Pennsylvania HB 2103: An Act amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, further providing for the title of the act, for findings and declaration of policy, for right to freedom from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation, for definitions, for unlawful discriminatory practices and for prohibition of certain real estate practices; providing for protection of religious exercise; and further providing for powers and duties of the commission and for construction and exclusiveness of remedy.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2712 PRINTER'S NO. 3285
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2103
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY WAXMAN, KHAN, SANCHEZ, HOHENSTEIN, RIVERA, CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ, DALEY, MADDEN, KINKEAD, SCOTT, WARREN, MADSEN AND
GREEN, DECEMBER 16, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
APRIL 27, 2026
AN ACT
Amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), entitled
"An act prohibiting certain practices of discrimination
because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age or
national origin by employers, employment agencies, labor
organizations and others as herein defined; creating the
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the Governor's
Office; defining its functions, powers and duties; providing
for procedure and enforcement; providing for formulation of
an educational program to prevent prejudice; providing for
judicial review and enforcement and imposing penalties,"
further providing for unlawful discriminatory practices.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 5(h)(10) of the act of October 27, 1955
(P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Act, is amended to read:
Section 5. Unlawful Discriminatory Practices.--It shall be
an unlawful discriminatory practice, unless based upon a bona
fide occupational qualification, or in the case of a fraternal
corporation or association, unless based upon membership in such
association or corporation, or except where based upon
<--1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

applicable security regulations established by the United States
or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:
* * *
(h) For any person to:
* * *
(10) Nothing in this clause shall bar any religious or
denominational institution or organization or any charitable or
educational organization which is operated, supervised or
controlled by or in connection with a religious organization or
any bona fide private or fraternal organization from giving
preference to persons of the same religion or denomination or to
members of such private or fraternal organization or from making
such selection as is calculated by such organization to promote
the religious principles or the aims, purposes or fraternal
principles for which it is established or maintained. Nor shall
it apply to the rental of rooms in a landlord-occupied rooming
house with a common entrance, nor with respect to discrimination
based on sex, the advertising, rental or leasing of housing
accommodations in a single-sex dormitory or rooms in one's
personal residence in which common living areas are shared. As
used in this clause, the term "bona fide private or fraternal
organization" shall not include organizations that restrict
membership in the organization on account of race, color,
national origin or ancestry for the purpose or effect of denying
equal access to housing, employment or public accommodations.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
AMENDING THE ACT OF OCTOBER 27, 1955 (P.L.744, NO.222), ENTITLED
"AN ACT PROHIBITING CERTAIN PRACTICES OF DISCRIMINATION
BECAUSE OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGIOUS CREED, ANCESTRY, AGE OR
NATIONAL ORIGIN BY EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES, LABOR
ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS AS HEREIN DEFINED; CREATING THE
PENNSYLVANIA HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION IN THE GOVERNOR'S
20250HB2103PN3285 - 2 -
<--
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33

OFFICE; DEFINING ITS FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES; PROVIDING
FOR PROCEDURE AND ENFORCEMENT; PROVIDING FOR FORMULATION OF
AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO PREVENT PREJUDICE; PROVIDING FOR
JUDICIAL REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT AND IMPOSING PENALTIES,"
FURTHER PROVIDING FOR THE TITLE OF THE ACT, FOR FINDINGS AND
DECLARATION OF POLICY, FOR RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM
DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING AND PUBLIC
ACCOMMODATION, FOR DEFINITIONS, FOR UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATORY
PRACTICES AND FOR PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN REAL ESTATE
PRACTICES; PROVIDING FOR PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS EXERCISE;
AND FURTHER PROVIDING FOR POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION
AND FOR CONSTRUCTION AND EXCLUSIVENESS OF REMEDY.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
HEREBY ENACTS AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. THE TITLE AND SECTIONS 2 AND 3 OF THE ACT OF
OCTOBER 27, 1955 (P.L.744, NO.222), KNOWN AS THE PENNSYLVANIA
HUMAN RELATIONS ACT, ARE AMENDED TO READ:
AN ACT
PROHIBITING CERTAIN PRACTICES OF DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE OF RACE,
COLOR, RELIGIOUS CREED, ANCESTRY, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION,
GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, AGE OR NATIONAL ORIGIN BY
EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES, LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND
OTHERS AS HEREIN DEFINED; CREATING THE PENNSYLVANIA HUMAN
RELATIONS COMMISSION IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE; DEFINING ITS
FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES; PROVIDING FOR PROCEDURE AND
ENFORCEMENT; PROVIDING FOR FORMULATION OF AN EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM TO PREVENT PREJUDICE; PROVIDING FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW
AND ENFORCEMENT AND IMPOSING PENALTIES.
SECTION 2. FINDI