offer, refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of a dwelling, or otherwise deny or make unavailable adwelling to someone based on their status as a domestic violence victim.

The law’s and the bill’s prohibitions on housing discrimination do not apply to the rental of owner-occupied single- or two-family homes.

Also, existing law allows property appraisers to consider factors other than race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, learning disability, or physical or mental disability in their appraisals.

The act adds domestic violence victim status to this list of factors.

§ 4 — EARLY LEGAL INTERVENTION By law, either party or CHRO may request early legal intervention for complaints that are not resolved after the mandatory mediation conference.

Currently, they may do so at any time after the conference.

The bill limits when the request may be made by requiring it before the issuance of a draft investigative report about the complaint.

Early legal intervention involves a determination of whether a complaint should be sent directly to public hearing, given a release of jurisdiction so that the matter can be pursued in court, or processed for investigation in the typical manner.

§ 5 — REOPENING MATTERS SB1442 / File No.

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760 By law, a party to a matter (claimant or respondent) can ask CHRO to reopen a case.

However, the application to do this must be filed within two years of CHRO’s final decision in the matter and the claimantmustnothaverequestedareleaseofjurisdictionorfiledacourt action.

The bill specifies that the case also cannot be reopened for a party if a contested case proceeding began in the matter, meaning that the presiding referee issued a final decision and it is appealable.

Rather, in this circumstance, the parties must appeal the decision and take it up in Superior Court.

COMMITTEE ACTION Judiciary Committee Joint Favorable Yea 30 Nay 11 (04/07/2025) SB1442 / File No.

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