Skip to main content
S 788 116th Congress Senate Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Civil actions and liability Consumer credit Due process and equal protection Elementary and secondary education Employment discrimination and employee rights Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management Higher education Housing discrimination Judicial procedure and administration Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers Religion Retail and wholesale trades Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination Sports and recreation facilities

Equality Act

Introduced: March 13, 2019 Introduced by: Merkley, Jeff Democratic · Oregon See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 13, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mar 13, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Equality Act

This bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation.

The bill expands the definition of public accommodations to include places or establishments that provide (1) exhibitions, recreation, exercise, amusement, gatherings, or displays; (2) goods, services, or programs; and (3) transportation services.

The bill allows the Department of Justice to intervene in equal protection actions in federal court on account of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill prohibits an individual from being denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual's gender identity.

What's happening now March 13, 2019

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Related & companion bills 3
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 33
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 788: Equality Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-788/
MLA
"S. 788: Equality Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-788/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 788, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-788/.
Markdown link
[S. 788: Equality Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-788/)
Report a problem