CS/HB 853 Summary

• Removes housing discrimination as a cause of action under s. 760.07 of the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992, limiting remedies to education, employment, and public accommodations discrimination.

• Allows aggrieved persons to commence civil actions without being required to petition for administrative hearings or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing suit under s. 760.34.

• Changes the 2-year statute of limitations from mandatory to permissive, allowing (rather than requiring) civil actions to commence within 2 years after an alleged discriminatory housing practice.

• Permits aggrieved persons to file civil actions regardless of whether a complaint was filed under s. 760.34(1) or the status of any complaint, except if a conciliation agreement has been reached or an administrative law judge has commenced a hearing on the record.

• Takes effect upon becoming law.