NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1977 SESSION

CHAPTER 726
SENATE BILL 459

AN ACT TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA BY PREVENTION AND ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATORY EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES AND POLICIES BASED UPON RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, SEX OR HANDICAP.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article 49 as follows:
"ARTICLE 49.
"Equal Employment Practices.
"§ 143-416.1.  Short title. — This Article shall be known and may be cited as the Equal Employment Practices Act.
"§ 143-416.2.  Legislative declaration. — It is the public policy of this State to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all persons to seek, obtain and hold employment without discrimination or abridgement on account of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex or handicap by employers which regularly employ 15 or more employees.
It is recognized that the practice of denying employment opportunity and discriminating in the terms of employment foments domestic strife and unrest, deprives the State of the fullest utilization of its capacities for advancement and development, and substantially and adversely affects the interests of employees, employers, and the public in general.
"§ 143-416.3.  Investigations, conciliations. — The Human Relations Council in the Department of Administration shall have the authority to receive charges of discrimination from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pursuant to an agreement under Section 709(b) of Public Law 88-352, as amended by Public Law 92-261, and investigate and conciliate charges of discrimination. Throughout this process, the agency shall use its good offices to effect an amicable resolution of the charges of discrimination."
Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1977.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 24th day of June, 1977.