HB 538 — Equality for All.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 538 Short Title:

538 Mar 26, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH40312-LR-91 Short Title:

RepresentativeRepresentatives Dahle.Dahle, Butler, and Harrison (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House March 27, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO PROTECT ALL NORTH CAROLINIANS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

*DRH40312-LR-91**H538-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (7) Offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with the understanding that any person may be discriminated against in a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith;

… (b1) It is an unlawful discriminatory housing practice for anyanyperson person or other entity whose business includes engaging in residential real estate related transactions to discriminate against any person in making available such a transaction, or in the terms and conditions of such a transaction, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicapping condition, or familial that person's protected status.

or (2) By representing that a change has resulted, or may or will result in the lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or antisocial behavior, or a decline in the qualityqualityof of schools in the block, neighborhood, or area in which the real property is located.

(d) It is an unlawful discriminatorydiscriminatoryhousing housing practice to deny any person who is otherwise qualified by State law access to or membership or participation in any real estate brokers' organization, multiple listing service, or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of engaging in real estate transactions, or to discriminate in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicapping condition, or familial that person's protected status.

… (g) It is an unlawful discriminatorydiscriminatoryhousingpractice housing practice to discriminate in land-use decisions or in the permitting of development based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicapping condition, familial a person's protected status, or, except as otherwise provided by law, the fact that a development or proposed development contains affordable housing units for families or individuals with incomes below eighty percent (80%) of area median income.

41A-4 he was motivated in full, or in any part at all, by race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicapping Page 2 DRH40312-LR-91House Bill 538-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 condition, or familial a person's protected status.

It is recognized that the practice of denying employment opportunity and discriminating in the terms of employment foments domestic strife and unrest, deprives the State of the fullest utilization of its capacitiesforadvancement and development, andsubstantiallyandadverselyandsubstantiallyandadverselyaffects affects theinterests of employees, employers, and the public in general." SECTION 2.2.

Equal opportunityopportunityfor for employment and compensation byState departments and agencies and local political subdivisions.

– An applicant for State employment, a State employee, or former State employee may allege discrimination or harassment based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, age, disability, genetic information, or political affiliation if the employee believes that he or she has been discriminated against in his or her application for DRH40312-LR-91House Bill 538-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 employment or in the terms and conditions of the employee's employment, or in the termination of his or her employment.

However, an employee may be suspended without warning pending the giving of written reasons in order to avoid undue disruption of work, to protect the safetysafetyof of persons or property, or for other serious reasons.

It is the public policy of this State to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all individuals within the State to enjoy fully and equally the goods, services, facilities, privileges, Page 4 DRH40312-LR-91House Bill 538-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 advantages, and accommodations of places of public accommodation free of discrimination because of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, familial status, militarymilitaryor or veteran status, or genetic information.

Article 1 of Chapter 75 of the General Statutes is amended bybyadding adding a new section to read:

– No person engaged in any form of lending moneymoneyin in this State, or to residents of this State, shall discriminate in the extension of credit on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or genetic information.

58-3-120, 58-33-80, 58-58-35, and 58-63-15(7)." DRH40312-LR-91House Bill 538-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 2 PART VI.

AnyAnyperson person who claims to have been injured bybyan an unlawful discriminatory practice or who reasonably believes that he or she will be irrevocably injured by an unlawful discriminatory practice may file a complaint with the North Carolina Human Relations Commission (Commission) established under G.S.

"(e) Except as otherwise provided by law or the mission of the school as set out in the charter, the school shall not limit admission to students on the basis of intellectual ability, measures ofachievement oraptitude,athleticability,ordisability.Acharterschooloraptitude,athleticability, ordisability.Acharterschool shall not limit admission to students on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, religion, or ancestry.

A charter school shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, Page 6 DRH40312-LR-91House Bill 538-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 gender identity, military or veteran status, genetic information, or disability.

§ 2000d, as that statute read on JanuaryJanuary1, 1, 2014.on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or genetic information.

"(2b) The Board of Governors shall adopt a policy to provide that The University of North Carolina and its affiliates and personnel employed by The University of North Carolina and its affiliates shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, genderidentity,genderidentity,militaryorveteranstatus, militaryorveteranstatus,or orgeneticgenetic information.

The policypolicyshall shall include that anyanyperson person who claims to have been injuredbyanunlawfuldiscriminatorypracticeor whoreasonablybelievesthat he or she will be irrevocably injured by an unlawful discriminatory practice may file a complaint with the North Carolina Human Relations Commission DRH40312-LR-91House Bill 538-First Edition Page 7 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 established under G.S.

"(k) Acitizen maynot beexcludedfrom juryservicein this StateonStateonaccount account ofrace,color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or genetic information." PART VIII.

Page 8 DRH40312-LR-91House Bill 538-First Edition