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PRINTER'S NO. 383
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
415
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY GALLOWAY, MADDEN, HILL-EVANS, CIRESI, SCHLOSSBERG,
ISAACSON, SANCHEZ, D. WILLIAMS, SHUSTERMAN, FREEMAN, KINKEAD,
N. NELSON AND GREEN, MARCH 14, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, MARCH 14, 2023
AN ACT
Amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), entitled
"An act prohibiting certain practices of discrimination
because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age or
national origin by employers, employment agencies, labor
organizations and others as herein defined; creating the
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the Governor's
Office; defining its functions, powers and duties; providing
for procedure and enforcement; providing for formulation of
an educational program to prevent prejudice; providing for
judicial review and enforcement and imposing penalties,"
further providing for definitions and for powers and duties
of the commission; providing for policies and procedures; and
establishing the Human Relations Training Fund.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 4(b) and (c) and 7(f) of the act of
October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania
Human Relations Act, are amended to read:
Section 4. Definitions.--As used in this act unless a
different meaning clearly appears from the context:
* * *
(b) The term "employer" includes the Commonwealth or any
political subdivision or board, department, commission or school
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district thereof and any person employing [four] one or more
persons within the Commonwealth, but except as hereinafter
provided, does not include religious, fraternal, charitable or
sectarian corporations or associations, except such corporations
or associations supported, in whole or in part, by governmental
appropriations. The term "employer" with respect to
discriminatory practices based on race, color, age, sex,
national origin or non-job related handicap or disability,
includes religious, fraternal, charitable and sectarian
corporations and associations employing [four] one or more
persons within the Commonwealth.
(c) The term "employe" [does not include (1) any individual
employed in agriculture or in the domestic service of any
person, (2) any individuals who, as a part of their employment,
reside in the personal residence of the employer, (3) any
individual employed by said individual's parents, spouse or
child.] means an individual subject to an employer's power to
control the nature and parameters of the individual's
activities, including hiring, firing, training, scheduling,
directing work and proscribing the manner in which the work
should be completed. The term does not include:
(1) an individual who is employed by, and who is working on
a casual basis in a home or personal residence of, another
individual; or
(2) an individual employed by the individual's parent,
spouse or child.
* * *
Section 7. Powers and Duties of the Commission.--The
Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
* * *
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(f) To initiate, receive, investigate and pass upon
complaints charging unlawful discriminatory practices and
violations of section 7.1.
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 7.1. Policies and Procedures.--(a) An employer
shall adopt written policies and procedures for preventing
harassment, discrimination and retaliation against employes. The
policies and procedures shall include, at a minimum, all of the
following:
(1) An explanation that harassment, discrimination and
retaliation are unlawful acts under Federal and State law.
(2) An explanation that sexual harassment is a form of
unlawful discrimination under Federal and State law.
(3) A complaint procedure to report and address harassment,
discrimination and retaliation claims, including a provision
allowing employes to report the claims to persons other than
their supervisor.
(4) The specific responsibilities of a supervisor in the
identification, prevention and reporting of harassment,
discrimination and retaliation.
(5) An explanation of the procedures for maintaining
confidentiality surrounding the reporting of harassment,
discrimination and retaliation claims.
(6) A procedure for the timely, thorough and prompt
investigation of claims of harassment, discrimination and
retaliation filed by an employe.
(b) An employer shall make the policies and procedures
available and easily accessible to all employes.
(c) An employer shall review and update the policies for
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harassment, discrimination and retaliation as needed to remain
in compliance with Federal and State law.
(d) An employer shall keep records of the current policies
and procedures and make them available for inspection by the
Commission upon request. If applicable, employers shall also
keep a record of the immediately preceding policies and
procedures for a period of three years after the effective date
of the current policies and procedures and make them available
for inspection by the Commission upon request.
(e) The Commission shall develop standard policies and
procedures that may be used by employers to satisfy the
requirements under clause (a). The policies and procedures shall
be made publicly available at no cost on the Commission's
publicly accessible Internet website.
(f) The Commission shall publish on its publicly accessible
Internet website, and transmit to the Legislative Reference
Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, any changes
to Federal or State harassment, discrimination or retaliation
laws that would impact the standard policies and procedures
under clause (e) within forty-five days of the changes. The
Commission may establish an electronic notification system to
alert employers of changes to the standard policies and
procedures.
(g) A person claiming a violation of this section may make a
complaint with the Commission. The complaint must state the name
and address of the employer alleged to have violated this
section. If after investigation by the Commission, the
Commission determines that the employer violated this section,
the Commission shall endeavor to cause compliance with this
section and may issue a citation and impose a fine as provided
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in clause (h).
(h) The Commission has the power to issue citations and
impose fines on an employer for a violation of this section as
follows:
(1) A fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and
not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the first
violation.
(2) A fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000)
and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for the second
or each subsequent violation.
(3) The Commission may waive the fine for a first-time
violation of this section if the employer proves to the
satisfaction of the Commission, within sixty days of the
issuance of the citation, that the violation has been cured.
(i) The Human Relations Training Fund is established as a
separate fund in the State Treasury. A fine imposed and
collected by the Commission under clause (h) shall be deposited
into the fund. The money in the fund is appropriated on a
continuing basis to the Commission to be used for training,
education and outreach.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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