1. The powers and duties of the commission shall be:

(1) To seek to eliminate and prevent discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age as it relates to employment, disability, or familial status as it relates to housing and to take other actions against discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, or familial status as provided by law; and the commission is hereby given general jurisdiction and power for such purposes;

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 213.030

  • Age: an age of forty or more years but less than seventy years, except that it shall not be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to require the compulsory retirement of any person who has attained the age of sixty-five and who, for the two-year period immediately before retirement, is employed in a bona fide executive or high policy-making position, if such person is entitled to an immediate nonforfeitable annual retirement benefit from a pension, profit sharing, savings or deferred compensation plan, or any combination of such plans, of the employer, which equals, in the aggregate, at least forty-four thousand dollars. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • because of: as it relates to the adverse decision or action, the protected criterion was the motivating factor. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • Bequest: Property gifted by will.
  • Commission: the Missouri commission on human rights. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • Disability: a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of a person's major life activities, being regarded as having such an impairment, or a record of having such an impairment, which with or without reasonable accommodation does not interfere with performing the job, utilizing the place of public accommodation, or occupying the dwelling in question. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • Discrimination: conduct proscribed herein, taken because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, or age as it relates to employment, disability, or familial status as it relates to housing. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • Familial status: one or more individuals who have not attained the age of eighteen years being domiciled with:

    (a) A parent or another person having legal custody of such individual. See Missouri Laws 213.010

  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Human rights fund: a fund established to receive civil penalties as required by federal regulations and as set forth by subdivision (2) of subsection 11 of section 213. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Local commissions: any commission or agency established prior to August 13, 1986, by an ordinance or order adopted by the governing body of any city, constitutional charter city, town, village, or county. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Person: includes one or more individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations, organizations, labor organizations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint stock companies, trusts, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, fiduciaries, or other organized groups of persons. See Missouri Laws 213.010
  • Places of public accommodation: all places or businesses offering or holding out to the general public, goods, services, privileges, facilities, advantages or accommodations for the peace, comfort, health, welfare and safety of the general public or such public places providing food, shelter, recreation and amusement, including, but not limited to:

    (a) Any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, other than an establishment located within a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as his residence. See Missouri Laws 213.010

  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • United States: includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020

(2) To implement the purposes of this chapter first by conference, conciliation and persuasion so that persons may be guaranteed their civil rights and goodwill be fostered;

(3) To formulate policies to implement the purposes of this chapter and to make recommendations to agencies and officers of the state and political subdivisions in aid of such policies and purposes;

(4) To appoint such employees as it may deem necessary, fix their compensation within the appropriations provided and in accordance with the wage structure established for other state agencies, and prescribe their duties;

(5) To obtain upon request and utilize the services of all governmental departments and agencies to be paid from appropriations to this commission;

(6) To adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind suitable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter and the policies and practices of the commission in connection therewith;

(7) To receive, investigate, initiate, and pass upon complaints alleging discrimination in employment, housing or in places of public accommodations because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age as it relates to employment, disability, or familial status as it relates to housing and to require the production for examination of any books, papers, records, or other materials relating to any matter under investigation;

(8) To hold hearings, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, administer oaths, to take the testimony of any person under oath, and, in connection therewith, to require the production for examination of any books, papers or other materials relating to any matter under investigation or in question before the commission;

(9) To issue publications and the results of studies and research which will tend to promote goodwill and minimize or eliminate discrimination in housing, employment or in places of public accommodation because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age as it relates to employment, disability, or familial status as it relates to housing;

(10) To provide each year to the governor and to the general assembly a full written report of all its activities and of its recommendations;

(11) To adopt an official seal;

(12) To cooperate, act jointly, enter into cooperative or work-sharing agreements with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other federal agencies and local commissions or agencies to achieve the purposes of this chapter;

(13) To accept grants, private gifts, bequests, and establish funds to dispose of such moneys so long as the conditions of the grant, gift, or bequest are not inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter and are used to achieve the purposes of this chapter;

(14) To establish a human rights fund as defined in section 213.010, for the purposes of administering sections 213.040, 213.045, 213.050, 213.070, 213.075, and 213.076.

2. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated under the authority of this chapter shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of section 536.024.