The Seattle Office for Civil Rights will ask Seattle City Council next month to amend Seattle’s civil rights ordinances to clarify some definitions and make the City’s code consistent with state and federal law.
The proposed changes would bring consistency between Seattle’s Municipal Code and state and federal laws, such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and add “genetics” as a protected class, clarify the definition of a service animal, and expand the statute of limitations for filing housing cases.
Members of the public have until Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 to comment on the proposed changes. The full draft text of the proposed ordinance changes is available at www.seattle.gov/civilrights. The authorizing legislation is contained in SMC 1404, 1406, 1408 and 1410.
You can send comments via e-mail to nolan.lim@seattle.gov or in writing to:
Seattle Office for Civil Rights
810 Third Ave., Suite 750
Seattle, WA 98104-1627
Attn: Nolan Lim
Comments from the public will be used to evaluate the impacts of the proposed changes, and will shape the final amendments to be considered by Seattle City Council in August.
