Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003

H.R. 3285, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003, was designed to prohibit employers, employment agencies, and labor organizations from discriminating against individuals based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation. If passed, the bill would have made it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or otherwise mistreat workers because of their sexual orientation, while also protecting employees from retaliation for reporting such discrimination.

For everyday citizens, this legislation aimed to provide federal workplace protections similar to those established for race, religion, and gender under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, the bill included specific limitations: it did not apply to religious organizations or the armed forces, and it explicitly prohibited the use of quotas or preferential treatment. Introduced in October 2003, the bill was referred to a subcommittee in early 2004 but did not advance further in the legislative process.