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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7236
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SEXUAL
ASSAULT VICTIMS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 46a-170 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(b) The council shall consist of the following members: (1) The Chief 4
State's Attorney, or a designee; (2) the Chief Public Defender, or a 5
designee; (3) the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 6
Protection, or the commissioner's designee; (4) the Labor Commissioner, 7
or the commissioner's designee; (5) the Commissioner of Social Services, 8
or the commissioner's designee; (6) the Commissioner of Public Health, 9
or the commissioner's designee; (7) the Commissioner of Mental Health 10
and Addiction Services, or the commissioner's designee; (8) the 11
Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner's 12
designee; (9) the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, or the 13
commissioner's designee; (10) the Commissioner of Developmental 14
Services, or the commissioner's designee; (11) the Commissioner of 15
Transportation, or the commissioner's designee; (12) the director of the 16
Basic Training Division of the Police Officer Standards and Training 17
Council, or the director's designee; [(12)] (13) the Child Advocate, or the 18
Child Advocate's designee; [(13)] (14) the Victim Advocate, or the 19 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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Victim Advocate's designee; [(14)] (15) a chairperson of the Commission 20
on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, or the 21
chairperson's designee; [(15)] (16) one representative of the Office of 22
Victim Services of the Judicial Branch appointed by the Chief Court 23
Administrator; [(16)] (17) a municipal police chief appointed by the 24
Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, or a designee; [(17)] (18) the 25
Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; [(18) an 26
adult victim of trafficking, appointed by the Governor;] (19) a judge of 27
the Superior Court, appointed by the Chief Court Administrator; (20) a 28
state's attorney appointed by the Chief State's Attorney; (21) a public 29
defender appointed by the Chief Public Defender; and (22) [fifteen] 30
sixteen public members appointed as follows: The Governor shall 31
appoint [three] four members, one of whom shall represent victims of 32
commercial exploitation of children, one of whom shall represent sex 33
trafficking victims who are children and one of whom shall represent a 34
coalition of children's advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams 35
that are dedicated to serving child abuse victims and their families, the 36
president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint two members, one of 37
whom shall represent the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence 38
and one of whom shall represent an organization that provides civil 39
legal services to low-income individuals, the speaker of the House of 40
Representatives shall appoint two members, one of whom shall 41
represent the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and one 42
of whom shall represent the Connecticut Lodging Association, the 43
majority leader of the Senate shall appoint two members, one of whom 44
shall represent an organization that deals with behavioral health needs 45
of women and children and one of whom shall represent the 46
Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, the majority leader of the 47
House of Representatives shall appoint two members, one of whom 48
shall represent an organization that advocates on social justice and 49
human rights issues and one of whom shall represent the Connecticut 50
Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the minority leader of the 51
Senate shall appoint two members, one of whom shall represent the 52
Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition and one of whom shall 53
represent massage therapists, and the minority leader of the House of 54 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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Representatives shall appoint two members, one of whom shall 55
represent the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, Inc. and one 56
of whom shall represent an organization that works with adult victims 57
of trafficking. 58
Sec. 2. Section 46a-51 of the general statutes is repealed and the 59
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 60
As used in section 4a-60a and this chapter: 61
(1) "Blind" refers to an individual whose central visual acuity does 62
not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose 63
visual acuity is greater than 20/200 but is accompanied by a limitation 64
in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field 65
subtends an angle no greater than twenty degrees; 66
(2) "Commission" means the Commission on Human Rights and 67
Opportunities created by section 46a-52; 68
(3) "Commission legal counsel" means a member of the legal staff 69
employed by the commission pursuant to section 46a-54; 70
(4) "Commissioner" means a member of the commission; 71
(5) "Court" means the Superior Court or any judge of said court; 72
(6) "Discrimination" includes segregation and separation; 73
(7) "Discriminatory employment practice" means any discriminatory 74
practice specified in subsection (b), (d), (e) or (f) of section 31-51i or 75
section 46a-60, as amended by this act, or 46a-81c; 76
(8) "Discriminatory practice" means a violation of section 4a-60, as 77
amended by this act, 4a-60a, 4a-60g, 31-40y, subsection (b), (d), (e) or (f) 78
of section 31-51i, subparagraph (C) of subdivision (15) of section 46a-54, 79
subdivisions (16) and (17) of section 46a-54, section 46a-58, as amended 80
by this act, 46a-59, as amended by this act, 46a-60, as amended by this 81
act, 46a-64, 46a-64c, as amended by this act, 46a-66, as amended by this 82 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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act, or 46a-68, sections 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive, sections 46a-70 to 83
46a-78, inclusive, as amended by this act, subsection (a) of section 46a-84
80, sections 46a-81b to 46a-81o, inclusive, sections 46a-80b to 46a-80e, 85
inclusive, sections 46a-80k to 46a-80m, inclusive, or section 19a-498c; 86
(9) "Employee" means any person employed by an employer but shall 87
not include any individual employed by such individual's parents, 88
spouse or child. "Employee" includes any elected or appointed official 89
of a municipality, board, commission, counsel or other governmental 90
body; 91
(10) "Employer" includes the state and all political subdivisions 92
thereof and means any person or employer with one or more persons in 93
such person's or employer's employ; 94
(11) "Employment agency" means any person undertaking with or 95
without compensation to procure employees or opportunities to work; 96
(12) "Labor organization" means any organization which exists for the 97
purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining or of dealing with 98
employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, 99
or of other mutual aid or protection in connection with employment; 100
(13) "Intellectual disability" means intellectual disability as defined in 101
section 1-1g; 102
(14) "Person" means one or more individuals, partnerships, 103
associations, corporations, limited liability companies, legal 104
representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers and the state 105
and all political subdivisions and agencies thereof; 106
(15) "Physically disabled" refers to any individual who has any 107
chronic physical handicap, infirmity or impairment, whether congenital 108
or resulting from bodily injury, organic processes or changes or from 109
illness, including, but not limited to, epilepsy, deafness or being hard of 110
hearing or reliance on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or 111
device; 112 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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(16) "Respondent" means any person alleged in a complaint filed 113
pursuant to section 46a-82 to have committed a discriminatory practice; 114
(17) "Discrimination on the basis of sex" includes but is not limited to 115
discrimination related to pregnancy, child-bearing capacity, 116
sterilization, fertility or related medical conditions; 117
(18) "Discrimination on the basis of religious creed" includes but is 118
not limited to discrimination related to all aspects of religious 119
observances and practice as well as belief, unless an employer 120
demonstrates that the employer is unable to reasonably accommodate 121
to an employee's or prospective employee's religious observance or 122
practice without undue hardship on the conduct of the employer's 123
business; 124
(19) "Learning disability" refers to an individual who exhibits a severe 125
discrepancy between educational performance and measured 126
intellectual ability and who exhibits a disorder in one or more of the 127
basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using 128
language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in a diminished 129
ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical 130
calculations; 131
(20) "Mental disability" refers to an individual who has a record of, or 132
is regarded as having one or more mental disorders, as defined in the 133
most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's 134
"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"; 135
(21) "Gender identity or expression" means a person's gender-related 136
identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related 137
identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally 138
associated with the person's physiology or assigned sex at birth, which 139
gender-related identity can be shown by providing evidence including, 140
but not limited to, medical history, care or treatment of the gender-141
related identity, consistent and uniform assertion of the gender-related 142
identity or any other evidence that the gender-related identity is 143
sincerely held, part of a person's core identity or not being asserted for 144 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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an improper purpose; 145
(22) "Veteran" means veteran as defined in subsection (a) of section 146
27-103; 147
(23) "Race" is inclusive of ethnic traits historically associated with 148
race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles; 149
(24) "Protective hairstyles" includes, but is not limited to, wigs, 150
headwraps and hairstyles such as individual braids, cornrows, locs, 151
twists, Bantu knots, afros and afro puffs; 152
(25) "Domestic violence" has the same meaning as provided in 153
subsection (b) of section 46b-1; [and] 154
(26) "Sexual orientation" means a person's identity in relation to the 155
gender or genders to which they are romantically, emotionally or 156
sexually attracted, inclusive of any identity that a person (A) may have 157
previously expressed, or (B) is perceived by another person to hold; 158
(27) "Victim of sexual assault" means a victim of sexual assault under 159
section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-70b, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 160
2019, 53a-70c, 53a-71, 53a-72, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 1975, 161
53a-72a, 53a-72b, 53a-73, revision of 1958, revised to the 1969 162
supplement of the general statutes or 53a-73a; and 163
(28) "Victim of trafficking in persons" means a victim of trafficking in 164
persons under section 53a-192a. 165
Sec. 3. Section 46a-64c of the general statutes is repealed and the 166
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 167
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: 168
(1) To refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, or to 169
refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make 170
unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, creed, 171
color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, 172 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, status as a 173
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of 174
sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons. 175
(2) To discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or 176
privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services 177
or facilities in connection therewith, because of race, creed, color, 178
national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, marital 179
status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, [or] status as a 180
veteran, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a victim of 181
trafficking in persons. 182
(3) To make, print or publish, or cause to be made, printed or 183
published any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the 184
sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or 185
discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, 186
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of 187
income, familial status, learning disability, physical or mental disability, 188
[or] status as a veteran, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 189
victim of trafficking in persons, or an intention to make any such 190
preference, limitation or discrimination. 191
(4) (A) To represent to any person because of race, creed, color, 192
national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, marital 193
status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, learning disability, 194
physical or mental disability, [or] status as a veteran, status as a victim 195
of sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons, that any 196
dwelling is not available for inspection, sale or rental when such 197
dwelling is in fact so available. 198
(B) It shall be a violation of this subdivision for any person to restrict 199
or attempt to restrict the choices of any buyer or renter to purchase or 200
rent a dwelling (i) to an area which is substantially populated, even if 201
less than a majority, by persons of the same protected class as the buyer 202
or renter, (ii) while such person is authorized to offer for sale or rent 203
another dwelling which meets the housing criteria as expressed by the 204 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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buyer or renter to such person, and (iii) such other dwelling is in an area 205
which is not substantially populated by persons of the same protected 206
class as the buyer or renter. As used in this subdivision, "area" means 207
municipality, neighborhood or other geographic subdivision which 208
may include an apartment or condominium complex; and "protected 209
class" means race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender 210
identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of income, 211
familial status, learning disability, physical or mental disability, [or] 212
status as a veteran, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 213
victim of trafficking in persons. 214
(5) For profit, to induce or attempt to induce any person to sell or rent 215
any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or prospective 216
entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, 217
creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, 218
marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, learning 219
disability, physical or mental disability, [or] status as a veteran, status 220
as a victim of sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons. 221
(6) (A) To discriminate in the sale or rental, or to otherwise make 222
unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any buyer or renter because of a 223
learning disability or physical or mental disability of: (i) Such buyer or 224
renter; (ii) a person residing in or intending to reside in such dwelling 225
after it is so sold, rented, or made available; or (iii) any person associated 226
with such buyer or renter. 227
(B) To discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions or 228
privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services 229
or facilities in connection with such dwelling, because of a learning 230
disability or physical or mental disability of: (i) Such person; or (ii) a 231
person residing in or intending to reside in such dwelling after it is so 232
sold, rented, or made available; or (iii) any person associated with such 233
person. 234
(C) For purposes of this subdivision, discrimination includes: (i) A 235
refusal to permit, at the expense of a person with a physical or mental 236 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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disability, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to 237
be occupied by such person if such modifications may be necessary to 238
afford such person full enjoyment of the premises; except that, in the 239
case of a rental, the landlord may, where it is reasonable to do so, 240
condition permission for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore 241
the interior of the premises to the condition that existed before the 242
modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted; (ii) a refusal to make 243
reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services, 244
when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person 245
equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; (iii) in connection with 246
the design and construction of covered multifamily dwellings for the 247
first occupancy after March 13, 1991, a failure to design and construct 248
those dwellings in such manner that they comply with the requirements 249
of Section 804(f) of the Fair Housing Act or the provisions of the state 250
building code as adopted pursuant to the provisions of sections 29-269 251
and 29-273, whichever requires greater accommodation. "Covered 252
multifamily dwellings" means buildings consisting of four or more units 253
if such buildings have one or more elevators, and ground floor units in 254
other buildings consisting of four or more units. 255
(7) For any person or other entity engaging in residential real-estate-256
related transactions to discriminate against any person in making 257
available such a transaction, or in the terms or conditions of such a 258
transaction, because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, 259
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of 260
income, familial status, learning disability, physical or mental disability, 261
[or] status as a veteran, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 262
victim of trafficking in persons. 263
(8) To deny any person access to or membership or participation in 264
any multiple-listing service, real estate brokers' organization or other 265
service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or 266
renting dwellings, or to discriminate against him in the terms or 267
conditions of such access, membership or participation, on account of 268
race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or 269
expression, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, 270 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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learning disability, physical or mental disability, [or] status as a veteran, 271
status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in 272
persons. 273
(9) To coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the 274
exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of his having exercised or 275
enjoyed, or on account of his having aided or encouraged any other 276
person in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right granted or protected 277
by this section. 278
(b) (1) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (A) the rental 279
of a room or rooms in a single-family dwelling unit if the owner actually 280
maintains and occupies part of such living quarters as his residence or 281
(B) a unit in a dwelling containing living quarters occupied or intended 282
to be occupied by no more than two families living independently of 283
each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies the other such 284
living quarters as his residence. (2) The provisions of this section with 285
respect to the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of marital status 286
shall not be construed to prohibit the denial of a dwelling to a man or a 287
woman who are both unrelated by blood and not married to each other. 288
(3) The provisions of this section with respect to the prohibition of 289
discrimination on the basis of age shall not apply to minors, to special 290
discount or other public or private programs to assist persons sixty 291
years of age and older or to housing for older persons as defined in 292
section 46a-64b, provided there is no discrimination on the basis of age 293
among older persons eligible for such housing. (4) The provisions of this 294
section with respect to the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of 295
familial status shall not apply to housing for older persons as defined in 296
section 46a-64b or to a unit in a dwelling containing units for no more 297
than four families living independently of each other, if the owner of 298
such dwelling resides in one of the units. (5) The provisions of this 299
section with respect to the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of 300
lawful source of income shall not prohibit the denial of full and equal 301
accommodations solely on the basis of insufficient income. (6) The 302
provisions of this section with respect to the prohibition of 303
discrimination on the basis of sex shall not apply to the rental of sleeping 304 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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accommodations to the extent they utilize shared bathroom facilities 305
when such sleeping accommodations are provided by associations and 306
organizations which rent such sleeping accommodations on a 307
temporary or permanent basis for the exclusive use of persons of the 308
same sex based on considerations of privacy and modesty. 309
(c) Nothing in this section limits the applicability of any reasonable 310
state statute or municipal ordinance restricting the maximum number 311
of persons permitted to occupy a dwelling. 312
(d) Nothing in this section or section 46a-64b shall be construed to 313
invalidate or limit any state statute or municipal ordinance that requires 314
dwellings to be designed and constructed in a manner that affords 315
persons with physical or mental disabilities greater access than is 316
required by this section or section 46a-64b. 317
(e) Nothing in this section prohibits a person engaged in the business 318
of furnishing appraisals of real property to take into consideration 319
factors other than race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, 320
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of 321
income, familial status, learning disability, physical or mental disability, 322
[or] status as a veteran, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 323
victim of trafficking in persons. 324
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, complaints 325
alleging a violation of this section shall be investigated within one 326
hundred days of filing and a final administrative disposition shall be 327
made within one year of filing unless it is impracticable to do so. If the 328
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities is unable to complete 329
its investigation or make a final administrative determination within 330
such time frames, it shall notify the complainant and the respondent in 331
writing of the reasons for not doing so. 332
(g) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be 333
guilty of a class D misdemeanor. 334
Sec. 4. Section 46a-58 of the general statutes is repealed and the 335 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 336
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section for 337
any person to subject, or cause to be subjected, any other person to the 338
deprivation of any rights, privileges or immunities, secured or protected 339
by the Constitution or laws of this state or of the United States, on 340
account of religion, national origin, alienage, color, race, sex, gender 341
identity or expression, sexual orientation, blindness, mental disability, 342
physical disability, age, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 343
domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 344
victim of trafficking in persons. 345
(b) Any person who intentionally desecrates any public property, 346
monument or structure, or any religious object, symbol or house of 347
religious worship, or any cemetery, or any private structure not owned 348
by such person, shall be in violation of subsection (a) of this section. For 349
the purposes of this subsection, "desecrate" means to mar, deface or 350
damage as a demonstration of irreverence or contempt. 351
(c) Any person who places a burning cross or a simulation thereof on 352
any public property, or on any private property without the written 353
consent of the owner, and with intent to intimidate or harass any other 354
person or group of persons, shall be in violation of subsection (a) of this 355
section. 356
(d) Any person who places a noose or a simulation thereof on any 357
public property, or on any private property without the written consent 358
of the owner, and with intent to intimidate or harass any other person 359
on account of religion, national origin, alienage, color, race, sex, gender 360
identity or expression, sexual orientation, blindness, mental disability, 361
physical disability, age, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 362
domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 363
victim of trafficking in persons, shall be in violation of subsection (a) of 364
this section. 365
(e) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, any 366
person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a 367 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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class A misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than one thousand 368
dollars, except that if property is damaged as a consequence of such 369
violation in an amount in excess of one thousand dollars, such person 370
shall be guilty of a class D felony and shall be fined not less than one 371
thousand dollars. 372
(2) Any person who violates the provisions of this section by 373
intentionally desecrating a house of religious worship (A) shall be guilty 374
of a class D felony and shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars 375
if property is damaged as a consequence of such violation in an amount 376
up to and including ten thousand dollars, and (B) shall be guilty of a 377
class C felony and shall be fined not less than three thousand dollars if 378
the property damaged as a consequence of such violation is in an 379
amount in excess of ten thousand dollars. 380
(3) The minimum amount of any fine imposed by the provisions of 381
this section may not be remitted or reduced by the court unless the court 382
states on the record its reasons for remitting or reducing such fine. 383
(4) The court may order restitution for any victim of a violation of this 384
section pursuant to subsection (c) of section 53a-28. 385
Sec. 5. Section 46a-59 of the general statutes is repealed and the 386
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 387
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section for 388
any association, board or other organization the principal purpose of 389
which is the furtherance of the professional or occupational interests of 390
its members, whose profession, trade or occupation requires a state 391
license, to refuse to accept a person as a member of such association, 392
board or organization because of his race, national origin, creed, sex, 393
gender identity or expression, color, status as a veteran, [or] status as a 394
victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status 395
as a victim of trafficking in persons. 396
(b) Any association, board or other organization which violates the 397
provisions of this section shall be fined not less than one hundred 398 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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dollars nor more than five hundred dollars. 399
Sec. 6. Subsection (b) of section 46a-60 of the general statutes is 400
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 401
1, 2025): 402
(b) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: 403
(1) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, except 404
in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification or need, to refuse to 405
hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from employment any 406
individual or to discriminate against any individual in compensation or 407
in terms, conditions or privileges of employment because of the 408
individual's race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or 409
expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past 410
history of mental disability, intellectual disability, learning disability, 411
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a 412
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of 413
sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons; 414
(2) For any employment agency, except in the case of a bona fide 415
occupational qualification or need, to fail or refuse to classify properly 416
or refer for employment or otherwise to discriminate against any 417
individual because of such individual's race, color, religious creed, age, 418
sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, 419
ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, intellectual 420
disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not 421
limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 422
domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 423
victim of trafficking in persons; 424
(3) For a labor organization, because of the race, color, religious creed, 425
age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, 426
ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, intellectual 427
disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not 428
limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 429
domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 430 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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victim of trafficking in persons of any individual to exclude from full 431
membership rights or to expel from its membership such individual or 432
to discriminate in any way against any of its members or against any 433
employer or any individual employed by an employer, unless such 434
action is based on a bona fide occupational qualification; 435
(4) For any person, employer, labor organization or employment 436
agency to discharge, expel or otherwise discriminate against any person 437
because such person has opposed any discriminatory employment 438
practice or because such person has filed a complaint or testified or 439
assisted in any proceeding under section 46a-82, 46a-83 or 46a-84; 440
(5) For any person, whether an employer or an employee or not, to 441
aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any act declared to be a 442
discriminatory employment practice or to attempt to do so; 443
(6) For any person, employer, employment agency or labor 444
organization, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification 445
or need, to advertise employment opportunities in such a manner as to 446
restrict such employment so as to discriminate against individuals 447
because of their race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or 448
expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past 449
history of mental disability, intellectual disability, learning disability, 450
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a 451
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of 452
sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons; 453
(7) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent: (A) To 454
terminate a woman's employment because of her pregnancy; (B) to 455
refuse to grant to that employee a reasonable leave of absence for 456
disability resulting from her pregnancy; (C) to deny to that employee, 457
who is disabled as a result of pregnancy, any compensation to which 458
she is entitled as a result of the accumulation of disability or leave 459
benefits accrued pursuant to plans maintained by the employer; (D) to 460
fail or refuse to reinstate the employee to her original job or to an 461
equivalent position with equivalent pay and accumulated seniority, 462 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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retirement, fringe benefits and other service credits upon her signifying 463
her intent to return unless, in the case of a private employer, the 464
employer's circumstances have so changed as to make it impossible or 465
unreasonable to do so; (E) to limit, segregate or classify the employee in 466
a way that would deprive her of employment opportunities due to her 467
pregnancy; (F) to discriminate against an employee or person seeking 468
employment on the basis of her pregnancy in the terms or conditions of 469
her employment; (G) to fail or refuse to make a reasonable 470
accommodation for an employee or person seeking employment due to 471
her pregnancy, unless the employer can demonstrate that such 472
accommodation would impose an undue hardship on such employer; 473
(H) to deny employment opportunities to an employee or person 474
seeking employment if such denial is due to the employee's request for 475
a reasonable accommodation due to her pregnancy; (I) to force an 476
employee or person seeking employment affected by pregnancy to 477
accept a reasonable accommodation if such employee or person seeking 478
employment (i) does not have a known limitation related to her 479
pregnancy, or (ii) does not require a reasonable accommodation to 480
perform the essential duties related to her employment; (J) to require an 481
employee to take a leave of absence if a reasonable accommodation can 482
be provided in lieu of such leave; and (K) to retaliate against an 483
employee in the terms, conditions or privileges of her employment 484
based upon such employee's request for a reasonable accommodation; 485
(8) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, for an 486
employment agency, by itself or its agent, or for any labor organization, 487
by itself or its agent, to harass any employee, person seeking 488
employment or member on the basis of sex or gender identity or 489
expression. If an employer takes immediate corrective action in 490
response to an employee's claim of sexual harassment, such corrective 491
action shall not modify the conditions of employment of the employee 492
making the claim of sexual harassment unless such employee agrees, in 493
writing, to any modification in the conditions of employment. 494
"Corrective action" taken by an employer, includes, but is not limited to, 495
employee relocation, assigning an employee to a different work 496 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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schedule or other substantive changes to an employee's terms and 497
conditions of employment. Notwithstanding an employer's failure to 498
obtain a written agreement from an employee concerning a modification 499
in the conditions of employment, the commission may find that 500
corrective action taken by an employer was reasonable and not of 501
detriment to the complainant based on the evidence presented to the 502
commission by the complainant and respondent. As used in this 503
subdivision, "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome sexual 504
advances or requests for sexual favors or any conduct of a sexual nature 505
when (A) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or 506
implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, (B) 507
submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as 508
the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (C) 509
such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with 510
an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or 511
offensive working environment; 512
(9) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, for an 513
employment agency, by itself or its agent, or for any labor organization, 514
by itself or its agent, to request or require information from an 515
employee, person seeking employment or member relating to the 516
individual's child-bearing age or plans, pregnancy, function of the 517
individual's reproductive system, use of birth control methods, or the 518
individual's familial responsibilities, unless such information is directly 519
related to a bona fide occupational qualification or need, provided an 520
employer, through a physician may request from an employee any such 521
information which is directly related to workplace exposure to 522
substances which may cause birth defects or constitute a hazard to an 523
individual's reproductive system or to a fetus if the employer first 524
informs the employee of the hazards involved in exposure to such 525
substances; 526
(10) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, after 527
informing an employee, pursuant to subdivision (9) of this subsection, 528
of a workplace exposure to substances which may cause birth defects or 529
constitute a hazard to an employee's reproductive system or to a fetus, 530 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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to fail or refuse, upon the employee's request, to take reasonable 531
measures to protect the employee from the exposure or hazard 532
identified, or to fail or refuse to inform the employee that the measures 533
taken may be the subject of a complaint filed under the provisions of 534
this chapter. Nothing in this subdivision is intended to prohibit an 535
employer from taking reasonable measures to protect an employee from 536
exposure to such substances. For the purpose of this subdivision, 537
"reasonable measures" are those measures which are consistent with 538
business necessity and are least disruptive of the terms and conditions 539
of the employee's employment; 540
(11) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, for an 541
employment agency, by itself or its agent, or for any labor organization, 542
by itself or its agent: (A) To request or require genetic information from 543
an employee, person seeking employment or member, or (B) to 544
discharge, expel or otherwise discriminate against any person on the 545
basis of genetic information. For the purpose of this subdivision, 546
"genetic information" means the information about genes, gene 547
products or inherited characteristics that may derive from an individual 548
or a family member; 549
(12) For an employer, by the employer or the employer's agent, to 550
request or require a prospective employee's age, date of birth, dates of 551
attendance at or date of graduation from an educational institution on 552
an initial employment application, provided the provisions of this 553
subdivision shall not apply to any employer requesting or requiring 554
such information (A) based on a bona fide occupational qualification or 555
need, or (B) when such information is required to comply with any 556
provision of state or federal law; and 557
(13) (A) For an employer or the employer's agent to deny an employee 558
a reasonable leave of absence in order to: (i) Seek attention for injuries 559
caused by domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in persons, 560
including for a child who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault 561
or trafficking in persons, provided the employee is not the perpetrator 562
of [the] any act of domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in 563 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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persons committed against [the] a child; (ii) obtain services including 564
safety planning from a domestic violence agency or rape crisis center, as 565
those terms are defined in section 52-146k, as a result of domestic 566
violence, sexual assault or trafficking in persons; (iii) obtain 567
psychological counseling related to an incident or incidents of domestic 568
violence, sexual assault or trafficking in persons, including for a child 569
who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in 570
persons, provided the employee is not the perpetrator of [the] any act of 571
domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in persons committed 572
against [the] a child; (iv) take other actions to increase safety from future 573
incidents of domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in persons, 574
including temporary or permanent relocation; or (v) obtain legal 575
services, assisting in the prosecution of the offense, or otherwise 576
participate in legal proceedings in relation to the incident or incidents of 577
domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in persons. 578
(B) An employee who is absent from work in accordance with the 579
provisions of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision shall, within a 580
reasonable time after the absence, provide a certification to the employer 581
when requested by the employer. Such certification shall be in the form 582
of: (i) A police report indicating that the employee or the employee's 583
child was a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in 584
persons; (ii) a court order protecting or separating the employee or 585
employee's child from the perpetrator of an act of domestic violence, 586
sexual assault or trafficking in persons; (iii) other evidence from the 587
court or prosecuting attorney that the employee appeared in court; or 588
(iv) documentation from a medical professional, including a domestic 589
violence counselor or sexual assault counselor, as those terms are 590
defined in section 52-146k, or other health care provider, that the 591
employee or the employee's child was receiving services, counseling or 592
treatment for physical or mental injuries or abuse resulting in 593
victimization from an act of domestic violence, sexual assault or 594
trafficking in persons. 595
(C) Where an employee has a physical or mental disability resulting 596
from an incident or series of incidents of domestic violence, sexual 597 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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assault or trafficking in persons, such employee shall be treated in the 598
same manner as an employee with any other disability. 599
(D) To the extent permitted by law, employers shall maintain the 600
confidentiality of any information regarding an employee's status as a 601
victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking in persons. 602
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 46a-64 of the general statutes is 603
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 604
1, 2025): 605
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: (1) 606
To deny any person within the jurisdiction of this state full and equal 607
accommodations in any place of public accommodation, resort or 608
amusement because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, 609
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of 610
income, intellectual disability, mental disability, physical disability, 611
including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness, status as a veteran, 612
[or] status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual 613
assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons, of the applicant, 614
subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and 615
applicable alike to all persons; (2) to discriminate, segregate or separate 616
on account of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender 617
identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of income, 618
intellectual disability, mental disability, learning disability, physical 619
disability, including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness, status as 620
a veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim 621
of sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons; (3) for a 622
place of public accommodation, resort or amusement to restrict or limit 623
the right of a mother to breast-feed her child; (4) for a place of public 624
accommodation, resort or amusement to refuse entry to a person with a 625
disability who is accompanied by a service animal; or (5) to deny any 626
person with a disability or any person training an animal as a service 627
animal to assist a person with a disability, accompanied by such service 628
animal, full and equal access to any place of public accommodation, 629
resort or amusement. Any person with a disability or any person 630 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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training an animal as a service animal may keep such service animal at 631
all times in such place of public accommodation, resort or amusement 632
at no extra charge, provided such service animal is in the direct custody 633
and control of such person. When it is not obvious what service an 634
animal provides, staff of a place of public accommodation, resort or 635
amusement may inquire of the owner or keeper whether such animal is 636
a service animal required because of a disability and what work or task 637
the animal has been trained to perform. Nothing in this subsection shall 638
preclude a business owner's ability to recover for damage caused to a 639
person or property by a service animal. For the purposes of this 640
subsection, "disability" and "service animal" have the same meanings as 641
provided in section 22-345 and "place of public accommodation, resort 642
or amusement" has the same meaning as provided in section 46a-44. 643
Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 46a-66 of the general statutes is 644
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 645
1, 2025): 646
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section for 647
any creditor to discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity or 648
expression, age, race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, 649
marital status, intellectual disability, learning disability, blindness, 650
physical disability, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic 651
violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a victim of 652
trafficking in persons against any person eighteen years of age or over 653
in any credit transaction. 654
Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 46a-70 of the general statutes is 655
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 656
1, 2025): 657
(a) State officials and supervisory personnel shall recruit, appoint, 658
assign, train, evaluate and promote state personnel on the basis of merit 659
and qualifications, without regard for race, color, religious creed, sex, 660
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, 661
ancestry, status as a veteran, status as a victim of domestic violence, 662 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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status as a victim of sexual assault, status as a victim of trafficking in 663
persons, intellectual disability, mental disability, learning disability or 664
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, unless it is 665
shown by such state officials or supervisory personnel that such 666
disability prevents performance of the work involved. 667
Sec. 10. Subsection (a) of section 46a-71 of the general statutes is 668
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 669
1, 2025): 670
(a) All services of every state agency shall be performed without 671
discrimination based upon race, color, religious creed, sex, gender 672
identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, 673
intellectual disability, mental disability, learning disability, physical 674
disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, 675
[or] status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual 676
assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons. 677
Sec. 11. Subsection (b) of section 46a-72 of the general statutes is 678
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 679
1, 2025): 680
(b) Any job request indicating an intention to exclude any person 681
because of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, 682
marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, status as a veteran, status 683
as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or 684
status as a victim of trafficking in persons, intellectual disability, mental 685
disability, learning disability or physical disability, including, but not 686
limited to, blindness, shall be rejected, unless it is shown by such public 687
or private employers that such disability prevents performance of the 688
work involved. 689
Sec. 12. Subsection (a) of section 46a-73 of the general statutes is 690
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 691
1, 2025): 692
(a) No state department, board or agency may grant, deny or revoke 693 Substitute Bill No. 7236
LCO 23 of 26
the license or charter of any person on the grounds of race, color, 694
religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, 695
national origin, ancestry, status as a veteran, status as a victim of 696
domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault, status as a victim 697
of trafficking in persons, intellectual disability, mental disability, 698
learning disability or physical disability, including, but not limited to, 699
blindness, unless it is shown by such state department, board or agency 700
that such disability prevents performance of the work involved. 701
Sec. 13. Subsection (a) of section 46a-75 of the general statutes is 702
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 703
1, 2025): 704
(a) All educational, counseling, and vocational guidance programs 705
and all apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs of state 706
agencies, or in which state agencies participate, shall be open to all 707
qualified persons, without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, 708
gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, 709
ancestry, intellectual disability, mental disability, learning disability, 710
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a 711
veteran, [or] status as a victim of domestic violence, status as a victim of 712
sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in persons. 713
Sec. 14. Subsection (a) of section 46a-76 of the general statutes is 714
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 715
1, 2025): 716
(a) Race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, 717
marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, intellectual disability, 718
mental disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but 719
not limited to, blindness, status as a veteran, [or] status as a victim of 720
domestic violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a 721
victim of trafficking in persons, shall not be considered as limiting 722
factors in state-administered programs involving the distribution of 723
funds to qualify applicants for benefits authorized by law. 724
Sec. 15. Subsection (a) of section 4a-60 of the general statutes is 725 Substitute Bill No. 7236
LCO 24 of 26
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 726
1, 2025): 727
(a) Except as provided in section 10a-151i, every contract to which an 728
awarding agency is a party, every quasi-public agency project contract 729
and every municipal public works contract shall contain the following 730
provisions: 731
(1) The contractor agrees and warrants that in the performance of the 732
contract such contractor will not discriminate or permit discrimination 733
against any person or group of persons on the grounds of race, color, 734
religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender 735
identity or expression, status as a veteran, status as a victim of domestic 736
violence, status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a victim of 737
trafficking in persons, intellectual disability, mental disability or 738
physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, unless it is 739
shown by such contractor that such disability prevents performance of 740
the work involved, in any manner prohibited by the laws of the United 741
States or of the state of Connecticut; and the contractor further agrees to 742
take affirmative action to ensure that applicants with job-related 743
qualifications are employed and that employees are treated when 744
employed without regard to their race, color, religious creed, age, 745
marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or 746
expression, status as a veteran, status as a victim of domestic violence, 747
status as a victim of sexual assault or status as a victim of trafficking in 748
persons, intellectual disability, mental disability or physical disability, 749
including, but not limited to, blindness, unless it is shown by such 750
contractor that such disability prevents performance of the work 751
involved; 752
(2) The contractor agrees, in all solicitations or advertisements for 753
employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, to state that it is an 754
"affirmative action-equal opportunity employer" in accordance with 755
regulations adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and 756
Opportunities; 757 Substitute Bill No. 7236
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(3) The contractor agrees to provide each labor union or 758
representative of workers with which such contractor has a collective 759
bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding and each 760
vendor with which such contractor has a contract or understanding, a 761
notice to be provided by the Commission on Human Rights and 762
Opportunities advising the labor union or workers' representative of the 763
contractor's commitments under this section, and to post copies of the 764
notice in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for 765
employment; 766
(4) The contractor agrees to comply with each provision of this 767
section and sections 46a-68e and 46a-68f and with each regulation or 768
relevant order issued by said commission pursuant to sections 46a-56, 769
46a-68e, 46a-68f and 46a-86; and 770
(5) The contractor agrees to provide the Commission on Human 771
Rights and Opportunities with such information requested by the 772
commission, and permit access to pertinent books, records and 773
accounts, concerning the employment practices and procedures of the 774
contractor as relate to the provisions of this section and section 46a-56. 775
Sec. 16. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) In the prosecution of or 776
delinquency proceeding for any misdemeanor offense, it shall be an 777
affirmative defense that the defendant was under eighteen years of age 778
at the time the defendant committed the offense and the defendant's 779
participation in the offense was a result of having been a victim of 780
trafficking in persons in violation of subsection (a) of section 53a-192a of 781
the general statutes. 782
Sec. 17. Subsection (b) of section 17a-106h of the general statutes is 783
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 784
passage): 785
(b) The training program shall include a [video] presentation, 786
developed and approved by said commissioners, that offers awareness 787
of human trafficking issues and guidance to (1) law enforcement 788
personnel, (2) judges of the Superior Court, (3) prosecutors, (4) public 789 Substitute Bill No. 7236
LCO 26 of 26
defenders and other attorneys who represent criminal defendants, (5) 790
hospital emergency room staff, urgent care facility staff and emergency 791
medical services personnel who have contact with patients, and (6) 792
persons employed by a local or regional board of education or a 793
constituent unit, as defined in section 10a-1, who have contact with 794
students. 795
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 46a-170(b)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 46a-51
Sec. 3 October 1, 2025 46a-64c
Sec. 4 October 1, 2025 46a-58
Sec. 5 October 1, 2025 46a-59
Sec. 6 October 1, 2025 46a-60(b)
Sec. 7 October 1, 2025 46a-64(a)
Sec. 8 October 1, 2025 46a-66(a)
Sec. 9 October 1, 2025 46a-70(a)
Sec. 10 October 1, 2025 46a-71(a)
Sec. 11 October 1, 2025 46a-72(b)
Sec. 12 October 1, 2025 46a-73(a)
Sec. 13 October 1, 2025 46a-75(a)
Sec. 14 October 1, 2025 46a-76(a)
Sec. 15 October 1, 2025 4a-60(a)
Sec. 16 October 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 17 from passage 17a-106h(b)
JUD Joint Favorable Subst.