January 16, 2013 - Texas Workforce Commission

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1 Report to the three-member Commission of the Texas
2 Workforce Commission. That report was issued on last
3 Friday.
4 Some quick highlights on legislation
5 that has been filed. A bill has been filed to amend
6 Chapter 21 to add sexual orientation and gender
7 identity or expression as a protected class or classes
8 under state law. This bill is similar and, perhaps,
9 identical to bills that have been filed in each of the
10 last two sessions, and we're analyzing that bill right
11 now. I'll probably speak more on that in the context
12 of the training under Agenda Item 10 when we get to
13 it.
14 CHAIRMAN ANDERSON: There is nothing
15 under EEOC. The only thing they have under EEOC at
16 the present time are gender identity of sexual
17 orientation is -- is promulgated regulations from
18 EEOC. Correct? I mean, there is no law from -- at
19 the federal level addressing sexual orientation or
20 gender identity.
21 MR. BABIAK: Well, we -- we do have
22 the -- the recent decision in the case of Macy versus
23 Holder. The EEOC has communicated to us that the
24 decision in that case represents the interpretation
25 that the EEOC will apply in private sector