Senate Bill 786 Summary

• Enacts the "BE HEARD in the Workplace Act" (§ 99D-2 through 99D-9) establishing comprehensive workplace discrimination and harassment protections under North Carolina law.

• Defines 17 protected classes including age, creed, disability, gender identity, military status, race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy-related conditions, and prior arrest/conviction records, with protections extending to independent contractors, interns, volunteers, and trainees.

• Makes it unlawful for employers to subject individuals to harassment or discrimination based on protected class status, with employer liability for harassment by authorized supervisors or due to employer negligence; allows single incidents to constitute harassment.

• Establishes civil action remedies with 3-year statute of limitations for sexual harassment claims and 1-year for other discrimination claims, permitting punitive damages and attorney's fees; prohibits retaliation against employees reporting violations.

• Appropriates $1.5 million total ($500,000 each) to the Human Relations Commission, Office of Administrative Hearings Civil Rights Division, and Department of Labor for 2020-2021 fiscal year; eliminates tip credits toward minimum wage effective January 1, 2021; directs Legislative Research Commission study on nondisparagement agreements; effective July 1, 2020.