2015 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 11 - Criminal Offenses
Chapter 11-24 - Hotels And Public Places
Section 11-24-2.1 - Discrimination based on disability, age, or sex prohibited.

§ 11-24-2.1 Discrimination based on disability, age, or sex prohibited. – (a) Whenever in this chapter there shall appear the words "ancestral origin" there shall be inserted immediately thereafter the words "disability, age, or sex".

(b) "Disability" means a disability as defined in § 42-87-1.

(c) The terms, as used regarding persons with disabilities, "auxiliary aids and services" and "reasonable accommodation" have the same meaning as those terms are defined in § 42-87-1.1.

(d) "Otherwise qualified" means a person with a disability who meets the essential eligibility requirements for participation in or receipt of benefits from the program or activity.

(e) Any person with a disability shall be entitled to full and equal access, as other members of the general public to all public accommodations, subject to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons.

(f) Every person with a disability who has a personal assistive animal or who obtains a personal assistive animal, shall be entitled to full and equal access to all public accommodations provided for in this chapter, and shall not be required to pay extra compensation for a personal assistive animal, but shall be liable for any damage done to the premises by a personal assistive animal.

(g) Nothing in this section shall require any person providing a place of public accommodation to, in any way, incur any greater liability or obligation, or provide a higher degree of care for a person with a disability than for a person who is not disabled.

(h) "Sexual orientation" means having or being perceived as having an orientation for heterosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality. This definition is intended to describe the status of persons and does not render lawful any conduct prohibited by the criminal laws of this state nor impose any duty on a religious organization. This definition does not confer legislative approval of that status, but is intended to assure the basic human rights of persons to partake of public accommodations, regardless of that status.

(i) "Gender identity or expression" includes a person's actual or perceived gender, as well as a person's gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression, whether or not that gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with the person's sex at birth.

History of Section.
(P.L. 1979, ch. 144, § 5; P.L. 1988, ch. 227, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 32, § 6; P.L. 1997, ch. 150, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 499, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 507, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 340, § 5; P.L. 2009, ch. 96, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 97, § 1.)