LRB-0631/1
GMM:cmh:rs
2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE
February 5, 2003 - Introduced by Senators Roessler, Harsdorf, Breske, Cowles,
S. Fitzgerald, Kanavas, A. Lasee, Lazich, Leibham and Reynolds, cosponsored
by Representatives Grothman, Vrakas, Montgomery, Ainsworth, Bies,
Gottlieb, Gunderson, Hahn, Hines, Huebsch, Kestell, Krawczyk, Ladwig, F.
Lasee, Lassa, J. Lehman, Musser, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Petrowski, Plale,
Schneider, Seratti, Shilling, Stone, Suder, Towns, Underheim, Van Roy,
Weber, J. Wood and
Ziegelbauer. Referred to Committee on Health,
Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care.
SB24,1,5
1An Act to create 106.52 (3) (e) of the statutes;
relating to: providing an
2exception to the law prohibiting discrimination in public places of
3accommodation to permit a fitness center whose facilities and services are
4intended for the exclusive use of persons of the same sex to provide the use of
5those facilities and services exclusively to persons of that sex.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, no person may deny to another the full and equal enjoyment
of any public place of accommodation because of sex, race, color, creed, disability,
sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry. Current law, however, does not
prohibit separate public toilets, showers, saunas, or dressing rooms for persons of
different sexes and does not prohibit a domestic abuse services organization from
providing separate facilities, care, treatment, or services for persons of different
sexes.
This bill permits a fitness center, which is defined under current law as an
establishment that, for profit, provides as its primary purpose services or facilities
that are purported to assist patrons in physical exercise, in weight control, or in
figure development, whose services or facilities are intended for the exclusive use of
persons of the same sex to provide the use of those services or facilities exclusively
to persons of that sex, to deny the use of those services or facilities to persons of the
opposite sex, and to communicate that the use of those services or facilities will be
provided exclusively to persons of the same sex and will be denied to persons of the
opposite sex.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB24, s. 1
1Section
1. 106.52 (3) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
SB24,2,92
106.52
(3) (e) Nothing in this section prohibits a fitness center, as defined in
3s. 100.177 (1) (c), whose services or facilities are intended for the exclusive use of
4persons of the same sex from providing the use of those services or facilities
5exclusively to persons of that sex, from denying the use of those services or facilities
6to persons of the opposite sex, or from directly or indirectly publishing, circulating,
7displaying, or mailing any written communication to the effect that the use of those
8services or facilities will be provided exclusively to persons of the same sex and will
9be denied to persons of the opposite sex.
