WL SB 110 Fact Sheet

							FACT SHEET: SB 110
Continuing the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and Division Following Sunset Review
                                         Sponsored by Sen. John Morse and Rep. Claire Levy


BILL SUMMARY
      Extends the expiration date on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and Division from July 1,
       2009 to July 1, 2018.
      Continues the subpoena power of the director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division.
      Authorizes the Colorado Civil Rights Commission to initiate civil rights violation charges on its
       own volition to intervene in cases of institutional or societal discrimination.
      Streamlines internal processes within CCRD to achieve administrative efficiencies.
      Expands the types of employment discrimination cases that can be filed with CCRD to include
       charges of discriminatory terms and conditions of employment.



REASONS TO SUPPORT SB 110
      Even today, discrimination is still alive and well. In state fiscal year 2007-08, CCRD handled
       almost 500 charges of employment discrimination, 100 charges of housing discrimination, and 50
       charges of discrimination in places of public accommodation. CCRD plays a vital role in
       protecting the civil rights of Coloradans.
      CCRD provides an administrative forum for the resolution of civil rights violations. It is
       accessible to claimants and its investigatory and mediation functions save time and money as
       cases are often settled before they ever get to court.
      SB 110 makes our state employment discrimination law function more like its federal
       counterparts. By adding jurisdiction over charges of discriminatory terms and conditions of
       employment – a claim covered by federal law – fewer cases slip through the cracks.
      CCRD is needed because not all employment discrimination cases can be brought under Title VII
       of the federal act. Title VII does not apply to employers with fewer than 15 employees, it does
       not cover cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation or marriage to a co-worker, and
       federal age discrimination laws apply only to employers with 20 or more employees. For people
       who are left out of the protection of federal law, CCRD is their only hope of finding justice.


GROUPS SUPPORTING SB 110
      9 to 5 National Association of Working Women
      American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado              Equal Rights Colorado
      Anti-Defamation League, Rocky Mountain                  League of Women Voters of Colorado
       Region                                                  Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association
      Colorado Coalition Against Domestic                     The Women’s Lobby of Colorado
       Violence
      Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
                                                                …and the list keeps growing!