PITTSBURGH — Councilmember Erika Strassburger and the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations have introduced legislation to update and strengthen Pittsburgh’s City Code against discrimination.
According to release, the proposed changes aim to modernize the City Code in response to recent federal rollbacks on discrimination protections, ensuring that Pittsburgh’s laws remain clear, enforceable and inclusive.
“The City of Pittsburgh has a long history of protecting residents from discrimination,” said Councilmember Strassburger. “As federal agencies roll back enforcement of key protections, we have a responsibility to make sure that no one in Pittsburgh loses their rights because of who they are.”
The legislation, drafted by the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, seeks to simplify language in the City Code, add definitions for key civil rights terms and clarify how protections apply. It also aims to remove outdated barriers between City departments that handle discrimination complaints.
Section 659.07, last updated in 1996, will be expanded to explicitly list locally recognized protected statuses, including sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, immigration status and survivors of domestic violence.
Rachel Shepherd, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, emphasized the importance of these updates, stating, “These are needed updates but the reality is that we also need to future-proof ourselves against what is happening in Washington. These updates only protect what we’ve already done for decades.”
The proposed changes also aim to improve coordination and efficiency by removing outdated restrictions between the Commission and the Office of Municipal Investigations, allowing for simultaneous investigations.
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