Bill · S. 1503· Senate(119-S-1503)
Equality Act
- Introduced
- 4/29/2025
- Last activity
- 4/29/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Jeff Merkley
- Cosponsors
- - 44 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Equality Act aims to prohibit discrimination based on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. It expands and clarifies protections across several areas, including employment, housing, and public accommodations. The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. It also addresses discrimination in jury selection and federal funding. The goal is to create consistent national protections and remedies for these covered characteristics.
Yes· 3 of 22
Would LGBTQ people be better off under this?+10
Directly protects sexual orientation and gender identity across employment, housing, and public spaces.
Does this expand the rights of LGBTQ people?+10
Provides comprehensive national protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Would women be better off under this?+8
Prohibits discrimination based on sex, pregnancy, childbirth, and sex-based stereotypes.
The opposite
Does this protect the freedom to practise a religion?-6
Explicitly limits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a defense against discrimination claims.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-5
Overrides certain state-level permissions for discrimination and limits RFRA defenses.
Would business owners be better off under this?-3
Increases legal liability for business owners regarding nondiscrimination compliance.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Expanded Access to Public Accommodations: By amending Section 201 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in places like stores, banks, health care facilities, and transportation (Section 3).
-
Employment Protections: The bill amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to make it unlawful to discriminate in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity (Section 7).
-
Fair Housing Opportunities: Amending the Fair Housing Act ensures that individuals cannot be discriminated against when renting or purchasing housing based on their sexual orientation or gender identity (Section 10).
-
Equal Access to Credit: By amending the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the bill prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity during credit transactions (Section 11).
-
Impartial Jury Service: The bill amends title 28 of the United States Code to prevent discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in jury selection (Section 12).
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Facility Access: The bill establishes that individuals shall not be denied access to shared facilities, such as restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms, that align with their gender identity (Section 9).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limitation of Religious Defenses: The bill states that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 cannot be used as a claim or defense against challenges under the covered titles of the act (Section 9).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For L G B T Q Community+10Good For Women+8Good For Children+7Good For Low Income Households+7Good For Middle Aged+6Good For Seniors+6Good For Young Adults+6Good For Middle Class Households+5Good For Retirees+5Good For Students+5Good For Business Owners-3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves L G B T Q Rights+10Improves Gender Equality+8Improves Affordable Housing+7Reduces Homelessness+5Improves Poverty Reduction+4Improves Religious Freedom-6
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+6Improves Mental Health Access+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+6Increases Federal Power+5Improves Interstate Commerce+3Increase States Rights-5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5Improves Economic Growth+2
- 4/29/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 46 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Michael BennetDemocrat · Colorado
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Lisa Blunt RochesterDemocrat · Delaware
Maria CantwellDemocrat · Washington
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Catherine Cortez MastoDemocrat · Nevada
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Mark KellyDemocrat · Arizona
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Jon OssoffDemocrat · Georgia
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Gary PetersDemocrat · Michigan
John ReedDemocrat · Rhode Island
Jacky RosenDemocrat · Nevada
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Charles SchumerDemocrat · New York
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat · Michigan
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Raphael WarnockDemocrat · Georgia
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island
Mark WarnerDemocrat · Virginia
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts