Labor & Employment (Employment Discrimination)

This bill expands the definition of "employee" under Rhode Island's Fair Employment Practices law to include individuals working in domestic service, thereby extending anti-discrimination protections to domestic workers. The legislation updates various legal definitions within the state's employment chapter to clarify terms related to gender identity, race, disability, and religious accommodation. By making these changes, the bill ensures that domestic workers are covered by the same safeguards against discrimination as other employees in the state.

Prohibits an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or employee, to commit any act declared to be an unlawful employment practice; individuals would be held personally liable for such conduct.

Establishes the trades worker justice and safety act to help provide workers with a workplace free from harassment, discrimination, intimidation, bullying, abuse and retaliation.

This bill expands the definition of "employee" under Rhode Island's Fair Employment Practices law to include individuals working in domestic service, such as nannies, housekeepers, and caregivers employed by private households. By making this change, the bill ensures that domestic workers are protected against discrimination based on age, sex, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity in the same way as other employees. The legislation applies to employers who hire four or more individuals, though it maintains existing exemptions for religious organizations and their employees. This update removes the previous exclusion of domestic workers from state anti-discrimination protections, bringing them under the same legal framework as other workers.

HB 7958 requires that all contracts for capital improvements (such as new construction or major renovations) at healthcare facilities must comply with the fair employment practices standards outlined in chapter 13 of title 37. This directly affects healthcare facilities and their construction contractors by mandating adherence to existing non-discrimination and equal opportunity rules in hiring and employment. The key mechanism is applying these established labor standards to capital improvement contracts, ensuring they include protections against employment discrimination. The bill does not create new requirements but extends current fair employment practices to this specific contracting context. It was introduced on February 27, 2026, and referred to the House Labor committee.

HB 7529 expands the definition of "teacher" to include school nurses, counselors, psychologists, principals, and superintendents, covering all public school staff. It establishes 19 specific rights for these educators, such as a safe workplace free from harassment, protection against being forced to pay for classroom supplies, access to necessary resources like technology, academic freedom, and fair evaluation processes (no more than every 3 years for "highly effective" teachers). The bill directly affects all public school staff covered under the expanded definition, ensuring they have clear, codified workplace protections. It clarifies existing expectations rather than creating new funding or mandates, focusing on defining and safeguarding professional rights within school environments.