Wa Hrc

Washington Human Rights Commission (WSHRC) ## What Is the WSHRC? The Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC) is the state agency that enforces Washington's Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60). It handles civil rights complaints including housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and public accommodation discrimination. For real estate licensees, the WSHRC is the primary state-level enforcer of fair housing protections beyond the federal floor. ## Jurisdiction: Broader Than Federal The WSHRC enforces RCW 49.60, which covers more protected classes than the federal Fair Housing Act: | Federal FHA (7 classes) | Washington RCW 49.60 (additional) | |-------------------------|-----------------------------------| | Race | Marital status | | Color | Sexual orientation | | National origin | Gender identity/expression | | Religion | Honorably discharged veteran/military status | | Sex | Source of income (including Section 8) | | Familial status | Creed | | Disability | | ## Filing Deadlines — Critical for Exam Washington: 1 year from the date of the discriminatory act to file with the WSHRC. Federal HUD complaint: 1 year from the date of the discriminatory act. Washington Superior Court (private lawsuit): 3 years from the date of the discriminatory act. The WSHRC filing deadline is one year — if you miss this, you may still have time to file in superior court (3 years), but the WSHRC process (which is free and administrative) is closed. ## The WSHRC Complaint Process 1. File complaint with WSHRC within 1 year 2. WSHRC investigates — fact-finding, interviewing parties 3. Mediation offered — many cases settle here 4. Finding of reasonable cause or no reasonable cause 5. If reasonable cause: public hearing before an administrative law judge or civil lawsuit in superior court…