House Bill 450 Summary

• Expands housing discrimination protections to include sexual orientation, gender identity, military/veteran status, and genetic information alongside existing categories of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, and familial status.

• Extends employment discrimination protections across state agencies, local governments, and private employers with one or more employees to cover sexual orientation, gender identity, military/veteran status, and genetic information.

• Creates new "Equal Access to Public Accommodations Act" prohibiting discrimination in public places based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, familial status, military/veteran status, and genetic information; permits separate bathrooms based on gender but requires access based on gender identity.

• Prohibits discrimination in credit lending, insurance, education (public schools, charter schools, community colleges, and universities), and jury service using the same expanded protected categories.

• Effective date is July 1, 2021; directs Legislative Research Commission to review state antidiscrimination laws and develop comprehensive legislative proposals for further alignment.