AB 1964 Summary

• Expands definition of "religious creed" and "religion" under California Fair Employment and Housing Act to explicitly include religious dress practices (religious clothing, head or face coverings, jewelry, artifacts) and religious grooming practices (head, facial, and body hair).

• Prohibits employers from requiring segregation of employees or exclusion from the public as a condition of accommodating religious dress or grooming practices, declaring such segregation an unreasonable accommodation.

• Clarifies that employers need not provide religious accommodations if doing so would violate other anti-discrimination laws or civil rights protections, including Section 51 of the Civil Code and Section 11135 of Government Code.

• Amends the definition of "sex" to explicitly include pregnancy-related medical conditions and breastfeeding-related medical conditions, and reinforces that "gender" includes gender identity and gender expression.

• Became effective January 1, 2013, and was approved by the Governor on September 8, 2012.