by Patricia A. Schaeffer, Vice President-Regulatory Affairs
On January 24, 2008, Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) introduced the Civil Rights Act of 2008 (S. 2554/H.R. 5129). The Senate bill has 19 co-sponsors, including Democratic presidential candidates, Senators Clinton and Obama. The House bill has 26 co-sponsors. According to the sponsors, the key provisions of the bill would:
- Allow individuals to seek relief when federal funds subsidize practices that have an unjustified discriminatory effect.
- Protect students from harassment in schools that received federal funds.
- Make state employers fully accountable for age discrimination.
- Clarify the standard for challenging employment practices that have a discriminatory effect based on age.
- Improve accountability for other violations of civil rights and workers’ rights.