S-4613.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6669

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senators Thibaudeau, Drew, Pelz, Smith and Kohl

Read first time 01/23/96.  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Trade.

Prohibiting excessive charges for products and services because of the customer's sex.

    AN ACT Relating to excessive charges for products and services because of the customer's sex; and adding a new section to chapter 49.60 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 49.60 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) This act shall be known, and may be cited, as "the gender tax repeal act of 1996."

    (2) It is an unfair practice for any person to charge more for a product or service because of a person's sex.

    (3) Nothing in subsection (2) of this section prohibits price differences based specifically upon the amount of time, difficulty, or cost of providing a product or service.

    (4) This act does not alter or affect laws that govern insurer underwriting or rating practices.

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