WSR 98-18-005

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

[Filed August 20, 1998, 12:54 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 162-16 WAC, Employment; chapter 162-30 WAC, Sex discrimination, chapter 162-22 WAC, Employment--Persons with disabilities, chapter 162-26 WAC, Public accommodations, disability discrimination, and chapter 162-38 WAC, Real estate transactions, disability discrimination.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 49.60.120(3).

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: To adopt improvements to current Human Rights Commission rules under Executive Order 97-02 relating to clarity, effectiveness, cost, consistency with statutory intent, coordination, need, and fairness.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforce federal civil rights law and fair housing law. Complaints in employment and housing filed with the Human Rights Commission on certain bases are also dually filed with EEOC and HUD. The Washington State Departments of Health, Personnel, Corrections, Licensing and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner have been invited to participate in the advisory workgroups helping to develop possible improvements to the rules under EO 97-02.

Process for Developing New Rule: Facilitated advisory workgroups.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by submitting written comments to Heriberto Ruiz, 1511 Third Avenue, Suite 921, Seattle, WA 98101-1626, voice (206) 464-6505, fax (206) 464-7463.

August 20, 1998

Susan J. Jordan

Executive Director