Source: http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/5/title5sec4553.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 13:24:14+00:00

Document:
1. Commission. "Commission" means the Maine Human Rights Commission established by this Act.
1-A. Commercial facilities. "Commercial facilities" means facilities that are intended for nonresidential use.
1-B. Covered entity. For purposes of subchapter III, "covered entity" means an employer, employment agency, labor organization or joint labor-management committee. For purposes of subchapter V, "covered entity" means any applicable private entity or public entity.
1-C. Direct threat. For purposes of subchapter III, "direct threat" means a significant risk to the health or safety of others that can not be eliminated by reasonable accommodation.
1-D. Aggrieved person. "Aggrieved person" includes any person who claims to have been subject to unlawful discrimination. "Aggrieved person" also includes any person who claims to have been injured by unlawful housing discrimination.
1-E. Complainant. "Complainant" means a person who files a complaint under section 4611 or a civil action under section 4621.
1-F. Conciliation. "Conciliation" means the attempted resolution of issues raised by a complaint filed under section 4611 or by an investigation of such a complaint through informal negotiations involving the complainant, the respondent and the commission.
1-G. Conciliation agreement. "Conciliation agreement" means a written agreement setting forth the resolution of the issues in conciliation.
2. Discriminate. "Discriminate" includes, without limitation, segregate or separate.
2-A. Educational institution. "Educational institution" means any public school or educational program, any public post-secondary institution, any private school or educational program approved for tuition purposes if both male and female students are admitted and the governing body of each such school or program. For purposes related to disability-related discrimination, "educational institution" also means any private school or educational program approved for tuition purposes.
3. Employee. "Employee" means an individual employed by an employer. "Employee" does not include any individual employed by that individual's parents, spouse or child, except for purposes of disability-related discrimination, in which case the individual is considered to be an employee.
4. Employer. "Employer" includes any person in this State employing any number of employees, whatever the place of employment of the employees, and any person outside this State employing any number of employees whose usual place of employment is in this State; any person acting in the interest of any employer, directly or indirectly; and labor organizations, whether or not organized on a religious, fraternal or sectarian basis, with respect to their employment of employees. "Employer" does not include a religious or fraternal corporation or association, not organized for private profit and in fact not conducted for private profit, with respect to employment of its members of the same religion, sect or fraternity, except for purposes of disability-related discrimination, in which case the corporation or association is considered to be an employer.
5. Employment agency. "Employment agency" includes any person undertaking with or without compensation to procure opportunities to work, or to procure, recruit, refer or place employees; it includes, without limitation, placement services, training schools and centers, and labor organizations, to the extent that they act as employee referral sources; and it includes any agent of such person.
The protections afforded against discrimination on the basis of familial status shall apply to any person who is pregnant or who is in the process of securing legal custody of any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years.
5-B. Family. "Family" includes, but is not limited to, a single individual.
6. Housing accommodation. "Housing accommodation" includes any building or structure or portion thereof, or any parcel of land, developed or undeveloped, that is occupied, or is intended to be occupied or to be developed for occupancy, for residential purposes.
6-A. Normal retirement age. "Normal retirement age" means the specified age, the years of service requirement or any age and years of service combination at which a member may become eligible for retirement benefits. This subsection may not be construed to require the mandatory retirement of a member or to deny employment to any person based solely on that person's normal retirement age.
7. Person. "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, corporations, municipal corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers and other legal representatives, labor organizations, mutual companies, joint-stock companies and unincorporated organizations and includes the State and all agencies thereof.
7-A. Physical or mental disability. "Physical or mental disability" has the meaning set forth in section 4553-A.
7-B. Person with physical or mental disability.
When a place of public accommodation is located in a private residence, the portion of the residence used exclusively as a residence is not covered by this subchapter, but that portion used exclusively in the operation of the place of public accommodation or that portion used both for the place of public accommodation and for the residential purposes is covered by this subchapter. The covered portion of the residence extends to those elements used to enter the place of public accommodation, and those exterior and interior portions of the residence available to or used by customers or clients, including rest rooms.
8-A. Private entity. "Private entity" means any entity other than a public entity.
8-B. Public accommodation. "Public accommodation" means a public or private entity that owns, leases, leases to or operates a place of public accommodation.
For purposes of subchapter III, "qualified individual with a disability" means an individual with a physical or mental disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that the individual holds or desires.
For purposes of subchapter V, "qualified individual with a disability" means an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modification to rules, policies or practices, the removal of architectural, communication or transportation barriers or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity.
9. Real estate broker and salesman. "Real estate broker" and "real estate salesman" have the same definitions as are given respectively in Title 32, section 4001, subsections 2 and 3; but include all persons meeting those definitions, whether or not they are licensed or required to be licensed.
"Undue hardship" or "undue burden" is a higher standard than "readily achievable" and requires a greater level of effort on the part of the public accommodation.
9-C. Sexual orientation. "Sexual orientation" means a person's actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or expression.
9-F. Rent. "Rent" includes to lease, to sublease, to let or otherwise to grant for a consideration the right to occupy premises not owned by the occupant.
9-G. Respondent. "Respondent" means a person accused of unlawful discrimination in a complaint filed under section 4611 or a civil action filed under section 4621.
(3) Educational opportunity, as is more fully set forth in section 4602, subsection 4.
1971, c. 501, §1 (NEW). 1973, c. 415, §1 (AMD). 1975, c. 182, §1 (AMD). 1975, c. 358, §2 (AMD). 1979, c. 350, §1 (AMD). 1983, c. 437, §1 (AMD). 1983, c. 578, §§1,2 (AMD). 1987, c. 478, §2 (AMD). 1989, c. 245, §2 (AMD). 1991, c. 99, §2 (AMD). 1991, c. 109, (AMD). 1995, c. 393, §§1-8 (AMD). RR 1999, c. 2, §2 (COR). 2005, c. 10, §§2-6 (AMD). 2007, c. 385, §§1, 2 (AMD). 2007, c. 664, §1 (AMD). 2011, c. 369, §§1, 2 (AMD). 2011, c. 613, §§1-9 (AMD). 2011, c. 613, §29 (AFF). 2015, c. 457, §§1, 2 (AMD).

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