Summary

Prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles when those traits are commonly associated with a particular race or national origin, and folds that prohibition into existing federal civil-rights laws. The bill extends explicit protections against hairstyle- and texture-based discrimination across federally funded programs, housing, public accommodations, employment, and under 42 U.S.C. §1981, using the same enforcement mechanisms, remedies, and jurisdiction as the underlying civil-rights statutes.

Key Points

• Adds hair texture and hairstyles commonly associated with a race or national origin to protected characteristics under multiple federal civil-rights laws.
• Applies Title VI enforcement to recipients of federal funds that discriminate based on hair texture/hairstyle.
• Makes hairstyle-based discrimination in housing actionable under the Fair Housing Act enforcement framework.
• Incorporates hair-protection into Title VII so employment discrimination on that basis is unlawful and enforceable like other race discrimination claims.
• Treats violations as actionable under 42 U.S.C. §1981, enabling private suits and remedies available under that statute.
• Relies on existing statutory definitions for race and national origin and preserves their current scope.
• Does not create new federal agencies or explicit appropriations; enforcement uses existing agencies and legal procedures.
• Lists specific examples of covered hairstyles to clarify scope (e.g., locs, braids, Afros, twists, Bantu knots).

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