Gift certificates: cash redemption., the official text

An act to amend Section 51.1 of the Civil Code, relating to civil rights.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law, including the Unruh Civil Rights Act, the Ralph Civil Rights Act of 1976, and the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act, specifies various civil rights based on specified characteristics. Among these rights are the right to be free from discrimination in business establishments, right to be free from violence or intimidation, and right to be free from interference with the exercise of legal rights through threats, intimidation, or coercion. Existing law establishes liability for sexual harassment within certain professional relationships. If a violation of any of these specified civil rights is alleged or the application or construction thereof is in issue in any proceeding in the Supreme Court of California, the state court of appeal, or the appellate division of a superior court, existing law requires each party to serve a copy of the party’s brief or petition and brief on the State Solicitor General at the office of the Attorney General.
This bill would additionally require each party to serve a copy of the party’s brief or petition and brief on the Director of the Civil Rights Department.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 51.1 of the Civil Code is amended to read:
51.1.
If a violation of Section 51, 51.5, 51.7, 51.9, or 52.1 is alleged or the application or construction of any of these sections is in issue in any proceeding in the Supreme Court of California, a state court of appeal, or the appellate division of a superior court, each party shall serve a copy of the party’s brief or petition and brief on the State Solicitor General at the office of the Attorney General and on the Director of the Civil Rights Department. A brief shall not be accepted for filing unless the proof of service shows service on the State Solicitor General and on the Director of the Civil Rights Department. Any party failing to comply with this requirement shall be given a reasonable opportunity to cure the failure before the court imposes any sanction and, in that instance, the court shall allow the Attorney General and the Director of the Civil Rights Department reasonable additional time to file a brief in the matter.