Resources

Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Legislative Timeline

1994

Employment Non-Discrimination Act first introduced (103rd Congress, S. 2238, 30 co-sponsors; H.R. 4636, 137 co-sponsors); Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee holds first hearings on ENDA (S.Hrg. 103-703).

1995

ENDA of 1995 introduced (104th Congress, S. 932, 30 co-sponsors; H. R. 1863, 142 co-sponsors).

1996

First hearings held on ENDA in the House in Government Programs Subcommittee of the Committee on Small Business (H.R. 1863); First floor vote held on ENDA; Senate rejects it, 50-49 (104th Congress, S. 2056, 3 co-sponsors; Roll Call No. 281).

1997

ENDA of 1997 introduced (105th Congress, S. 869, 34 co-sponsors; H.R. 1858, 160 co-sponsors); hearings held by Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee (S.Hrg. 105-279).

1998

President Clinton issues Executive Order 13087 prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in much of the federal civilian workforce.

1998

House of Representatives rejects Hefley Amendment to FY 1999 Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill, which sought to prohibit use of federal funds to enforce the executive order, by a vote of 176-252 (Roll Call No. 398).

1999

ENDA of 1999 introduced (106th Congress, S. 1276, 36 co-sponsors; H.R. 2355, 173 co-sponsors).

2001

ENDA of 2001 introduced (107th Congress, S. 1284, 44 co-sponsors; H.R. 2692, 193 co-sponsors).

2002

Hearings on ENDA held before Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; Committee favorably reported the bill, which was placed on Senate Calendar (S.Hrg. 107-307; committee report No. 107-341; Calendar No. 763).

2003

ENDA of 2003 introduced (108th Congress, S. 1705, 43 co-sponsors; H.R. 3285, 180 co-sponsors).

2007

ENDA of 2007 introduced in April, for the first time inclusive of gender identity (110th Congress, H.R. 2015, 184 co-sponsors); hearing held by Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of House Committee on Education and Labor. Sexual orientation-only version of ENDA introduced (110th Congress, H.R. 3685, 9 co-sponsors); markup held by House Education and Labor Committee; first House floor vote on a version of ENDA; House passes sexual orientation-only bill, 235-184 (Roll Call No. 1057).

2009

ENDA of 2009 introduced in June (111th Congress, S.1584, 46 original co-sponsors; H.R. 3017, 204 original co-sponsors). The House Education and Labor Committee held a full committee hearing on the bill in September, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing on ENDA in November.

2011

ENDA of 2011 introduced in April (112th Congress, S. 811, 40 original co-sponsors; H.R. 1397, 111 original co-sponsors). The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing on ENDA in June 2012.