California Fair Employment and Housing Act: enforcement procedures.

Senator Blakespear's proposed amendments to California's Fair Employment and Housing Act introduce new procedural safeguards and clarify enforcement mechanisms for civil rights violations. The legislation modifies how the Civil Rights Department processes complaints and pursues civil actions by establishing mandatory dispute resolution requirements and expanding time periods for filing claims.

The bill defines "group or class complaints" to include pattern-or-practice allegations and extends tolling provisions for civil actions when complainants appeal closed complaints. Under the new framework, the time period for filing civil actions pauses until one year after the department issues written notice that a complaint remains closed following appeal. These tolling provisions apply retroactively but do not revive expired claims.

For civil actions brought by the department, the legislation requires mandatory dispute resolution through the department's internal division before litigation can proceed. The bill sets specific timeframes for the department to file civil actions - two years for group/class complaints and one year for individual complaints. These deadlines can be tolled during dispute resolution, by written agreement between parties, while a petition to compel is pending, or during departmental appeals of closed complaints.

The amendments also modify how right-to-sue notices are issued. When complaints relate to actions filed by the director or involve group claims, the department must wait to issue notices until after the primary case concludes and all administrative proceedings, civil actions, appeals and related matters are fully resolved. The legislation maintains existing provisions for attorney fee awards while removing geographic restrictions on where housing discrimination cases can be filed.