§4595. Right to freedom from discrimination solely on the basis

of age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital

status, ancestry, religion or national origin in any

credit transaction

The opportunity for every individual to be extended credit without discrimination solely because of any one or more of the following factors: Age age; race; color; sex; sexual orientation; marital status; ancestry; religion or national origin is recognized as and declared to be a civil right.

Sec. 16. 5 MRSA §4596, as repealed and replaced by PL 1975, c. 770, §41, is amended to read:

§4596. Unlawful credit extension discrimination

It shall be unlawful credit discrimination for any creditor to refuse the extension of credit to any person solely on the basis of any one or more of the following factors: Age age; race; color; sex; sexual orientation; marital status; ancestry; religion or national origin in any credit transaction. It shall is not be unlawful credit discrimination to comply with the terms and conditions of any bona fide group credit life, accident and health insurance plan, for a financial institution extending credit to a married person to require both the husband and the wife to sign a note and a mortgage and to deny credit to persons under the age of 18 or to consider a person's age in determining the terms upon which credit will be extended.

Sec. 17. 5 MRSA §4612, sub-§4, ķA, as amended by PL 1993, c. 303, §2, is further amended to read:

A. If the commission finds reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful discrimination has occurred, and further believes that irreparable injury or great inconvenience will be caused the victim of such discrimination or to members of a racial, color, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religious, nationality group or age group if relief is not immediately granted, or if conciliation efforts under subsection 3 have not succeeded, the commission may file in the Superior Court a civil action seeking such relief as is appropriate, including temporary restraining orders.