Sec. 605.

(1) If the commission, after a hearing on a charge issued by the department, determines that the respondent has violated this act or the handicappers' civil rights act, Act No. 220 of the Public Acts of 1976, being sections 37.1101 to 37.1607 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, the commission shall state its findings of fact and conclusions of law and shall issue a final order requiring the respondent to cease and desist from the discriminatory practice and to take such other action as it deems necessary to secure equal enjoyment and protection of civil rights. If at a hearing on a charge, a pattern or practice of discrimination prohibited by this act or Act No. 220 of the Public Acts of 1976 appears in the evidence, the commission may, upon its own motion or on motion of the claimant, amend the pleadings to conform to the proofs, make findings, and issue an order based on those findings. A copy of the order shall be delivered to the respondent, the claimant, the attorney general, and to other public officers and persons as the commission deems proper.

(2) Action ordered under this section may include, but is not limited to:

(a) Hiring, reinstatement, or upgrading of employees with or without back pay.

(b) Admission or restoration of individuals to labor organization membership, admission to or participation in a guidance program, apprenticeship training program, on the job training program, or other occupational training or retraining program, with the utilization of objective criteria in the admission of persons to those programs.

(c) Admission of persons to a public accommodation or an educational institution.

(d) Sale, exchange, lease, rental, assignment, or sublease of real property to a person.

(e) Extension to all persons of the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of the respondent.

(f) Reporting as to the manner of compliance.

(g) Requiring the posting of notices in a conspicuous place which the commission may publish or cause to be published setting forth requirements for compliance with civil rights law or other relevant information which the commission determines necessary to explain those laws.

(h) Payment to an injured party of profits obtained by the respondent through a violation of section 506 of this act or of Act No. 220 of the Public Acts of 1976.

(i) Payment to the complainant of damages for an injury or loss caused by a violation of this act, including a reasonable attorney's fee.

(j) Payment to the complainant of all or a portion of the costs of maintaining the action before the commission, including reasonable attorney fees and expert witness fees, if the commission determines that award to be appropriate.

(k) Payment of a civil fine for a violation of article 5 of this act, an amount directly related to the cost to the state for enforcing this statute not to exceed:

(i) $10,000.00 for the first violation.

(ii) $25,000.00 for the second violation within a 5-year period.

(iii) $50,000.00 for 2 or more violations within a 7-year period.

(l) Other relief the commission deems appropriate.

(3) In the case of a respondent operating by virtue of a license issued by the state, a political subdivision, or an agency of the state or political subdivision, if the commission, upon notice and hearing, determines that the respondent has violated this act and that the violation was authorized, requested, commanded, performed, or knowingly permitted by the board of directors of the respondent or by an officer or executive agent acting within the scope of his or her employment, the commission shall so certify to the licensing agency. Unless the commission's finding is reversed in the course of judicial review, the finding of the commission may be grounds for revocation of the respondent's license.

(4) In the case of a respondent who violates this act in the course of performing under a contract or subcontract with the state, a political subdivision, or an agency of the state or political subdivision, where the violation was authorized, requested, commanded, performed, or knowingly permitted by the board of directors of the respondent or by an officer or executive agent acting within the scope of his or her employment, the commission shall so certify to the contracting agency. Unless the commission's finding is reversed in the course of judicial review, the finding is binding on the contracting agency.

History: 1976, Act 453, Eff. Mar. 31, 1977 ;-- Am. 1992, Act 124, Imd. Eff. June 29, 1992