Senate Bill 396 Summary

• Expands protected classes in North Carolina housing discrimination law to include sexual orientation, gender identity, military/veteran status, and genetic information, while maintaining exemptions for religious organizations.

• Adds sexual orientation, gender identity, military/veteran status, and genetic information to employment protections for state agencies, local subdivisions, and employees with ability to file complaints with the Human Relations Commission.

• Creates new "Equal Access to Public Accommodations Act" prohibiting discrimination based on expanded protected classes in public places, with separate bathrooms allowed based on gender but access determined by gender identity.

• Extends nondiscrimination protections to lending, insurance, education (public schools, charter schools, community colleges, and universities), and jury service using the same expanded list of protected classes.

• Effective July 1, 2021, and directs the Legislative Research Commission to review and develop comprehensive antidiscrimination legislation.