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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 2000a. Prohibition against discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation
(a) Equal access
All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of
the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and
accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in
this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground
of race, color, religion, or national origin.
(b) Establishments affecting interstate commerce or supported in
their activities by State action as places of public
accommodation; lodgings; facilities principally engaged in
selling food for consumption on the premises; gasoline stations;
places of exhibition or entertainment; other covered
establishments
Each of the following establishments which serves the public is a
place of public accommodation within the meaning of this subchapter
if its operations affect commerce, or if discrimination or
segregation by it is supported by State action:
(1) any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which
provides lodging to transient guests, other than an establishment
located within a building which contains not more than five rooms
for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor
of such establishment as his residence;
(2) any restaurant, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda
fountain, or other facility principally engaged in selling food
for consumption on the premises, including, but not limited to,
any such facility located on the premises of any retail
establishment; or any gasoline station;
(3) any motion picture house, theater, concert hall, sports
arena, stadium or other place of exhibition or entertainment; and
(4) any establishment (A)(i) which is physically located within
the premises of any establishment otherwise covered by this
subsection, or (ii) within the premises of which is physically
located any such covered establishment, and (B) which holds
itself out as serving patrons of such covered establishment.
(c) Operations affecting commerce; criteria; "commerce" defined
The operations of an establishment affect commerce within the
meaning of this subchapter if (1) it is one of the establishments
described in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this section; (2)
in the case of an establishment described in paragraph (2) of
subsection (b) of this section, it serves or offers to serve
interstate travelers of a substantial portion of the food which it
serves, or gasoline or other products which it sells, has moved in
commerce; (3) in the case of an establishment described in
paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of this section, it customarily
presents films, performances, athletic teams, exhibitions, or other
sources of entertainment which move in commerce; and (4) in the
case of an establishment described in paragraph (4) of subsection
(b) of this section, it is physically located within the premises
of, or there is physically located within its premises, an
establishment the operations of which affect commerce within the
meaning of this subsection. For purposes of this section,
"commerce" means travel, trade, traffic, commerce, transportation,
or communication among the several States, or between the District
of Columbia and any State, or between any foreign country or any
territory or possession and any State or the District of Columbia,
or between points in the same State but through any other State or
the District of Columbia or a foreign country.
(d) Support by State action
Discrimination or segregation by an establishment is supported by
State action within the meaning of this subchapter if such
discrimination or segregation (1) is carried on under color of any
law, statute, ordinance, or regulation; or (2) is carried on under
color of any custom or usage required or enforced by officials of
the State or political subdivision thereof; or (3) is required by
action of the State or political subdivision thereof.
(e) Private establishments
The provisions of this subchapter shall not apply to a private
club or other establishment not in fact open to the public, except
to the extent that the facilities of such establishment are made
available to the customers or patrons of an establishment within
the scope of subsection (b) of this section.
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