In the near future, I will re-introduce legislation that will amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to expand protection from discrimination based on “race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national origin or non-job related handicap or disability or the use of a guide or support animal because of the blindness, deafness or physical handicap” to all independent contractors and unpaid interns. This bill was formerly SB 90 of the 2023-24 session and was cosponsored by Senators Haywood, Kearney, Fontana, Kane, Schwank, Cappelletti, Santarsiero, Comitta, and Muth.  

Current law only protects independent contractors that have a license from the Bureau of Occupational and Professional Affairs and provides no protections for unpaid interns as they are not considered employees.

Our goal is to create safe and accountable workplaces where jobs and opportunities for upward mobility are not leveraged for sex or other unscrupulous favors and where people are not discriminated against based on their background or identity. This legislation is another step towards ending negative workplace power dynamics and the still all-to-common presence of harassment that continues to be a national issue.

This bill will offer the protections afforded to most employees under the PHRA to all independent contractors and unpaid interns. Please join me in supporting this legislation and help contractors and interns enjoy a discrimination-free environment like other protected workers.