2019 -- H 5341

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LC000675

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Shanley, Tanzi, Kazarian, Knight, and Carson

     Date Introduced: February 07, 2019

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 28-5-17 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-5 entitled "Fair

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Employment Practices" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     28-5-17. Conciliation of charges of unlawful practices.

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     (a) Upon the commission's own initiative or whenever an aggrieved individual or an

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organization chartered for the purpose of combating discrimination, racism, or of safeguarding

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civil liberties, or of promoting full, free, or equal employment opportunities, that individual or

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organization being subsequently referred to as the complainant, makes a charge to the

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commission that any employer, employment agency, labor organization, or person, subsequently

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referred to as the respondent, has engaged or is engaging in unlawful employment practices and

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that the unlawful employment practices have occurred, have terminated, or have been applied to

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affect adversely the person aggrieved, whichever is later, within one year two (2) years, the

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commission may initiate a preliminary investigation.

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     (b) If the commission determines after the investigation that it is probable that unlawful

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employment practices have been or are being engaged in, it shall endeavor to eliminate the

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unlawful employment practices by informal methods of conference, conciliation, and persuasion,

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including a conciliation agreement. The terms of the conciliation agreement shall include

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provisions requiring the respondent to refrain from the commission of unlawful discriminatory

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practices in the future and may contain any further provisions that may be agreed upon by the

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investigating commissioner and the respondent, including a provision for the entry in superior

 

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court of a consent decree embodying the terms of the conciliation agreement. Nothing said or

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done during these endeavors may be used as evidence in any subsequent proceeding.

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     (c) If, after an investigation and conference, the commission is satisfied that any unlawful

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employment practice of the respondent will be eliminated, it may, with the consent of the

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complainant, treat the charge as conciliated, and entry of that disposition shall be made on the

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records of the commission.

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     (d) The commission shall not enter a consent order or conciliation agreement settling

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claims of discrimination in an action or proceeding under this chapter unless the parties and their

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counsel attest that a waiver of all or substantially all attorneys' fees was not compelled as a

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condition of the settlement.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

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     This act would extend the timeframe within which to bring an action for an unlawful

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employment practice.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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