Florida Senate - 2013                                     SB 774
       
       
       
       By Senator Thompson
       
       
       
       
       12-00648A-13                                           2013774__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Civil Rights Act of
    3         1992; providing a short title; amending s. 760.02,
    4         F.S.; expanding the meaning of “sex” as the term
    5         relates to the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992;
    6         specifying that a woman who is pregnant or who is
    7         affected by a medical condition related to pregnancy
    8         or childbirth must be treated the same for all
    9         employment-related purposes, including receipt of
   10         benefits, as an individual who has a medical condition
   11         unrelated to pregnancy or childbirth; amending s.
   12         760.11, F.S.; extending the time for the Florida
   13         Commission on Human Relations to investigate
   14         complaints and determine reasonable cause; specifying
   15         powers of the commission and administrative law judges
   16         to enter proposed orders to prohibit practices that
   17         violate the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992;
   18         authorizing the commission and administrative law
   19         judges to award compensatory and punitive damages;
   20         providing a monetary limit on the award of punitive
   21         damages; providing that attorney fees be calculated
   22         consistent with federal case law; extending the time
   23         before a complainant may proceed with civil or
   24         administrative action when the commission fails to
   25         conciliate or determine whether there is reasonable
   26         cause; providing an effective date.
   27  
   28  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   29  
   30         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Protect Our Women
   31  Act.”
   32         Section 2. Present subsections (1), (5), (6), (7), (8),
   33  (9), and (10) of section 760.02, Florida Statutes, are reordered
   34  and redesignated as subsections (7), (9), (10), (5), (6), (8),
   35  and (1), respectively, and a new subsection (12) is added to
   36  that section, to read:
   37         760.02 Definitions.—For the purposes of ss. 760.01-760.11
   38  and 509.092, the term:
   39         (12) “Sex” means the biological state of being a male, a
   40  female, or a female who is pregnant or affected by any medical
   41  condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. A female who is
   42  pregnant or who is affected by a medical condition related to
   43  pregnancy or childbirth shall be treated the same for all
   44  employment-related purposes as an individual not so affected who
   45  has a similar ability or inability to work.
   46         Section 3. Subsections (3), (6), (7), and (8) of section
   47  760.11, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   48         760.11 Administrative and civil remedies; construction.—
   49         (3) Except as provided in subsection (2), the commission
   50  shall investigate the allegations in the complaint. Within 240
   51  180 days after of the filing of the complaint, the commission
   52  shall determine if there is reasonable cause to believe that
   53  discriminatory practice has occurred in violation of the Florida
   54  Civil Rights Act of 1992. When the commission determines whether
   55  or not there is reasonable cause, the commission shall promptly
   56  notify by registered mail shall promptly notify the aggrieved
   57  person and the respondent of the reasonable cause determination,
   58  the date of such determination, and the options available under
   59  this section.
   60         (6) Any administrative hearing brought pursuant to
   61  paragraph (4)(b) shall be conducted under ss. 120.569 and
   62  120.57. The commission may hear the case provided that the final
   63  order is issued by members of the commission who did not conduct
   64  the hearing or the commission may request that it be heard by an
   65  administrative law judge pursuant to s. 120.569(2)(a). If the
   66  commission elects to hear the case, it may be heard by a
   67  commissioner. If the commissioner, after the hearing, finds that
   68  a violation of the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 has
   69  occurred, the commissioner shall issue an appropriate proposed
   70  order in accordance with chapter 120 prohibiting the
   71  discriminatory practice and providing affirmative relief from
   72  the effects of the practice, including back pay. The
   73  commissioner may also award punitive and compensatory damages,
   74  including, but not limited to, damages for mental anguish, loss
   75  of dignity, and any other intangible injuries. Punitive damages
   76  awarded under this section may not exceed $100,000. If the
   77  administrative law judge, after the hearing, finds that a
   78  violation of the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 has occurred,
   79  the administrative law judge shall issue an appropriate
   80  recommended order in accordance with chapter 120 prohibiting the
   81  discriminatory practice and providing affirmative relief from
   82  the effects of the practice, including back pay. The
   83  administrative law judge may also award punitive and
   84  compensatory damages, including, but not limited to, damages for
   85  mental anguish, loss of dignity, and any other intangible
   86  injuries. Punitive damages awarded under this section may not
   87  exceed $100,000. Within 90 days after of the date the
   88  recommended or proposed order is rendered, the commission shall
   89  issue a final order by adopting, rejecting, or modifying the
   90  recommended order as provided under ss. 120.569 and 120.57. The
   91  90-day period may be extended with the consent of all the
   92  parties. An administrative hearing pursuant to paragraph (4)(b)
   93  may must be requested no later than 35 days after the date of
   94  determination of reasonable cause by the commission. In any
   95  action or proceeding under this subsection, the commission, in
   96  its discretion, may allow the prevailing party a reasonable
   97  attorney attorney’s fee as part of the costs. Attorney It is the
   98  intent of the Legislature that this provision for attorney’s
   99  fees must be calculated interpreted in a manner consistent with
  100  federal case law involving a Title VII action.
  101         (7) If the commission determines that there is not
  102  reasonable cause to believe that a violation of the Florida
  103  Civil Rights Act of 1992 has occurred, the commission shall
  104  dismiss the complaint. The aggrieved person may request an
  105  administrative hearing under ss. 120.569 and 120.57, but any
  106  such request must be made within 35 days after of the date of
  107  determination of reasonable cause and any such hearing shall be
  108  heard by an administrative law judge and not by the commission
  109  or a commissioner. If the aggrieved person does not request an
  110  administrative hearing within the 35 days, the claim will be
  111  barred. If the administrative law judge finds that a violation
  112  of the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 has occurred, he or she
  113  shall issue an appropriate recommended order to the commission
  114  prohibiting the discriminatory practice and recommending
  115  affirmative relief from the effects of the practice, including
  116  back pay. The administrative law judge may also award punitive
  117  and compensatory damages, including, but not limited to, damages
  118  for mental anguish, loss of dignity, and any other intangible
  119  injuries. Punitive damages awarded under this section may not
  120  exceed $100,000. Within 90 days after of the date the
  121  recommended order is rendered, the commission shall issue a
  122  final order by adopting, rejecting, or modifying the recommended
  123  order as provided under ss. 120.569 and 120.57. The 90-day
  124  period may be extended with the consent of all the parties. In
  125  any action or proceeding under this subsection, the commission,
  126  in its discretion, may allow the prevailing party a reasonable
  127  attorney attorney’s fee as part of the costs. Attorney It is the
  128  intent of the Legislature that this provision for attorney’s
  129  fees must be calculated interpreted in a manner consistent with
  130  federal case law involving a Title VII action. In the event the
  131  final order issued by the commission determines that a violation
  132  of the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 has occurred, the
  133  aggrieved person may bring, within 1 year after of the date of
  134  the final order, a civil action under subsection (5) as if there
  135  has been a reasonable cause determination or accept the
  136  affirmative relief offered by the commission, but not both.
  137         (8) If In the event that the commission fails to conciliate
  138  or determine whether there is reasonable cause on any complaint
  139  under this section within 240 180 days after of the filing of
  140  the complaint, an aggrieved person may proceed under subsection
  141  (4), as if the commission determined that there was reasonable
  142  cause.
  143         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.