A committee of Philadelphia City Council next week will hold a public hearing on the proposed measure to revamp the city’s nondiscrimination law.
The ordinance, introduced Feb. 3 by Councilman Bill Greenlee, will come before the Law and Government Committee at 10 a.m. Feb. 24 in Room 401 of City Hall.
Greenlee is chair of the committee, on which the measure’s cosponsor, Councilman Bill Green, also sits.
A bill introduced the same day by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown that would mandate that certain city contractors provide domestic-partner benefits has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
Greenlee’s measure would provide for a complete overhaul of the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance, which, among other stipulations, bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, public accommodations and employment.
His proposal, drafted in conjunction with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, which enforces the nondiscrimination law, would amend the language of the law to allow for uniform definitions throughout. Greenlee noted that certain portions of the law have been updated over the years while others have not, leading to internal discordance as well as a disconnect with language in state and federal laws.
“The key here is that we’re bringing this law up to date,” Greenlee said. “We need to keep pace with policy changes on the federal level. This hasn’t been done on this scale in 60 years, and we need an up-to-date law that reflects 2011.”
Relevant to LGBTs are such changes as the updating of the definition of “familial status” to include one’s life partner. The process for registering as life partners would also change, with partners having to be in an interdependent relationship for at least three months, as opposed to the current six-month limitation, and present at least two pieces of evidence documenting the relationship, contrary to the current three pieces.
The bill would also strengthen the power of the Human Relations Commission.
Currently the commission can impose fines of up to $300, but Greenlee’s bill would elevate that fee to $2,000. In employment cases, the commission will be empowered to take such actions as ordering reinstatement and hiring and upgrading with or without back pay, while in housing situations the panel can mandate a property owner sell, rent or lease property.
Greenlee noted the expanded power will be especially meaningful to LGBT residents, who often have no other recourse, since state and federal laws lack protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“The local Human Relations Commission is really the one place the LGBT community has to file with when they’re discriminated against,” he said. “So that’s why it’s really important that we finally get this done and move forward quickly.”
Greenlee said he’s anticipating “smooth sailing” with the bill.
“We’re hoping to get it done reasonably quickly,” he said. “Things get bogged down with the budget in March, so we’re hoping to get it out of committee quickly, and I really don’t foresee any problems there. With the responses I’ve gotten from the rest of Council, I’m pretty positive.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].