EMPLOYMENT/DISCRIMINATN: Provides relative to employment discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation

HB 429 would expand state employment discrimination protections to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on both gender identity and sexual orientation. This bill directly affects workers and employers in the state by requiring businesses to comply with these expanded protections in hiring, promotion, and other employment practices. Key provisions include amending existing law to include "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" as protected characteristics, clarifying that discrimination based on "actual or perceived" status is prohibited. The bill's amendments primarily adjust technical wording (e.g., changing "designated" to "recorded" and refining language around "perceived" discrimination) without altering the core policy. It is currently pending in the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee.