House LGBT Rights Bill Advances for Final Vote

Legislation that would ban LGBT discrimination at work and in a wide range of other situations cleared a procedural hurdle May 15 as the House voted to move the bill for a full floor debate.

The House is expected to pass the Equality Act (H.R. 5, S. 788) later this week. The bill would prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity bias on the job and by public accommodation providers such as hotels, restaurants, and health-care facilities.

The legislation is already publicly backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and large companies including IBM and Walmart. It could stall, ...