Bill > S2407

This bill amends existing Massachusetts law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, which refers to a person's internal sense of being male, female, both, or neither. Specifically, it adds "gender identity" alongside "sex" in sections of law that already protect against discrimination in public accommodations, resorts, and amusements. This means that places open to the public, such as restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues, cannot deny admission or full enjoyment of their facilities based on a person's gender identity. The bill also clarifies that if a public accommodation lawfully separates access based on sex, individuals must be granted access consistent with their gender identity. Furthermore, it directs the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) to create rules and regulations to implement these protections, including how gender identity can be evidenced, and tasks the attorney general's office with issuing guidance on how to handle instances where a gender identity is asserted for an improper purpose. Both MCAD and the attorney general's office are required to report their rules and guidance to the state legislature by September 1, 2016, with the provisions related to public accommodations taking effect on October 1, 2016.