This bill proposes significant updates to Arizona's civil rights statutes by expanding the definitions of discrimination to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, alongside existing categories such as race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, familial status, and national origin. It introduces a new definition for "gender identity and gender expression", clarifying that it pertains to an individual's gender-related identity and expression, irrespective of their designated sex at birth. Additionally, the bill mandates that all single-occupancy restroom facilities in public buildings be designated as gender-neutral and requires at least one restroom accessible to any person regardless of gender. The language regarding discrimination in public accommodations and unlawful employment practices will also be updated to explicitly include these new categories. In terms of housing and real estate transactions, the bill modifies the current numbering of definitions, changing "Respondent" from 10 to 11 and introducing a new definition for "To rent" as 12, which encompasses leasing, subleasing, letting, or granting occupancy rights for consideration. It expands the list of protected characteristics to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression alongside existing protections. The bill removes outdated language and clarifies that discrimination in housing practices is prohibited based on these new categories, including refusals to sell or rent, discriminatory terms, misleading advertisements, and inducing sales or rentals based on individual characteristics. Overall, these changes aim to enhance protections against discrimination in both civil rights and housing contexts.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 41-1402, 41-1441, 41-1442, 41-1444, 41-1461, 41-1463, 41-1464, 41-1481, 41-1491, 41-1491.05, 41-1491.14, 41-1491.15, 41-1491.16, 41-1491.17, 41-1491.20, 41-1491.21, 38-611, 41-1465, 12-120.21, 12-120.22, 12-120.24, 41-1491.22, 101-336, 110-325, 41-1491.25