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Adds enforceability and compliance requirements to Title VI civil‑rights protections for federally funded education programs. It makes disparate‑impact regulations that were in effect on January 19, 2025 enforceable through private lawsuits, requires each federally funded education recipient to designate and publicize at least one employee to coordinate Title VI compliance and investigate complaints, and creates a Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Education to coordinate technical assistance, outreach, and Title VI compliance work.
Redesignates existing paragraph (4) as paragraph (5) and inserts a new paragraph (4) establishing a Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Education, appointed by the Secretary, with duties to promote, coordinate, and evaluate efforts to ensure program compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, inform individuals of their rights under that Act, provide dissemination of information, technical assistance, coordinate research activities, and advise the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on Title VI compliance.
Adds a new section (section 608) to Title VI requiring each recipient that operates an education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance authorized or extended by the Secretary of Education to (1) designate at least one employee to coordinate compliance with requirements adopted pursuant to section 602 and carry out recipient responsibilities under Title VI, including investigating complaints alleging noncompliance or prohibited actions; and (2) notify its students and employees of the name, office address, and telephone number of each designated employee; defines "recipient" for this section as a recipient referred to in section 602 that operates an education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance authorized or extended by the Secretary of Education.
Adds a new Section 607 to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Creates a private civil cause of action to enforce any regulation relating to disparate impact that was issued under section 602 and was promulgated and in effect on January 19, 2025; such violations may be enforced to the same extent as intentional violations of the prohibition in section 601.
Each recipient must designate at least one employee to coordinate the recipient's efforts to comply with requirements adopted under section 602 and to carry out the recipient's responsibilities under Title VI, including investigating any complaint alleging the recipient's noncompliance or actions prohibited under Title VI.
Each recipient must notify its students and employees of the name, office address, and telephone number of each employee designated under paragraph (1).
Defines the term "recipient" for this section to mean a recipient referred to in section 602 that operates an education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance authorized or extended by the Secretary of Education.
Who is affected and how:
Educational institutions and programs that receive Federal financial assistance (K–12 school districts, colleges, universities, and other education program recipients): they must name and publicize at least one employee to coordinate Title VI compliance and investigate complaints, update complaint and investigation procedures, train responsible staff, and face greater enforcement exposure because disparate‑impact regulations in effect on Jan 19, 2025 become privately enforceable. These administrative tasks impose recurring time and recordkeeping costs and potential legal risk if compliance lapses.
Students (including protected classes such as racial or national origin groups) and employees at those institutions: they gain clearer points of contact for reporting discrimination and potentially greater ability to seek relief through private suits when disparate‑impact rules are implicated. That can improve access to remedies but may also increase institutional disruptions from investigations and litigation.
Private civil‑rights plaintiffs and attorneys: they receive an expanded enforcement tool to bring disparate‑impact Title VI claims based on regulations that existed on the specified date, likely increasing litigation activity.
Department of Education: the new Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion centralizes Title VI coordination, outreach, technical assistance, and research activities. The Department will need to allocate staff time and resources to the new office’s responsibilities; the bill does not include appropriation language, creating potential capacity or funding challenges.
Smaller or resource‑limited recipients (e.g., small school districts, community colleges): these entities may face proportionally higher administrative burden to name and maintain coordinators, run investigations, and respond to complaints and litigation without additional federal funds.
Net effects:
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced May 23, 2025 by Robert C. Scott · Last progress May 23, 2025
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House