1998 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1360, As Amended – Human Rights Comm, complaints, proc

SENATE BILL NO. 1360, As Amended

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Daily Data Tracking History



S1360aa....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - Amends, adds to and repeals existing law to
revise procedures on complaints before the Human Rights Commission, to
provide that a complainant may request dismissal of an administrative
complaint at any time, to provide for compliance with the Idaho Tort Claims
Act by filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, to provide that
a complaint must be filed with the Human Rights Commission as a condition
precedent to litigation and to revise procedures before the Human Rights
Commission.

01/29    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/30    Rpt prt - to St Aff
02/12    Rpt out - to 14th Ord
02/19    Rpt out amen - to engros
02/20    Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
02/23    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
02/27    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 35-0-0
      AYES -- Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron,
      Crow, Danielson, Darrington, Diede, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes, Hansen,
      Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, King, Lee, McLaughlin, Noh, Parry,
      Richardson, Riggs, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Sorensen, Stennett,
      Sweeney, Thorne, Twiggs, Wheeler, Whitworth
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- None
    Floor Sponsor - Stennett
    Title apvd - to House
03/02    House intro - 1st rdg as amen - to St Aff
03/11    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/12    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/13    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 61-0-9
      AYES -- Alltus, Barraclough, Bell, Bieter, Bivens, Black(15),
      Black(23), Boe, Bruneel, Callister, Campbell, Clark, Cuddy, Deal,
      Denney, Ellsworth, Field(13), Field(20), Gagner, Geddes, Gould,
      Hadley, Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones(20), Judd, Kempton, Kendell,
      Kjellander, Kunz, Lake, Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague, Meyer,
      Miller, Mortensen, Newcomb, Pischner, Pomeroy, Reynolds, Richman,
      Ridinger, Robison, Sali, Schaefer, Stevenson, Stoicheff, Stone,
      Stubbs, Taylor, Tilman, Tippets, Trail, Watson, Wheeler, Wood,
      Zimmermann, Mr Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Barrett, Chase, Crane, Crow, Hansen, Jones(9),
      Jones(22), Kellogg, Linford,
    Floor Sponsor - Alltus
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/16    To enrol
03/17    Rpt enrol - Pres signed
03/18    Sp signed
03/19    To Governor
03/20    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 155
         Effective: 07/01/98

Bill Text


S1360


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                             SENATE BILL NO. 1360, As Amended

                                BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION; AMENDING SECTION 67-5907, IDAHO CODE,
 3        TO REVISE PROCEDURES ON COMPLAINTS, TO  PROVIDE  THAT  A  COMPLAINANT  MAY
 4        REQUEST DISMISSAL OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT AT ANY TIME AND TO MAKE A
 5        TECHNICAL  CORRECTION;  AMENDING  CHAPTER 59, TITLE 67, IDAHO CODE, BY THE
 6        ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 67-5907A, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR  COMPLIANCE
 7        WITH  THE  IDAHO TORT CLAIMS ACT; AMENDING SECTION 67-5908, IDAHO CODE, TO
 8        PROVIDE THAT A COMPLAINT MUST BE FILED WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AS
 9        A CONDITION PRECEDENT TO LITIGATION AND TO REVISE PROCEDURES; AND  REPEAL-
10        ING SECTION 67-5908a, IDAHO CODE.

11    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

12        SECTION  1.  That  Section 67-5907, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
13    amended to read as follows:

14        67-5907.  COMPLAINTS  --  PROCEDURE  ON  COMPLAINT.  (1)  Any  person  who
15    believes he or she has been subject to unlawful discrimination, or a member of
16    the commission, may file a complaint under oath with  the  commission  stating
17    the  facts  concerning the alleged discrimination  within one (1) year of
18    the alleged unlawful discrimination .
19        (2)  Upon receipt of such a complaint, the  commission  or  its  delegated
20    investigator shall endeavor to resolve the matter by informal means prior to a
21    determination of whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful
22    discrimination  has  occurred.  The  commission  or its delegated investigator
23    shall conduct such investigation as may be necessary  to  resolve  the  issues
24    raised by the facts set forth in the complaint.
25        (3)  If  the  commission  does not find reasonable grounds to believe that
26    unlawful discrimination has occurred, it shall enter an order so finding,  and
27    dismiss the proceeding, and shall notify the complainant and the respondent of
28    its action.
29        (4)  If  the  commission finds reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful
30    discrimination has occurred, it shall endeavor to eliminate  such  discrimina-
31    tion  by  informal  means  such as conference, conciliation and persuasion. No
32    offer or counter offer of conciliation  nor  the  terms  of  any  conciliation
33    agreement may be made public without the written consent of all the parties to
34    the  proceeding,  nor  used as evidence in any subsequent proceeding, civil or
35    criminal. If the case is disposed of by such informal means in a manner satis-
36    factory to the commission, the commission shall dismiss  the  proceeding,  and
37    shall notify the complainant and the respondent.
38        (5)  If  the  commission finds reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful
39    discrimination has occurred, and further believes that irreparable  injury  or
40    great inconvenience will be caused the victim of such discrimination if relief
41    is  not  immediately  granted, or if conciliation efforts under subsection (4)
42    have not succeeded, the commission may file a civil action seeking appropriate
43    legal and equitable relief.


                                          2

 1         (6)  A complainant may request dismissal  of an administrative  com-
 2    plaint at any time. Dismissals requested before three hundred sixty-five (365)
 3    calendar  days  from the date of filing of the administrative complaint may be
 4    granted at the discretion of the staff director who will  attempt  to  contact
 5    all  parties who have appeared in the proceeding and consider their interests.
 6    After three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days, if the complaint  has  not
 7    been  dismissed pursuant to subsection (3) of this section or the parties have
 8    not entered into a settlement or conciliation agreement pursuant to subsection
 9    (2) or (4) of this section or other administrative dismissal has not occurred,
10    the commission shall, upon request of the complainant, dismiss  the  complaint
11    and notify the parties. 

12        SECTION  2.  That  Chapter  59,  Title 67, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
13    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION  ,  to  be
14    known and designated as Section 67-5907A, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

15        67-5907A.  COMPLIANCE WITH THE IDAHO TORT CLAIMS ACT. Compliance with sec-
16    tion  67-5907(1),  Idaho  Code,  satisfies the notice requirements of sections
17    6-905 and 6-906, Idaho Code, as to the allegations of the administrative  com-
18    plaint arising under chapter 59, title 67, Idaho Code.

19        SECTION  3.  That  Section 67-5908, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
20    amended to read as follows:

21        67-5908.  PROCEDURE IN DISTRICT COURT. (1) Any action filed by the commis-
22    sion shall be heard by the district court unless either party shall move for a
23    jury trial. Except as otherwise provided herein, the court shall hear the case
24    and grant relief as in other civil actions. Any such action shall  be  brought
25    in  the  name of the commission for the use of the person alleging discrimina-
26    tion or a described class, and the commission shall furnish  counsel  for  the
27    prosecution  thereof.  Any  person aggrieved by the alleged discrimination may
28    intervene in such an action.
29        (2)   Nothing contained in this chapter shall prohibit a  person  who
30    has  been  subject to alleged unlawful discrimination from filing an action in
31    the district court on his or her own behalf, but such  action  shall  be  com-
32    menced not more than two (2) years after the act of alleged unlawful discrimi-
33    nation  complained  of   A complaint must be filed with the commis-
34    sion as a condition precedent to litigation.  A complainant may file  a  civil
35    action  in district court within ninety (90) days of issuance of the notice of
36    administrative dismissal pursuant to section 67-5907(6), Idaho Code .
37        (3)  In a civil action filed by the commission or filed  directly  by  the
38    person alleging unlawful discrimination, if the court finds that unlawful dis-
39    crimination  has occurred, its judgment shall specify an appropriate remedy or
40    remedies therefor. Such remedies may include, but are not limited to:
41        (a)  An order to cease and desist from the unlawful practice specified  in
42        the order;
43        (b)  An order to employ, reinstate, promote or grant other employment ben-
44        efits to a victim of unlawful employment discrimination;
45        (c)  An  order  for actual damages including lost wages and benefits, pro-
46        vided that such back pay liability shall not accrue from a date more  than
47        two  (2) years prior to the filing of the complaint with the commission or
48        the district court, whichever occurs first;
49        (d)  An order to accept or reinstate such a person in a union;
50        (e)  An order for punitive damages, not to  exceed  one  thousand  dollars
51        ($1,000) for each willful violation of this chapter.


                                          3

 1        (4)  Any  civil  action  filed  by the commission under this section shall
 2    commence not more than one (1) year after a complaint of discrimination  under
 3    oath  is  filed with the commission ; provided, however, that the commis-
 4    sion shall commence its actions not more than one (1) year after the effective
 5    date of this act for sworn complaints already pending  before  the  commission
 6    upon passage and approval of this act .
 7        (5)  In  any civil action under this chapter, the burden of proof shall be
 8    on the person seeking relief.

 9        SECTION 4.  That Section 67-5908a, Idaho Code, be, and the same is  hereby
10    repealed.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact








    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE 
    RS07409
    
    
    To require plaintiffs to fife administrative complaints with the human rights commission within 
    one year of the occurrence of the allegedly discriminatory act as a prerequisite to filing a civil 
    action in court; and to authorize the commission to issue a notice of right to sue at the close 
    of the administrative process authorizing the complainant to file a civil action within 90 days 
    of the notice. Complainants may also request a notice of the right to sue before the 365th day 
    of administrative processing which may be granted at the discretion of the director. Requests 
    made after the 365th day shall be granted.
    
    To provide that compliance with the human rights commission process will satisfy the notice 
    requirements of the tort claims act. This will have the effect of extending the time to notify 
    public entities of a tort claim from six months to a year for discrimination claims only.
    
    To remove outdated provisions and simplify certain sections.
    
                                FISCAL IMPACT
    
    None.
    
    CONTACT
    Name: Daniel L. Steckel
    Agency: Idaho Human Rights Commission
    Phone: 334-2873
    Statement of Purpose/Fiscal Impact
    
    S1360