The Fair Employment and Housing Act

 

The Fair Employment and Housing Act (California Government Code Section 12900-12951 & 12927-12928 & 12955 - 12956.1 & 12960-12976) provides protection from harassment or discrimination in employment because of: age (40 and over), ancestry, color, creed, denial of family and medical care leave, disability (mental and physical) including HIV and AIDS, marital status, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) also prohibits discrimination in all aspects of housing (rental, lease, terms and conditions, etc.) because of a person's disability.

The definition of disability used in California exceeds the Federal definition and can be found in the housing section of the Act.

Full text of the law

To locate the section you're looking for, go to the " California Law" page. Check the box next to the appropriate code (in this case, "Government Code"), and at the bottom, type in the code numbers in the search box and select "Search".

12900-12906 The California Fair Employment and Housing Act
12920-12922 Findings and Declarations of Policy
12925-12928 Definitions
12940-12951 Unlawful Practices Generally
12960-12976 General Provisions Enforcement and Hearing Procedures, Unlawful Practices

Resources and Publications

The State of California accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of the external websites or external documents linked to on this website.

Employment

• "Disability Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act: What You Should Know About the Law", at the Department of Fair Employment and Housing Website .
• Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PDF) - Chapter 1, "Employment", from the California Attorney General's Website
• "Prohibited Housing Practices", "Housing Pre-Complaint Questionnaire, A Guide for Complainants (Housing)", and "A Guide for Respondents (Housing)", at the Department of Fair Employment and Housing Website .
• Legal Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PDF) - Chapter 2, "Housing", from the California Attorney General's Website
• Department of Housing and Urban Development Regulations issued in 2008 (24 Code of Federal Regulations CFR Part 5 Pet Ownership for the Elderly and Persons With Disabilities)

Compliance

The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) enforces the FEHA. For more information go to DFEH's "Complaint Process" webpage