HB 6217 Summary

• Adds "ethnic hairstyle" as a protected class under Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, prohibiting employment discrimination based on ethnic hairstyle alongside existing protections for religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, and marital status.

• Expands Section 202(a) to prevent employers from failing, refusing to hire, discharging, or discriminating against individuals in employment, compensation, or terms and conditions of employment based on ethnic hairstyle.

• Expands Section 202(b) to prohibit limiting, segregating, or classifying employees or applicants in ways that deprive them of employment opportunities or adversely affect their status based on ethnic hairstyle.

• Maintains existing exemptions for bona fide retirement policies and employment by family members (parent, spouse, or child).

• Preserves existing protections for pregnancy and childbirth discrimination, excluding nontherapeutic abortion from related medical conditions coverage.