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Prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles commonly associated with a particular race or national origin across programs that receive federal funds, housing, public accommodations, employment, and the rights covered by 42 U.S.C. 1981. It lists examples (e.g., tightly coiled or tightly curled hair, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros) and makes those protections enforceable through the same agencies, procedures, and remedies that already enforce Title VI, the Fair Housing Act, Title II (public accommodations), Title VII (employment), and section 1981.
Throughout U.S. history, society has used hair texture and hairstyle (along with skin color) to classify people by race.
Like skin color, hair has been used as a basis for race and national origin discrimination.
Racial and national origin discrimination can and do occur because of longstanding biases and stereotypes tied to hair texture and style.
People of African descent have been deprived of educational and employment opportunities because they wear natural or protective hairstyles (for example, tightly coiled or tightly curled hair, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, or Afros).
School and workplace policies and practices have barred natural or protective hairstyles commonly worn by people of African descent, reflecting racial and national origin discrimination.
Who is affected and how:
Individuals (especially people of African descent and others whose hair textures or styles are commonly associated with particular races or national origins) will gain clearer federal protection from discrimination based on natural hair and certain hairstyles in federally funded programs, housing, places of public accommodation, employment, and in contracting contexts covered by §1981. This reduces the risk of being denied employment, housing, services, or contract rights because of hair.
Employers, landlords, businesses that serve the public, and entities that receive federal financial assistance must revise policies and practices (grooming standards, appearance codes, hiring and admissions rules, housing qualification criteria, apprenticeship/training rules) so that covered hair textures and styles are not disqualifying or treated less favorably. Compliance steps can include revising written policies, training staff, and updating discrimination complaint and review procedures.
Federal civil-rights enforcement agencies and courts will handle complaints under the same statutory channels already in place, which could increase caseloads or prompt new guidance and enforcement priorities but does not create new federal offices.
Institutions that routinely establish appearance standards (schools, correctional facilities, employers with safety or uniform requirements) may need to reassess whether neutral-seeming rules have a disparate impact or effect on people with covered hair traits and adapt practices (e.g., by allowing reasonable accommodations or revising standards that disproportionately exclude certain hair types).
The legislation does not appropriate funding for implementation, so affected entities will need to absorb any administrative or training costs to comply; enforcement remedies and procedures remain those of the underlying statutes. Section 7 preserves existing statutory definitions so the law supplements rather than replaces current race and national-origin protections.
Adds protection against discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles commonly associated with a particular race or national origin, and makes that protection enforceable under the enforcement mechanisms of 42 U.S.C. 1981.
This section adopts the meanings of the terms 'person', 'race', and 'national origin' as given in 42 U.S.C. 2000e (section 701 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964). It does not amend the text of 42 U.S.C. 2000e but explicitly relies on those definitions for this section.
Subsection (a) of this section is to be enforced 'in the same manner and by the same means, including with the same jurisdiction,' as if it were incorporated into Title VII, and a violation of subsection (a) is to be treated as if it were a violation of section 703 (42 U.S.C. 2000e-2). This does not amend 42 U.S.C. 2000e-2 but makes Title VII enforcement mechanisms applicable to violations of this section.
Subsection (a) of this section is to be enforced 'in the same manner and by the same means, including with the same jurisdiction,' as if it were incorporated into Title VII, and a violation of subsection (a) is to be treated as if it were a violation of section 704 (42 U.S.C. 2000e-3). This does not amend 42 U.S.C. 2000e-3 but makes Title VII enforcement mechanisms applicable to violations of this section.
Subsection (a) of this section establishes a prohibition on discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles commonly associated with a race or national origin in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance, and provides that subsection (a) 'shall be enforced in the same manner and by the same means, including with the same jurisdiction, as if such subsection was incorporated in title VI' and 'as if a violation of subsection (a) was treated as if it was a violation of section 601' of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d).
Adds a provision to Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a) establishing that practices prohibited under sections 201–203 based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle commonly associated with a particular race or national origin are unlawful, and that such provision is enforced in the same manner and with the same jurisdiction as existing Title II prohibitions.
Treats violations of subsection (a) of this Act (prohibiting discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles commonly associated with a particular race or national origin) as discriminatory housing practices enforceable under 42 U.S.C. 3604 (the Fair Housing Act's prohibited practices).
Incorporates the meanings given to terms in 42 U.S.C. 3602 into this section and makes violations of subsection (a) treated as a 'discriminatory housing practice' as defined/used in 42 U.S.C. 3602.
References 42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq. (the Fair Housing Act) to apply the Fair Housing Act's enforcement mechanisms and jurisdiction to violations of subsection (a).
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced February 26, 2025 by Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress February 26, 2025
CROWN Act of 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate