Protect Black Women and Girls Act

This bill would create a federal task force focused on the needs and experiences of Black women and girls. It would review current policies and programs in education, jobs, health care, housing, and justice; identify what helps; and recommend improvements governments can adopt. The task force must give Congress regular updates on its work.

It also directs the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to study and report each year on key issues that affect Black women and girls, such as pay equity, maternal and infant health, school discipline and the school-to-prison pipeline, housing stability, violence, police use of force, incarceration, and sex trafficking. These reports go to Congress and the President and must be posted online.

• Who is affected: Black women and girls across schools, workplaces, health care, housing, and the justice system, including those with disabilities and those returning home from incarceration.
• What changes: A multi-agency task force would recommend community-based programs, such as school supports and restorative justice for girls , mental health care and domestic-violence responders and maternal health supports , career training and support for Black women-owned businesses , legal help for women facing eviction and more transitional housing , and alternatives to incarceration and reentry support.
• When: The task force must be set up within 180 days of the bill becoming law. Its first report is due within one year and then yearly, and its policy recommendations are due within two years and then yearly. The Civil Rights Commission must also report within one year and then yearly and post findings online.