BILL NUMBER: SB 367	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 31, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JULY 15, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JULY 2, 2009
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 13, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Negrete McLeod
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Harman)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Feuer, Fletcher, and Tran)

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2009

   An act to add Section 51.13 to the Civil Code, relating to
 discrimination  discrimination, and declaring
the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately  .


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 367, as amended, Negrete McLeod. Discrimination.
   The Unruh Civil Rights Act provides that all persons within the
jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what
their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin,
disability, medical condition, marital status, or sexual orientation
are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages,
facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of
every kind whatsoever.
   This bill would provide that any discount or other benefit offered
to or conferred on a consumer or prospective consumer by a business
because the consumer or prospective consumer has suffered the loss or
reduction of employment or reduction of wages would not be
considered an arbitrary discrimination in violation of that act. 

   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute. 
   Vote:  majority   2/3  . Appropriation:
no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 51.13 is added to the Civil Code, to read:
   51.13.  Any discount or other benefit offered to or conferred on a
consumer or prospective consumer by a business because the consumer
or prospective consumer has suffered the loss or reduction of
employment or reduction of wages shall not be considered an arbitrary
discrimination in violation of Section 51.
   SEC. 2.    This act is an urgency statute necessary
for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety
within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go
into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
 
   Currently, the state is facing an unprecedented economic crisis.
Unemployment levels are at record highs and tens of thousands of jobs
continue to be lost each month in California. Today, for many
Californians, each day is a struggle to survive financially. Many
businesses have begun to provide discounts to those who have lost
their jobs or are underemployed. This bill would clarify that
businesses who give these types of benefits to customers are not in
violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. In order to preserve the
integrity of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, it is necessary that this
act go into immediate effect.