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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5414
February Session, 2024
LCO No. 2588
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
(JUD)
AN ACT CONCERNING LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR VICTIMS OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 46a-51 of the 2024 supplement to the general 1
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
(Effective October 1, 2024): 3
As used in section 4a-60a and this chapter: 4
(1) "Blind" refers to an individual whose central visual acuity does 5
not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose 6
visual acuity is greater than 20/200 but is accompanied by a limitation 7
in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field 8
subtends an angle no greater than twenty degrees; 9
(2) "Commission" means the Commission on Human Rights and 10
Opportunities created by section 46a-52; 11
(3) "Commission legal counsel" means a member of the legal staff 12
employed by the commission pursuant to section 46a-54, as amended 13 Raised Bill No. 5414
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by this act; 14
(4) "Commissioner" means a member of the commission; 15
(5) "Court" means the Superior Court or any judge of said court; 16
(6) "Discrimination" includes segregation and separation; 17
(7) "Discriminatory employment practice" means any discriminatory 18
practice specified in subsection (b), (d), (e) or (f) of section 31-51i or 19
section 46a-60, as amended by this act, or 46a-81c; 20
(8) "Discriminatory practice" means a violation of section 4a-60, 4a-21
60a, 4a-60g, 31-40y, subsection (b), (d), (e) or (f) of section 31-51i, 22
subparagraph (C) of subdivision (15) of section 46a-54, subdivisions (16) 23
and (17) of section 46a-54, section 46a-58, as amended by this act, 46a-24
59, as amended by this act, 46a-60, as amended by this act, 46a-64, as 25
amended by this act, 46a-64c, as amended by this act, 46a-66, as 26
amended by this act, 46a-68, 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive, or 46a-70 to 27
46a-78, inclusive, as amended by this act, subsection (a) of section 46a-28
80 or sections 46a-81b to 46a-81o, inclusive, and sections 46a-80b to 46a-29
80e, inclusive, and sections 46a-80k to 46a-80m, inclusive; 30
(9) "Employee" means any person employed by an employer but shall 31
not include any individual employed by such individual's parents, 32
spouse or child. "Employee" includes any elected or appointed official 33
of a municipality, board, commission, counsel or other governmental 34
body; 35
(10) "Employer" includes the state and all political subdivisions 36
thereof and means any person or employer with one or more persons in 37
such person's or employer's employ; 38
(11) "Employment agency" means any person undertaking with or 39
without compensation to procure employees or opportunities to work; 40
(12) "Labor organization" means any organization which exists for the 41
purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining or of dealing with 42 Raised Bill No. 5414
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employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, 43
or of other mutual aid or protection in connection with employment; 44
(13) "Intellectual disability" means intellectual disability as defined in 45
section 1-1g; 46
(14) "Person" means one or more individuals, partnerships, 47
associations, corporations, limited liability companies, legal 48
representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers and the state 49
and all political subdivisions and agencies thereof; 50
(15) "Physically disabled" refers to any individual who has any 51
chronic physical handicap, infirmity or impairment, whether congenital 52
or resulting from bodily injury, organic processes or changes or from 53
illness, including, but not limited to, epilepsy, deafness or being hard of 54
hearing or reliance on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or 55
device; 56
(16) "Respondent" means any person alleged in a complaint filed 57
pursuant to section 46a-82 to have committed a discriminatory practice; 58
(17) "Discrimination on the basis of sex" includes but is not limited to 59
discrimination related to pregnancy, child-bearing capacity, 60
sterilization, fertility or related medical conditions; 61
(18) "Discrimination on the basis of religious creed" includes but is 62
not limited to discrimination related to all aspects of religious 63
observances and practice as well as belief, unless an employer 64
demonstrates that the employer is unable to reasonably accommodate 65
to an employee's or prospective employee's religious observance or 66
practice without undue hardship on the conduct of the employer's 67
business; 68
(19) "Learning disability" refers to an individual who exhibits a severe 69
discrepancy between educational performance and measured 70
intellectual ability and who exhibits a disorder in one or more of the 71
basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using 72 Raised Bill No. 5414
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language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in a diminished 73
ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical 74
calculations; 75
(20) "Mental disability" refers to an individual who has a record of, or 76
is regarded as having one or more mental disorders, as defined in the 77
most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's 78
"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"; [and] 79
(21) "Gender identity or expression" means a person's gender-related 80
identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related 81
identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally 82
associated with the person's physiology or assigned sex at birth, which 83
gender-related identity can be shown by providing evidence including, 84
but not limited to, medical history, care or treatment of the gender-85
related identity, consistent and uniform assertion of the gender-related 86
identity or any other evidence that the gender-related identity is 87
sincerely held, part of a person's core identity or not being asserted for 88
an improper purpose; 89
(22) "Veteran" means veteran as defined in subsection (a) of section 90
27-103; 91
(23) "Race" is inclusive of ethnic traits historically associated with 92
race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles; 93
(24) "Protective hairstyles" includes, but is not limited to, wigs, 94
headwraps and hairstyles such as individual braids, cornrows, locs, 95
twists, Bantu knots, afros and afro puffs; 96
(25) "Domestic violence" has the same meaning as provided in 97
subsection (b) of section 46b-1; [and] 98
(26) "Sexual orientation" means a person's identity in relation to the 99
gender or genders to which they are romantically, emotionally or 100
sexually attracted, inclusive of any identity that a person (A) may have 101
previously expressed, or (B) is perceived by another person to hold; and 102 Raised Bill No. 5414
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(27) "Victim of sexual assault" means a victim of sexual assault under 103
section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-70b, 53a-70c, 53a-71, 53a-72, 53a-72a, 53a-104
72b, 53a-73 or 53a-73a. 105
Sec. 2. Subdivisions (19) and (20) of section 46a-54 of the general 106
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 107
(Effective October 1, 2024): 108
(19) To require each state agency to provide a minimum of one hour 109
of training and education related to domestic violence and sexual 110
assault and the resources available to victims of domestic violence and 111
sexual assault (A) to all employees hired prior to January 1, [2023] 2025, 112
not later than July 1, [2023] 2025, and (B) to all employees hired on or 113
after January 1, [2023] 2025, not later than six months after their 114
assumption of a position with a state agency. Such training and 115
education shall include information concerning (i) domestic violence, 116
sexual assault, abuser and victim behaviors; (ii) how domestic violence 117
and sexual assault may impact the workplace; and (iii) the resources 118
available to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The 119
requirements of this subdivision shall be accomplished within available 120
appropriations using the training and education materials made 121
available by the commission in accordance with the provisions of 122
subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of section 46a-56, as amended by this 123
act; and 124
(20) To require an employer having three or more employees to post 125
in a prominent and accessible location information concerning domestic 126
violence and sexual assault and the resources available to victims of 127
domestic violence and sexual assault in Connecticut. 128
Sec. 3. Subdivisions (9) and (10) of subsection (a) of section 46a-56 of 129
the 2024 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the 130
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 131
(9) Develop, in conjunction with organizations that advocate on 132
behalf of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and include 133
on the commission's Internet web site a link concerning domestic 134 Raised Bill No. 5414
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violence and sexual assault and the resources available to victims of 135
domestic violence and sexual assault; and 136
(10) Develop, in conjunction with organizations that advocate on 137
behalf of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and make 138
available at no cost to each state agency an online training and education 139
video or other interactive method of training and education that fulfills 140
the requirements prescribed in subdivision (19) of section 46a-54, as 141
amended by this act. 142
Sec. 4. Section 46a-58 of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 143
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 144
October 1, 2024): 145
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section for 146
any person to subject, or cause to be subjected, any other person to the 147
deprivation of any rights, privileges or immunities, secured or protected 148
by the Constitution or laws of this state or of the United States, on 149
account of religion, national origin, alienage, color, race, sex, gender 150
identity or expression, sexual orientation, blindness, mental disability, 151
physical disability, age, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 152
domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual assault. 153
(b) Any person who intentionally desecrates any public property, 154
monument or structure, or any religious object, symbol or house of 155
religious worship, or any cemetery, or any private structure not owned 156
by such person, shall be in violation of subsection (a) of this section. For 157
the purposes of this subsection, "desecrate" means to mar, deface or 158
damage as a demonstration of irreverence or contempt. 159
(c) Any person who places a burning cross or a simulation thereof on 160
any public property, or on any private property without the written 161
consent of the owner, and with intent to intimidate or harass any other 162
person or group of persons, shall be in violation of subsection (a) of this 163
section. 164
(d) Any person who places a noose or a simulation thereof on any 165 Raised Bill No. 5414
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public property, or on any private property without the written consent 166
of the owner, and with intent to intimidate or harass any other person 167
on account of religion, national origin, alienage, color, race, sex, gender 168
identity or expression, sexual orientation, blindness, mental disability, 169
physical disability, age, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 170
domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual assault, shall be in 171
violation of subsection (a) of this section. 172
(e) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, any 173
person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a 174
class A misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than one thousand 175
dollars, except that if property is damaged as a consequence of such 176
violation in an amount in excess of one thousand dollars, such person 177
shall be guilty of a class D felony and shall be fined not less than one 178
thousand dollars. 179
(2) Any person who violates the provisions of this section by 180
intentionally desecrating a house of religious worship (A) shall be guilty 181
of a class D felony and shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars 182
if property is damaged as a consequence of such violation in an amount 183
up to and including ten thousand dollars, and (B) shall be guilty of a 184
class C felony and shall be fined not less than three thousand dollars if 185
the property damaged as a consequence of such violation is in an 186
amount in excess of ten thousand dollars. 187
(3) The minimum amount of any fine imposed by the provisions of 188
this section may not be remitted or reduced by the court unless the court 189
states on the record its reasons for remitting or reducing such fine. 190
(4) The court may order restitution for any victim of a violation of this 191
section pursuant to subsection (c) of section 53a-28. 192
Sec. 5. Section 46a-59 of the general statutes is repealed and the 193
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 194
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section for 195
any association, board or other organization the principal purpose of 196 Raised Bill No. 5414
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which is the furtherance of the professional or occupational interests of 197
its members, whose profession, trade or occupation requires a state 198
license, to refuse to accept a person as a member of such association, 199
board or organization because of his race, national origin, creed, sex, 200
gender identity or expression, color, status as a veteran, [or] status as a 201
victim of domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual assault. 202
(b) Any association, board or other organization which violates the 203
provisions of this section shall be fined not less than one hundred 204
dollars nor more than five hundred dollars. 205
Sec. 6. Subsection (b) of section 46a-60 of the general statutes is 206
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 207
1, 2024): 208
(b) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: 209
(1) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, except 210
in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification or need, to refuse to 211
hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from employment any 212
individual or to discriminate against any individual in compensation or 213
in terms, conditions or privileges of employment because of the 214
individual's race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or 215
expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past 216
history of mental disability, intellectual disability, learning disability, 217
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a 218
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence or status as a victim 219
of sexual assault; 220
(2) For any employment agency, except in the case of a bona fide 221
occupational qualification or need, to fail or refuse to classify properly 222
or refer for employment or otherwise to discriminate against any 223
individual because of such individual's race, color, religious creed, age, 224
sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, 225
ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, intellectual 226
disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not 227
limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 228 Raised Bill No. 5414
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domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual assault; 229
(3) For a labor organization, because of the race, color, religious creed, 230
age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, 231
ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, intellectual 232
disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not 233
limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 234
domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual assault of any 235
individual to exclude from full membership rights or to expel from its 236
membership such individual or to discriminate in any way against any 237
of its members or against any employer or any individual employed by 238
an employer, unless such action is based on a bona fide occupational 239
qualification; 240
(4) For any person, employer, labor organization or employment 241
agency to discharge, expel or otherwise discriminate against any person 242
because such person has opposed any discriminatory employment 243
practice or because such person has filed a complaint or testified or 244
assisted in any proceeding under section 46a-82, 46a-83 or 46a-84; 245
(5) For any person, whether an employer or an employee or not, to 246
aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any act declared to be a 247
discriminatory employment practice or to attempt to do so; 248
(6) For any person, employer, employment agency or labor 249
organization, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification 250
or need, to advertise employment opportunities in such a manner as to 251
restrict such employment so as to discriminate against individuals 252
because of their race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or 253
expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past 254
history of mental disability, intellectual disability, learning disability, 255
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a 256
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence or status as a victim 257
of sexual assault; 258
(7) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent: (A) To 259
terminate a woman's employment because of her pregnancy; (B) to 260 Raised Bill No. 5414
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refuse to grant to that employee a reasonable leave of absence for 261
disability resulting from her pregnancy; (C) to deny to that employee, 262
who is disabled as a result of pregnancy, any compensation to which 263
she is entitled as a result of the accumulation of disability or leave 264
benefits accrued pursuant to plans maintained by the employer; (D) to 265
fail or refuse to reinstate the employee to her original job or to an 266
equivalent position with equivalent pay and accumulated seniority, 267
retirement, fringe benefits and other service credits upon her signifying 268
her intent to return unless, in the case of a private employer, the 269
employer's circumstances have so changed as to make it impossible or 270
unreasonable to do so; (E) to limit, segregate or classify the employee in 271
a way that would deprive her of employment opportunities due to her 272
pregnancy; (F) to discriminate against an employee or person seeking 273
employment on the basis of her pregnancy in the terms or conditions of 274
her employment; (G) to fail or refuse to make a reasonable 275
accommodation for an employee or person seeking employment due to 276
her pregnancy, unless the employer can demonstrate that such 277
accommodation would impose an undue hardship on such employer; 278
(H) to deny employment opportunities to an employee or person 279
seeking employment if such denial is due to the employee's request for 280
a reasonable accommodation due to her pregnancy; (I) to force an 281
employee or person seeking employment affected by pregnancy to 282
accept a reasonable accommodation if such employee or person seeking 283
employment (i) does not have a known limitation related to her 284
pregnancy, or (ii) does not require a reasonable accommodation to 285
perform the essential duties related to her employment; (J) to require an 286
employee to take a leave of absence if a reasonable accommodation can 287
be provided in lieu of such leave; and (K) to retaliate against an 288
employee in the terms, conditions or privileges of her employment 289
based upon such employee's request for a reasonable accommodation; 290
(8) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, for an 291
employment agency, by itself or its agent, or for any labor organization, 292
by itself or its agent, to harass any employee, person seeking 293
employment or member on the basis of sex or gender identity or 294 Raised Bill No. 5414
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expression. If an employer takes immediate corrective action in 295
response to an employee's claim of sexual harassment, such corrective 296
action shall not modify the conditions of employment of the employee 297
making the claim of sexual harassment unless such employee agrees, in 298
writing, to any modification in the conditions of employment. 299
"Corrective action" taken by an employer, includes, but is not limited to, 300
employee relocation, assigning an employee to a different work 301
schedule or other substantive changes to an employee's terms and 302
conditions of employment. Notwithstanding an employer's failure to 303
obtain a written agreement from an employee concerning a modification 304
in the conditions of employment, the commission may find that 305
corrective action taken by an employer was reasonable and not of 306
detriment to the complainant based on the evidence presented to the 307
commission by the complainant and respondent. As used in this 308
subdivision, "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome sexual 309
advances or requests for sexual favors or any conduct of a sexual nature 310
when (A) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or 311
implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, (B) 312
submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as 313
the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (C) 314
such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with 315
an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or 316
offensive working environment; 317
(9) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, for an 318
employment agency, by itself or its agent, or for any labor organization, 319
by itself or its agent, to request or require information from an 320
employee, person seeking employment or member relating to the 321
individual's child-bearing age or plans, pregnancy, function of the 322
individual's reproductive system, use of birth control methods, or the 323
individual's familial responsibilities, unless such information is directly 324
related to a bona fide occupational qualification or need, provided an 325
employer, through a physician may request from an employee any such 326
information which is directly related to workplace exposure to 327
substances which may cause birth defects or constitute a hazard to an 328 Raised Bill No. 5414
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individual's reproductive system or to a fetus if the employer first 329
informs the employee of the hazards involved in exposure to such 330
substances; 331
(10) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, after 332
informing an employee, pursuant to subdivision (9) of this subsection, 333
of a workplace exposure to substances which may cause birth defects or 334
constitute a hazard to an employee's reproductive system or to a fetus, 335
to fail or refuse, upon the employee's request, to take reasonable 336
measures to protect the employee from the exposure or hazard 337
identified, or to fail or refuse to inform the employee that the measures 338
taken may be the subject of a complaint filed under the provisions of 339
this chapter. Nothing in this subdivision is intended to prohibit an 340
employer from taking reasonable measures to protect an employee from 341
exposure to such substances. For the purpose of this subdivision, 342
"reasonable measures" are those measures which are consistent with 343
business necessity and are least disruptive of the terms and conditions 344
of the employee's employment; 345
(11) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, for an 346
employment agency, by itself or its agent, or for any labor organization, 347
by itself or its agent: (A) To request or require genetic information from 348
an employee, person seeking employment or member, or (B) to 349
discharge, expel or otherwise discriminate against any person on the 350
basis of genetic information. For the purpose of this subdivision, 351
"genetic information" means the information about genes, gene 352
products or inherited characteristics that may derive from an individual 353
or a family member; 354
(12) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, to 355
request or require a prospective employee's age, date of birth, dates of 356
attendance at or date of graduation from an educational institution on 357
an initial employment application, provided the provisions of this 358
subdivision shall not apply to any employer requesting or requiring 359
such information (A) based on a bona fide occupational qualification or 360
need, or (B) when such information is required to comply with any 361 Raised Bill No. 5414
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provision of state or federal law; and 362
(13) (A) For an employer or the employer's agent to deny an employee 363
a reasonable leave of absence in order to: (i) Seek attention for injuries 364
caused by domestic violence or sexual assault including for a child who 365
is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, provided the 366
employee is not the perpetrator of the domestic violence or sexual 367
assault against the child; (ii) obtain services including safety planning 368
from a domestic violence agency or rape crisis center, as those terms are 369
defined in section 52-146k, as a result of domestic violence, or sexual 370
assault; (iii) obtain psychological counseling related to an incident or 371
incidents of domestic violence or sexual assault, including for a child 372
who is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, provided the 373
employee is not the perpetrator of the domestic violence or sexual 374
assault against the child; (iv) take other actions to increase safety from 375
future incidents of domestic violence or sexual assault, including 376
temporary or permanent relocation; or (v) obtain legal services, assisting 377
in the prosecution of the offense, or otherwise participate in legal 378
proceedings in relation to the incident or incidents of domestic violence 379
or sexual assault. 380
(B) An employee who is absent from work in accordance with the 381
provisions of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision shall, within a 382
reasonable time after the absence, provide a certification to the employer 383
when requested by the employer. Such certification shall be in the form 384
of: (i) A police report indicating that the employee or the employee's 385
child was a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault; (ii) a court 386
order protecting or separating the employee or employee's child from 387
the perpetrator of an act of domestic violence or sexual assault; (iii) other 388
evidence from the court or prosecuting attorney that the employee 389
appeared in court; or (iv) documentation from a medical professional, 390
domestic violence or sexual assault counselor, as defined in section 52-391
146k, or other health care provider, that the employee or the employee's 392
child was receiving services, counseling or treatment for physical or 393
mental injuries or abuse resulting in victimization from an act of 394
domestic violence or sexual assault. 395 Raised Bill No. 5414
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(C) Where an employee has a physical or mental disability resulting 396
from an incident or series of incidents of domestic violence or sexual 397
assault, such employee shall be treated in the same manner as an 398
employee with any other disability. 399
(D) To the extent permitted by law, employers shall maintain the 400
confidentiality of any information regarding an employee's status as a 401
victim of domestic violence or sexual assault. 402
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 46a-64 of the general statutes is 403
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 404
1, 2024): 405
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: (1) 406
To deny any person within the jurisdiction of this state full and equal 407
accommodations in any place of public accommodation, resort or 408
amusement because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, 409
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of 410
income, intellectual disability, mental disability, physical disability, 411
including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness, status as a veteran, 412
[or] status as a victim of domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual 413
assault, of the applicant, subject only to the conditions and limitations 414
established by law and applicable alike to all persons; (2) to 415
discriminate, segregate or separate on account of race, creed, color, 416
national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, marital 417
status, age, lawful source of income, intellectual disability, mental 418
disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not 419
limited to, blindness or deafness, status as a veteran, [or] status as a 420
victim of domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual assault; (3) for 421
a place of public accommodation, resort or amusement to restrict or 422
limit the right of a mother to breast-feed her child; (4) for a place of 423
public accommodation, resort or amusement to fail or refuse to post a 424
notice, in a conspicuous place, that any blind, deaf or mobility impaired 425
person, accompanied by his guide dog wearing a harness or an orange-426
colored leash and collar, may enter such premises or facilities; or (5) to 427
deny any blind, deaf or mobility impaired person or any person training 428 Raised Bill No. 5414
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a dog as a guide dog for a blind person or a dog to assist a deaf or 429
mobility impaired person, accompanied by his guide dog or assistance 430
dog, full and equal access to any place of public accommodation, resort 431
or amusement. Any blind, deaf or mobility impaired person or any 432
person training a dog as a guide dog for a blind person or a dog to assist 433
a deaf or mobility impaired person may keep his guide dog or assistance 434
dog with him at all times in such place of public accommodation, resort 435
or amusement at no extra charge, provided the dog wears a harness or 436
an orange-colored leash and collar and is in the direct custody of such 437
person. The blind, deaf or mobility impaired person or person training 438
a dog as a guide dog for a blind person or a dog to assist a deaf or 439
mobility impaired person shall be liable for any damage done to the 440
premises or facilities by his dog. For purposes of this subdivision, "guide 441
dog" or "assistance dog" includes a dog being trained as a guide dog or 442
assistance dog and "person training a dog as a guide dog for a blind 443
person or a dog to assist a deaf or mobility impaired person" means a 444
person who is employed by and authorized to engage in designated 445
training activities by a guide dog organization or assistance dog 446
organization that complies with the criteria for membership in a 447
professional association of guide dog or assistance dog schools and who 448
carries photographic identification indicating such employment and 449
authorization. 450
Sec. 8. Subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 46a-64c of the 451
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 452
thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 453
(1) To refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, or to 454
refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make 455
unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, creed, 456
color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, 457
marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, status as a 458
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence or status as a victim 459
of sexual assault. 460
Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 46a-66 of the general statutes is 461 Raised Bill No. 5414
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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 462
1, 2024): 463
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section for 464
any creditor to discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity or 465
expression, age, race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, 466
marital status, intellectual disability, learning disability, blindness, 467
physical disability, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic 468
violence or status as a victim of sexual assault against any person 469
eighteen years of age or over in any credit transaction. 470
Sec. 10. Subsection (a) of section 46a-70 of the general statutes is 471
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 472
1, 2024): 473
(a) State officials and supervisory personnel shall recruit, appoint, 474
assign, train, evaluate and promote state personnel on the basis of merit 475
and qualifications, without regard for race, color, religious creed, sex, 476
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, 477
ancestry, status as a veteran, status as a victim of domestic violence, 478
status as a victim of sexual assault, intellectual disability, mental 479
disability, learning disability or physical disability, including, but not 480
limited to, blindness, unless it is shown by such state officials or 481
supervisory personnel that such disability prevents performance of the 482
work involved. 483
Sec. 11. Subsection (a) of section 46a-71 of the general statutes is 484
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 485
1, 2024): 486
(a) All services of every state agency shall be performed without 487
discrimination based upon race, color, religious creed, sex, gender 488
identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, 489
intellectual disability, mental disability, learning disability, physical 490
disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, 491
[or] status as a victim of domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual 492
assault. 493 Raised Bill No. 5414
LCO No. 2588 17 of 19
Sec. 12. Subsection (b) of section 46a-72 of the general statutes is 494
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 495
1, 2024): 496
(b) Any job request indicating an intention to exclude any person 497
because of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, 498
marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, status as a veteran, status 499
as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault, 500
intellectual disability, mental disability, learning disability or physical 501
disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, shall be rejected, 502
unless it is shown by such public or private employers that such 503
disability prevents performance of the work involved. 504
Sec. 13. Subsection (a) of section 46a-73 of the general statutes is 505
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 506
1, 2024): 507
(a) No state department, board or agency may grant, deny or revoke 508
the license or charter of any person on the grounds of race, color, 509
religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, 510
national origin, ancestry, status as a veteran, status as a victim of 511
domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault, intellectual 512
disability, mental disability, learning disability or physical disability, 513
including, but not limited to, blindness, unless it is shown by such state 514
department, board or agency that such disability prevents performance 515
of the work involved. 516
Sec. 14. Subsection (a) of section 46a-75 of the general statutes is 517
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 518
1, 2024): 519
(a) All educational, counseling, and vocational guidance programs 520
and all apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs of state 521
agencies, or in which state agencies participate, shall be open to all 522
qualified persons, without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, 523
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, 524
ancestry, intellectual disability, mental disability, learning disability, 525 Raised Bill No. 5414
LCO No. 2588 18 of 19
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a 526
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence or status as a victim 527
of sexual assault. 528
Sec. 15. Subsection (a) of section 46a-76 of the general statutes is 529
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 530
1, 2024): 531
(a) Race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, 532
marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, intellectual disability, 533
mental disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but 534
not limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 535
domestic violence or status as a victim of sexual assault, shall not be 536
considered as limiting factors in state-administered programs involving 537
the distribution of funds to qualify applicants for benefits authorized by 538
law. 539
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2024 46a-51
Sec. 2 October 1, 2024 46a-54(19) and (20)
Sec. 3 October 1, 2024 46a-56(a)(9) and (10)
Sec. 4 October 1, 2024 46a-58
Sec. 5 October 1, 2024 46a-59
Sec. 6 October 1, 2024 46a-60(b)
Sec. 7 October 1, 2024 46a-64(a)
Sec. 8 October 1, 2024 46a-64c(a)(1)
Sec. 9 October 1, 2024 46a-66(a)
Sec. 10 October 1, 2024 46a-70(a)
Sec. 11 October 1, 2024 46a-71(a)
Sec. 12 October 1, 2024 46a-72(b)
Sec. 13 October 1, 2024 46a-73(a)
Sec. 14 October 1, 2024 46a-75(a)
Sec. 15 October 1, 2024 46a-76(a)
Statement of Purpose:
To provide additional legal protections for victims of sexual assault. Raised Bill No. 5414
LCO No. 2588 19 of 19
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]