Department of Fair Employment and Housing

Final Statement of Reasons for Amendments to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing Procedural Regulations

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DEPARTMENTOFFAIREMPLOYMENTANDHOUSINGAMENDMENTSTOTHEDEPARTMENTOFFAIREMPLOYMENTANDHOUSINGPROCEDURALREGULATIONSFINALSTATEMENTOFREASONSCALIFORNIACODEOFREGULATIONSTitle2.AdministrationDiv.4.1.DepartmentofFairEmployment&HousingChapter1.ProceduresoftheDepartmentofFairEmploymentandHousingUPDATEDINFORMATIVEDIGEST[GovernmentCodeSection11346.9(b)].Thisrulemakingactionclarifies,makesspecific,andsupplementstheDepartmentspracticeandprocedureforadministeringcomplaintsofemployment,housingandpublicaccommodationdiscriminationandhatecrimessetforthinGovernmentCodesections12960through12976and12980through12989.3.TheDepartmenthasdeterminedthattheproposedamendmentsarenotinconsistentorincompatiblewithexistingregulations.Afterconductingareviewforanyregulationsthatwouldrelatetooraffectthisarea,theDepartmenthasconcludedthatthesearetheonlyregulationsthatconcerntheDepartmentsproceduresandtheFairEmploymentandHousingAct.Noonerequestedapublichearingontheoriginallyproposedtext.ThefollowinglistsummarizestheDepartmentsnotableamendmentstotheoriginallyproposedtext:intheemploymentcontext,clarifyingthemeaningofmerittomeritundertherelevantlegalstandardinsections10001(o),10025(d),10026(f),10030(b),10030(c),10031(a),and10033(b)toacknowledgethatthestandardisnotsubjective;inthehousingcontext,clarifyingthemeaningofmerittoreasontobelievethatdiscriminationhasoccurredorisabouttooccurinsections10057(d)and10063(a)becausethatisthepreciseFairHousingAct/FairEmploymentandHousingActstandard;elaboratinguponthewaysonemayfileaprecomplaintinquirywiththeDepartment(bytelephone,inperson,bymail,oronthedepartmentsWebsiteatwww.dfeh.ca.gov)insection10002(a);clarifyingthattheDepartmentmayinvestigateacomplaintincertaincircumstanceswherearighttosuenoticehasalreadybeenissuedinsection10005(b)(Notwithstandingtheabove,uponrequestbythecomplainant,thedepartmentmayinitsdiscretioninvestigateacomplaintwherearighttosuenoticehasalreadybeenissuedifdoingsowouldbeconsistentwithsection10012(d).Insuchcases,theoriginalrighttosuenoticedateshallremainineffect.)toaccount,forexample,forsituationswherearequesttosuewaserroneouslyrequestedorthestatehasaninterestinthematter.Thepurposeofthisregulationistopreventdiscriminationwherealargenumberofpersonswouldbeaffected,whenanimportantlegalissueisatstake,and/orwhencivilrightsareatstake.Withoutthisclarification,theregulationmaybemisconstruedtoforeclosedepartmentactionin

Department of Fair Employment and Housing

Final Statement of Reasons for Amendments to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing Procedural Regulations

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oneoftheaforementionedcircumstancesandultimatelyhindercivilrightsenforcement.Moreover,addingbythecomplainantclarifiesthatthecomplainantistheonlypersonwhocanrequesttheinvestigationanditisnecessarilycomplainants,i.e.thepersonclaimingtobeaggrievedinGovernmentCodesection12965,whofileforrighttosuenotices.Finally,thereferencetosection10012(d)regardingdirectorscomplainsisnecessarytoharmonizesection10005(b)withthatsectionbecausetheybothpertaintocriteriausedtoevaluatecomplaintsanditwouldbeinconsistenttousedifferentcriteriabasedsolelyuponhowthecomplaintisfiled.Thediscretiontoinvestigateinsection10005isthesamediscretionexercisedbythedirectorinfilingacomplaintforinvestigationpursuanttosection10012(d);clarifyingthatifsettlementagreementsaretobepublic,itwouldbeinaccordancewiththedepartmentsPublicRecordsActpolicy(sections10025(h)and10057(h)(1));intheemploymentdisputeresolutioncontext,clarifyingthatsettlementagreementsshallbemadepublicrecordsunlessthepartiesrequestnondisclosureandthedirector,oradesignatedrepresentative,determinesthatdisclosureisnotrequiredtofurtherthepurposesofthelawsenforcedbythedepartment(section10025(h));deleted[o]fferingareasonableopportunitytomediatesatisfiesthedepartmentsobligationundersections12963.7and12965oftheGovernmentCodetoeliminatetheunlawfulpracticesthroughconciliationormediationevenifoneorbothofthepartiesrefusetoparticipatefromsection10025(d)tobeconsistentwithGovernmentCodesection12965;deleted[o]fferingareasonableopportunitytomediatesatisfiesthedepartmentsobligationundersection12981oftheGovernmentCodetoeliminatetheunlawfulpracticesthroughconciliationormediationevenifoneorbothofthepartiesrefusetoparticipatefromsection10057(d)tobeconsistentwithGovernmentCodesection12981;clarifyingthatacivilactionmaybefiled,ifatall,onlyafterthedepartmenthasrequiredmandatorydisputeresolutioninsection10031(b)inordertomaintainconsistencywiththesecondsentenceinGovernmentCodesection12965(a);addingidentical,preexistinglanguage(Whenanappealiscompletedafterthestatutorytimelimitandthecomplainthasbeenfoundmeritoriousundertherelevantlegalstandard,thedepartmentshallscheduleaconciliationormediationconference.)fromsection10030(b)regardingInvestigationsNotCompletedWithinStatutoryTimeLimittosection10033(b)regardingDepartmentalAppealinordertomakeiteasiertofindguidancethatisequallyapplicabletoinvestigationsnotcompletedwithinthestatutorytimelimitasitistodepartmentalappealsandtoremindthereaderaboutanimportantrule.ItisnecessarytoclarifywhathappensintheunlikelyeventthattheDepartmentdoesnothaveanymoretime,perGovernmentCodesection12965,toinvestigateacomplaint,butstillseekstoaddresspotentialcivilrightsviolations;inthehousingdisputeresolutioncontext,clarifyingwhoneedstoapprovenondisclosureifrequestedbythepartiesInpreinvestigationmediationthechiefofdisputeresolution,oradesignatedrepresentative,determinesthatdisclosureisnotrequiredtofurtherthepurposesofthelawsenforcedbythedepartmentand[i]nmandatorydisputeresolution,thedirector,oradesignatedrepresentative,determinesthatdisclosureisnotrequiredtofurtherthepurposesofthelawsenforcedbythedepartment(section10057(h)(1)(A)(B)); inthehousingdisputeresolutioncontext,enumeratingexamplesofcircumstancesthatmayresultinpartialorcompletenondisclosure,e.g.ClaimsinvolvingallegationsofsexualharassmentAcomplainantsphysicalormentalcondition,ormedicaldiagnoses[or]Claimsinvolving

Department of Fair Employment and Housing

Final Statement of Reasons for Amendments to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing Procedural Regulations

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circumstancesthat,ifdisclosed,couldcreateasafetyrisk,includingthefactthatacomplainantisaresidentinadomesticviolenceshelterorotherprotectedresidence(section10057(h)(2)(A)(C));inthehousingdisputeresolutioncontext,enumeratingthatAffirmativereliefmayincludeindividualrelieftomakethecomplainantwholesuchasapprovingorrestoringahousingopportunity,approvalofareasonableaccommodationrequest,andreliefinthepublicinteresttopreventfuturediscriminationorharassmentsuchastraining,thedevelopmentofpoliciesorpractices,andaffirmativeadvertising(section10057(j));deletingsection10062,titledInvestigationsNotCompletedWithinStatutoryTimeLimit,becauseitconflictswithfederallaw;changeofferedtorequiredinsection10063tobeconsistentwithGovernmentCodesection12981;clarifyingthatanactionmaybefiled,ifatall,onlyafterthedepartmenthasrequiredmandatorydisputeresolutioninordertomaintainconsistencywithGovernmentCodesection12981;inthehousingdepartmentalappealcontext,adding[w]henanappealiscompletedafterthestatutorytimelimitandthedepartmenthasdeterminedthatdiscriminationhasoccurredorisabouttooccur,thedepartmentshallscheduleaconciliationormediationconferenceinsection10065(b).Thisisnecessarytoharmonizethedepartmentsinternalappellateprocesswiththatofemploymentcasesasspelledoutinsection10033toensurethatthedepartmentcanstillpreventdiscriminationafterthestatutorytimelimitandmaximizeefficiencybetweensimilarprocesses. DETERMINATIONOFLOCALMANDATE[GovernmentCodeSection11346.9(a)(2)].Theproposedregulationsdonotimposeanymandateonlocalagenciesorschooldistricts.ALTERNATIVESCONSIDERED[GovernmentCodeSection11346.9(a)(4)].TheDepartmenthashereinlistedallalternativesithasconsideredapplicabletospecifiedsubdivisionsoftheseregulations.Havingconsideredallalternatives,unlessotherwiseadoptedandnotedintheDepartmentsresponse,theDepartmenthasdeterminedthatnoreasonablealternativeitconsidered,orwasotherwisebroughttoitsattention,wouldbemoreeffectiveincarryingoutthepurposeforwhichtheregulationisproposed,wouldbeaseffectiveandlessburdensometoaffectedprivatepersonsthantheadoptedregulation,orwouldbemorecosteffectivetoaffectedprivatepersonsandequallyeffectiveinimplementingtheFairEmploymentandHousingAct.

ECONOMICIMPACTANALYSIS/ASSESSMENT[GovernmentCodeSection11346.9(a)(5)].TheDepartmentanticipatesthattheadoptionoftheseregulationswillnotimpactthecreationoreliminationofjobsorhousing,thecreationofnewbusinessesorhousingortheeliminationofexistingbusinessesorhousing,ortheexpansionofbusinessesorhousingcurrentlydoingbusinesswithintheState.Tothecontrary,adoptionoftheproposedamendmentstoexistingregulationsisanticipatedtobenefitCaliforniabusinesses,workers,housingproviders,owners,tenants,andtheState'sjudiciarybyclarifyingandstreamliningtheoperationofthelaw,makingiteasierforemployees,employers,housingproviders,owners,andtenantstounderstandtheirrightsandobligationsandreducinglitigationcosts.

Department of Fair Employment and Housing

Final Statement of Reasons for Amendments to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing Procedural Regulations

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NONDUPLICATIONSTATEMENT[1CCR12].Forthereasonsstatedbelow,theproposedregulationspartiallyduplicateoroverlapastateorfederalstatuteorregulationwhichiscitedasauthorityorreferencefortheproposedregulationsandtheduplicationoroverlapisnecessarytosatisfytheclaritystandardofGovernmentCodesection11349.1(a)(3).COMMENTSRECEIVEDDURINGTHE45DAYCOMMENTPERIOD[GovernmentCodeSection11346.9(a)(3)].Section10001(b):Comment:Thedefinitionofcomplainantshouldbechangedtoreflectthedefinitionofaggrievedpersonunder12927(g)oftheFairEmploymentandHousingAct,whichissubstantiallyequivalenttotheFairHousingAct.Departmentresponse:TheDepartmentdeclinest