I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2282 
To prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual 
orientation, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 2, 2017 
Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mrs. BUSTOS, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. 
SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. CROW-
LEY, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. CORREA, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BLU-
MENAUER, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. BEYER, Ms. BLUNT ROCH-
ESTER, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. PETERS, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mrs. DAVIS of Cali-
fornia, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. FOSTER, 
Mr. HIMES, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, 
Ms. MENG, Mr. RUIZ, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. O’ROURKE, Mr. LAWSON of 
Florida, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. PERL-
MUTTER, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. POCAN, Mr. 
SOTO, Mr. BERA, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. LARSON of Con-
necticut, Mr. KIND, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mr. TAKANO, Miss RICE 
of New York, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. KILMER, 
Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. NORCROSS, Mrs. WATSON COLE-
MAN, Mr. COOPER, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. 
ESPAILLAT, Mr. DELANEY, Mr. HOYER, Mrs. TORRES, Ms. TSONGAS, 
Ms. SINEMA, Mr. POLIS, Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas, Mr. DESAULNIER, 
Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. SWALWELL of 
California, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. KUSTER of 
New Hampshire, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Ms. MICHELLE 
LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, Ms. ADAMS, 
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. PANETTA, 
Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. TED LIEU of California, 
Mr. PALLONE, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, 
Ms. ESHOO, Mr. KIHUEN, Mr. MCEACHIN, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. NEAL, Mr. 
LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. ROSEN, Ms. HANABUSA, Mr. HECK, Mr. CRIST, 
Mr. RASKIN, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. VELA, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. 
CASTOR of Florida, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. 
BUTTERFIELD, Mr. COSTA, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. PRICE of North 
Carolina, Mr. NADLER, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. 
DEFAZIO, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. NORTON, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS 
of Illinois, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. KAPTUR, 
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Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. RUSH, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. PETERSON, 
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California, Mr. BEN RAY 
LUJA´N of New Mexico, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. JOHNSON of 
Georgia, Ms. BASS, Ms. MOORE, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. 
SMITH of Washington, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. LEE, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. WELCH, Mr. DOGGETT, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of 
New York, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. WALZ, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. 
CLEAVER, Mr. SIRES, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. 
KEATING, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. SERRANO, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. NOLAN, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. COHEN, Mr. BISHOP of 
Georgia, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. RUPPERS-
BERGER, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CLAY, Mr. 
SCHRADER, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. SAR-
BANES, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. HIG-
GINS of New York, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. TONKO, Ms. TITUS, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. 
THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. 
SLAUGHTER, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. CUELLAR, 
Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. PLASKETT, 
and Mr. RICHMOND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on 
Education and the Workforce, Financial Services, Oversight and Govern-
ment Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender 
identity, and sexual orientation, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Equality Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Discrimination can occur on the basis of the 
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or preg-
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nancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition of 
an individual, as well as because of sex-based stereo-
types. Each of these factors alone can serve as the 
basis for discrimination, and each is a form of sex 
discrimination. 
(2) A single instance of discrimination may 
have more than one basis. For example, discrimina-
tion against a married same-sex couple could be 
based on the sex stereotype that marriage should 
only be between heterosexual couples, the sexual ori-
entation of the two individuals in the couple, or 
both. Discrimination against a pregnant lesbian 
could be based on her sex, her sexual orientation, 
her pregnancy, or on the basis of multiple factors. 
(3) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (re-
ferred to as ‘‘LGBT’’) people commonly experience 
discrimination in securing access to public accom-
modations—including restaurants, stores, places of 
or establishments that provide entertainment, and 
transportation. Forms of discrimination include the 
exclusion and denial of entry, unequal or unfair 
treatment, harassment, and violence. This discrimi-
nation prevents the full participation of LGBT peo-
ple in society and disrupts the free flow of com-
merce. 
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(4) Women also face discrimination, in estab-
lishments such as stores and restaurants, and places 
or establishments that provide other goods or serv-
ices, such as entertainment or transportation, in-
cluding sexual harassment, differential pricing, and 
denial of services because they are pregnant or 
breastfeeding. 
(5) Regular and ongoing discrimination against 
LGBT people, as well as women, in accessing public 
accommodations contributes to negative social and 
economic outcomes. 
(6) The discredited practice known as ‘‘conver-
sion therapy’’ is a form of discrimination that harms 
LGBT people by undermining individuals sense of 
self worth, increasing suicide ideation and substance 
abuse, exacerbating family conflict, and contributing 
to second class status. 
(7) Both LGBT people and women face wide-
spread discrimination in employment and various 
services, including by entities that receive Federal fi-
nancial assistance. Such discrimination— 
(A) is particularly troubling and inappro-
priate for programs and services funded wholly 
or in part by the Federal Government; 
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(B) undermines national progress toward 
equal treatment regardless of sex, sexual ori-
entation, or gender identity; and 
(C) is inconsistent with the constitutional 
principle of equal protection under the Four-
teenth Amendment of the Constitution of the 
United States. 
(8) Workers who are LGBT, or are perceived to 
be LGBT, have been subjected to a history and pat-
tern of persistent, widespread, and pervasive dis-
crimination on the bases of sexual orientation and 
gender identity by private sector employers and Fed-
eral, State, and local government employers. 
(9) Numerous provisions of Federal law ex-
pressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, 
and Federal agencies and courts have correctly in-
terpreted these prohibitions on sex discrimination to 
include discrimination based on sexual orientation, 
gender identity, and sex stereotypes. In particular, 
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 
correctly interpreted title VII of the Civil Rights Act 
of 1964 in Macy v. Holder, Baldwin v. Foxx, and 
Lusardi v. McHugh. 
(10) The absence of explicit prohibitions of dis-
crimination on the basis of sexual orientation and 
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gender identity under Federal statutory law, as well 
as the existence of legislative proposals that would 
have provided such explicit prohibitions, has led 
some courts to conclude incorrectly that current 
Federal laws prohibiting sex discrimination do not 
prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual ori-
entation and gender identity. It has also created un-
certainty for employers and other entities covered by 
Federal nondiscrimination laws and caused unneces-
sary hardships for LGBT individuals. 
(11) LGBT people often face discrimination 
when seeking to rent or purchase housing, as well as 
in every other aspect of obtaining and maintaining 
housing. LGBT people in same-sex relationships are 
often discriminated against when two names associ-
ated with one gender appear on a housing applica-
tion, and transgender people often encounter dis-
crimination when credit checks or inquiries reveal a 
former name. 
(12) National surveys, including a study com-
missioned by the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, show that housing discrimination 
against LGBT people is very prevalent. For in-
stance, when same-sex couples inquire about housing 
that is available for rent, they are less likely to re-
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ceive positive responses from landlords. According to 
other studies, transgender people have half the 
homeownership rate of non-transgender people and 
about 1 in 5 transgender people experience home-
lessness. 
(13) As a result of the absence of explicit prohi-
bitions against discrimination on the basis of sexual 
orientation and gender identity, credit applicants 
who are LGBT, or perceived to be LGBT, have un-
equal opportunities to establish credit. LGBT people 
can experience being denied a mortgage, credit card, 
student loan, or many other types of credit simply 
because of their sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity. 
(14) Numerous studies demonstrate that LGBT 
people, especially transgender people and women, are 
economically disadvantaged and at a higher risk for 
poverty compared with other groups of people. 
(15) The right to an impartial jury of one’s 
peers and the reciprocal right to jury service are 
fundamental to the free and democratic system of 
justice in the United States and are based in the 
Bill of Rights. There is, however, an unfortunate 
and long-documented history in the United States of 
attorneys discriminating against LGBT individuals, 
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or those perceived to be LGBT, in jury selection. 
Failure to bar peremptory challenges based on the 
actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender 
identity of an individual not only erodes a funda-
mental right, duty, and obligation of being a citizen 
of the United States, but also unfairly creates a sec-
ond class of citizenship for LGBT victims, witnesses, 
plaintiffs, and defendants. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to ex-
pand as well as clarify, confirm and create greater consist-
ency in the protections against discrimination on the basis 
of all covered characteristics and to provide guidance and 
notice to individuals, organizations, corporations, and 
agencies regarding their obligations under the law. 
SEC. 3. PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS. 
(a) PROHIBITION ON DISCRIMINATION OR SEGREGA-
TION IN PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.—Section 201 of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘sex, sexual 
orientation, gender identity,’’ before ‘‘or national ori-
gin’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘sta-
dium’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘sta-
dium or other place of or establishment that 
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