YourVoice.Now Summary
Civil LibertiesWorkers & JobsYour MoneyCriminal Justice & Due ProcessBans bias against gay and transgender people at work, in housing, and in loans — and adds stores, banks, and buses to the places that must serve all.
Civil Liberties
Hotels, restaurants, and theaters could not turn you away over your sex. That would include your sexual orientation and gender identity. Federal law does not cover sex in these places today.
The list of places that must serve all would grow. It would add stores, online sellers, banks, salons, shelters, doctors, gyms, and funeral homes. Trains, buses, taxis, and planes would join, and the rule would apply to race and faith bias too.
A program that gets federal money could not shut you out over your sex. That would include your gender identity. Today the main rule for federal funds covers only race, color, and where you are from.
Landlords, sellers, and home lenders could not turn you down over your sexual orientation or gender identity. The Fair Housing Act already bans sex bias. The bill says that sex bias includes these traits.
No one could be kept out of a shared restroom, locker room, or dressing room that fits their gender identity. The rule would apply in public places and jobs. It would also apply in housing and in programs paid for with federal money.
No one could be kept off a federal jury over their sexual orientation or gender identity. The law already bars this for race, faith, sex, and a few other traits.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act could not be used to bring or fight a claim under these civil rights laws. A business or group with a faith-based objection could not use that law to opt out.
Workers & Jobs
Bosses, unions, and job agencies could not refuse to hire, fire, or underpay you over your sexual orientation or gender identity. A 2020 Supreme Court ruling said much the same. The bill puts it into law, for federal workers and staff of Congress too.
Your Money
Lenders could not deny you a loan, credit card, or home loan over your sexual orientation or gender identity. They could not charge you more for it either. Pregnancy could not be treated worse than other health issues in any part of a loan.
Criminal Justice & Due Process
It is already a federal crime to use force or threats to stop someone from buying or renting a home because of traits like race or sex. The bill adds these two traits. The top prison term is one year, or more if someone is hurt.
More about this bill
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people would gain clear federal protection from bias. It would cover jobs, housing, and loans. Federal law would spell out that bias over sexual orientation or gender identity is sex bias. Bias over pregnancy, sex stereotypes, and intersex traits would count too. So would bias based on what someone thinks you are, or on who you spend time with. Stores, restaurants, and other public places would also be barred from sex bias for the first time. Today that law covers only race, color, religion, and national origin. The list of places it covers would grow a lot. It would add stores, online sellers, banks, salons, shelters, and food banks. It would also add doctors, lawyers, gyms, and funeral homes. Trains, buses, taxis, and airlines would be covered as well. The wider list would guard against race and faith bias too. Any program that gets federal money could not treat you worse because of your sex. People could use the restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms that match their gender identity. A business or group could not use the federal religious freedom law to fight these claims. No one could be kept off a federal jury over these traits. Using threats or force over these traits to block a home sale or rental would be a federal crime. Federal workers and staff of Congress would get the same job rights. The bill was introduced in the Senate in April 2025 and sent to the Judiciary Committee.
Congressional Summary
Equality Act This bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity with respect to businesses, employment, housing, federally funded programs, and other settings. Specifically, the bill expands Title II and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit public accommodations and federally funded programs, respectively, from discriminating based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It also includes stores, transit services, recreational facilities, and establishments that provide health care, accounting, or legal services as public accommodations under Title II. The bill also expands Title IV (desegregation of public schools) and Title VII (employment discrimination) to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity. (The Supreme Court held in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII's prohibition of employment discrimination based on sex also prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.) The bill similarly expands the Fair Housing Act (discrimination in public and private housing) to include sexual orientation and gender identity. It also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by creditors and with respect to jury selection. The bill defines sex for purposes of the aforementioned provisions to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-04-29
- Date Added
- 2026-10-22
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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