On March 20, 2023, the California Civil Rights Council’s Changes Without Regulatory Effect to the Fair Employment and Housing Act Regulations were approved by the Office of Administrative Law and were filed with the Secretary of State. The Fair Employment and Housing Act Regulations now reflect the following changes:
- Department and Council Name Change: The Department of Fair Employment and Housing was changed in July 2022 to the Civil Rights Department. The Fair Employment Housing Council was similarly changed to the Civil Rights Council.
- California Family Rights Act (CFRA): Effective January 1, 2023, the list of individuals for whom an employee may take CFRA leave to care for include at least one “designated person.” A designed person is someone related to the employee by blood or whose association with the employee is equivalent to a family relationship.
- Reproductive Health Decisionmaking: In September 2022, Governor Newsom signed the Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022, which took effect on January 1, 2023. This Act adds “reproductive health decision-making” as a protected characteristic under the Fair Employment and Housing Act’s employment provisions, and includes but is not limited to, a decision to use or access a particular drug, device, product, or medical service for reproductive health.
These changes update the existing California Code of Regulations to accurately reflect recent updates in the law.
