AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

HB 5879 adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, including its "contemporary examples," for use by Rhode Island state agencies. It requires state agencies to apply this definition when evaluating whether discriminatory acts - such as those based on religion or country of origin - constitute antisemitic discrimination under existing fair employment laws. The bill also mandates that state personnel use this definition in anti-bias training and clarifies that it does not override First Amendment rights or conflict with federal or state discrimination laws. This definition will directly guide state agencies in reviewing and investigating discrimination claims involving antisemitism.