Text of ME LD 1337 (2025)

Printed on recycled paper 132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025 Legislative Document No. 1337 H.P. 872 House of Representatives, March 27, 2025 An Act to Amend the Maine Human Rights Act Regarding Female Athletes and Safety in Women's Single-sex Shelters Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed. ROBERT B. HUNT Clerk Presented by Representative CARUSO of Caratunk. Cosponsored by Senator STEWART of Aroostook and Representatives: FAULKINGHAM of Winter Harbor, HAGGAN of Hampden, JAVNER of Chester, LYMAN of Livermore Falls, MCINTYRE of Lowell, Senators: BLACK of Franklin, LIBBY of Cumberland, MOORE of Washington. Page 1 - 132LR2339(01) 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 2 Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §4553, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2019, c. 464, §1, is further 3 amended by adding after the first blocked paragraph a new blocked paragraph to read: 4 "Place of public accommodation" does not include a facility, owned and operated by a 5 private entity, that provides emergency shelter to women or temporary residence to women 6 who are in reasonable fear of their safety. 7 Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §4602, sub-§5, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 366, §19, is 8 amended to read: 9 C. Requires a religious corporation, association or society that does not receive public 10 funding to comply with this section as it relates to sexual orientation or gender identity; 11 or 12 Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §4602, sub-§5, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 366, §19, is 13 amended to read: 14 D. Requires an educational institution to participate in or endorse any religious beliefs 15 or practices; to the extent that an educational institution permits religious expression, 16 it cannot discriminate between religions in so doing.; or 17 Sec. 4. 5 MRSA §4602, sub-§5, ¶E is enacted to read: 18 E. May be construed to affect the rights of a female athlete under 20 United States 19 Code, Sections 1681 to 1689, also known as Title IX of the federal Education 20 Amendments of 1972, Public Law 92-318, as amended. 21 SUMMARY 22 This bill exempts from the definition of "place of public accommodation" in the Maine 23 Human Rights Act privately owned and operated facilities that provide emergency shelter 24 to women or temporary residence for women who are in reasonable fear of their safety. 25 The bill also amends the provisions in the Maine Human Rights Act governing 26 unlawful educational discrimination to provide that they may not be construed to affect the 27 rights of a female athlete under the federal laws known as Title IX of the Education 28 Amendments of 1972. 22 23 24