Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB1638 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	I
2	2	119THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION H. R. 1638
5	5	To prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair.
6	6	IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
7	7	FEBRUARY26, 2025
8	8	Mrs. W
9	9	ATSONCOLEMAN(for herself, Ms. WILLIAMSof Georgia, Ms. MCCLEL-
10	10	LAN, Mr. SMITHof Washington, Mr. JOHNSONof Georgia, Mrs. RAMI-
11	11	REZ, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. BROWN, Mr.
12	12	C
13	13	OHEN, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GREENof Texas,
14	14	Ms. J
15	15	ACOBS, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. KENNEDYof New York, Mr.
16	16	F
17	17	IELDS, Mr. MULLIN, Ms. WILSONof Florida, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE,
18	18	Mrs. C
19	19	HERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. MCGARVEY,
20	20	Mrs. M
21	21	CIVER, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. POCAN, Ms. KELLYof Illinois, Ms.
22	22	S
23	23	HERRILL, Mrs. SYKES, Mr. THOMPSONof Mississippi, Ms. STRICKLAND,
24	24	Mr. M
25	25	EEKS, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. CARSON, Mr. ESPAILLAT,
26	26	Ms. C
27	27	LARKEof New York, Mr. EVANSof Pennsylvania, Mr. QUIGLEY,
28	28	Mr. H
29	29	ORSFORD, Mr. TURNERof Texas, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. STEVENS,
30	30	Mr. T
31	31	ONKO, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. TORRESof New York, Mr. DAVISof Illi-
32	32	nois, Mr. V
33	33	ARGAS, Mrs. FOUSHEE, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. DAVISof North
34	34	Carolina, Mr. A
35	35	MO, Mr. IVEY, Mr. JACKSONof Illinois, Ms. PLASKETT,
36	36	Mrs. H
37	37	AYES, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. CARTERof Louisiana,
38	38	Ms. B
39	39	YNUM, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. BELL, Ms.
40	40	W
41	41	ATERS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. MFUME, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. PRESSLEY,
42	42	Ms. M
43	43	OOREof Wisconsin, Ms. OMAR, Ms. LEEof Pennsylvania, Mr.
44	44	F
45	45	ROST, and Mr. JEFFRIES) introduced the following bill; which was re-
46	46	ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Com-
47	47	mittee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently de-
48	48	termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
49	49	as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
50	50	A BILL
51	51	To prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s texture
52	52	or style of hair.
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55	55	•HR 1638 IH
56	56	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
57	57	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
58	58	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
59	59	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Creating a Respectful 4
60	60	and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2025’’ or the 5
61	61	‘‘CROWN Act of 2025’’. 6
62	62	SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSE. 7
63	63	(a) F
64	64	INDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 8
65	65	(1) Throughout United States history, society 9
66	66	has used (in conjunction with skin color) hair tex-10
67	67	ture and hairstyle to classify individuals on the basis 11
68	68	of race. 12
69	69	(2) Like one’s skin color, one’s hair has served 13
70	70	as a basis of race and national origin discrimination. 14
71	71	(3) Racial and national origin discrimination 15
72	72	can and do occur because of longstanding racial and 16
73	73	national origin biases and stereotypes associated 17
74	74	with hair texture and style. 18
75	75	(4) For example, people of African descent have 19
76	76	been deprived of educational and employment oppor-20
77	77	tunities because they are adorned with natural or 21
78	78	protective hairstyles in which hair is tightly coiled or 22
79	79	tightly curled, or worn in locs, cornrows, twists, 23
80	80	braids, Bantu knots, or Afros. 24
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83	83	•HR 1638 IH
84	84	(5) Racial and national origin discrimination is 1
85	85	reflected in school and workplace policies and prac-2
86	86	tices that bar natural or protective hairstyles com-3
87	87	monly worn by people of African descent. 4
88	88	(6) For example, as recently as 2018, the 5
89	89	United States Armed Forces had grooming policies 6
90	90	that barred natural or protective hairstyles that 7
91	91	servicewomen of African descent commonly wear and 8
92	92	that described these hairstyles as ‘‘unkempt’’. 9
93	93	(7) In 2018, the United States Armed Forces 10
94	94	rescinded these policies and recognized that this de-11
95	95	scription perpetuated derogatory racial stereotypes. 12
96	96	(8) The United States Armed Forces also rec-13
97	97	ognized that prohibitions against natural or protec-14
98	98	tive hairstyles that African-American servicewomen 15
99	99	are commonly adorned with are racially discrimina-16
100	100	tory and bear no relationship to African-American 17
101	101	servicewomen’s occupational qualifications and their 18
102	102	ability to serve and protect the Nation. 19
103	103	(9) Some Federal courts have narrowly inter-20
104	104	preted the protections against discrimination on the 21
105	105	basis of race or national origin found in existing 22
106	106	Federal civil rights laws, including provisions of the 23
107	107	Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.), 24
108	108	section 1977 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 25
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111	111	•HR 1638 IH
112	112	1981), and the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 1
113	113	et seq.), thereby permitting, for example, employers 2
114	114	to discriminate against people of African descent 3
115	115	who wear natural or protective hairstyles, even 4
116	116	though the employment policies involved are not re-5
117	117	lated to workers’ ability to perform their jobs. 6
118	118	(10) Applying these narrow interpretations has 7
119	119	resulted in a lack of Federal civil rights protection 8
120	120	for individuals who are discriminated against on the 9
121	121	basis of characteristics that are commonly associated 10
122	122	with race and national origin. 11
123	123	(11) Starting in 2019, State legislatures and 12
124	124	municipal bodies throughout the United States have 13
125	125	introduced and passed legislation that rejects certain 14
126	126	Federal courts’ restrictive interpretation of race and 15
127	127	national origin, and expressly classifies race and na-16
128	128	tional origin discrimination as inclusive of discrimi-17
129	129	nation on the basis of natural or protective hair-18
130	130	styles commonly associated with race and national 19
131	131	origin. 20
132	132	(b) S
133	133	ENSE OFCONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-21
134	134	gress that— 22
135	135	(1) the Federal Government should acknowl-23
136	136	edge that individuals who have hair texture or wear 24
137	137	a hairstyle that is historically and contemporarily as-25
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140	140	•HR 1638 IH
141	141	sociated with African Americans or persons of Afri-1
142	142	can descent have suffered harmful discrimination in 2
143	143	schools, workplaces, and other contexts based upon 3
144	144	longstanding race and national origin stereotypes 4
145	145	and biases; 5
146	146	(2) a clear and comprehensive law should ad-6
147	147	dress the deprivation of educational, employment, 7
148	148	and other opportunities on the basis of hair texture 8
149	149	and hairstyle that are commonly associated with 9
150	150	race or national origin; 10
151	151	(3) clear, consistent, and enforceable legal 11
152	152	standards must be provided to redress the wide-12
153	153	spread incidences of race and national origin dis-13
154	154	crimination based upon hair texture and hairstyle in 14
155	155	schools, workplaces, housing, federally funded insti-15
156	156	tutions, and other contexts; 16
157	157	(4) it is necessary to prevent educational, em-17
158	158	ployment, and other decisions, practices, and policies 18
159	159	generated by or reflecting negative biases and 19
160	160	stereotypes related to race or national origin; 20
161	161	(5) the Federal Government must play a key 21
162	162	role in enforcing Federal civil rights laws in a way 22
163	163	that secures equal educational, employment, and 23
164	164	other opportunities for all individuals regardless of 24
165	165	their race or national origin; 25
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168	168	•HR 1638 IH
169	169	(6) the Federal Government must play a central 1
170	170	role in enforcing the standards established under 2
171	171	this Act on behalf of individuals who suffer race or 3
172	172	national origin discrimination based upon hair tex-4
173	173	ture and hairstyle; 5
174	174	(7) it is necessary to prohibit and provide rem-6
175	175	edies for the harms suffered as a result of race or 7
176	176	national origin discrimination on the basis of hair 8
177	177	texture and hairstyle; and 9
178	178	(8) it is necessary to mandate that school, 10
179	179	workplace, and other applicable standards be applied 11
180	180	in a nondiscriminatory manner and to explicitly pro-12
181	181	hibit the adoption or implementation of grooming re-13
182	182	quirements that disproportionately impact people of 14
183	183	African descent. 15
184	184	(c) P
185	185	URPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to institute 16
186	186	definitions of race and national origin for Federal civil 17
187	187	rights laws that effectuate the comprehensive scope of pro-18
188	188	tection Congress intended to be afforded by such laws and 19
189	189	Congress’ objective to eliminate race and national origin 20
190	190	discrimination in the United States. 21
191	191	SEC. 3. FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS. 22
192	192	(a) I
193	193	NGENERAL.—No individual in the United 23
194	194	States shall be excluded from participation in, be denied 24
195	195	the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, 25
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198	198	•HR 1638 IH
199	199	any program or activity receiving Federal financial assist-1
200	200	ance, based on the individual’s hair texture or hairstyle, 2
201	201	if that hair texture or that hairstyle is commonly associ-3
202	202	ated with a particular race or national origin (including 4
203	203	a hairstyle in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, 5
204	204	locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros). 6
205	205	(b) E
206	206	NFORCEMENT.—Subsection (a) shall be en-7
207	207	forced in the same manner and by the same means, includ-8
208	208	ing with the same jurisdiction, as if such subsection was 9
209	209	incorporated in title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 10
210	210	(42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), and as if a violation of sub-11
211	211	section (a) was treated as if it was a violation of section 12
212	212	601 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 2000d). 13
213	213	(c) D
214	214	EFINITIONS.—In this section— 14
215	215	(1) the term ‘‘program or activity’’ has the 15
216	216	meaning given the term in section 606 of the Civil 16
217	217	Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d–4a); and 17
218	218	(2) the terms ‘‘race’’ and ‘‘national origin’’ 18
219	219	mean, respectively, ‘‘race’’ within the meaning of the 19
220	220	term in section 601 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 2000d) 20
221	221	and ‘‘national origin’’ within the meaning of the 21
222	222	term in that section 601. 22
223	223	SEC. 4. HOUSING PROGRAMS. 23
224	224	(a) I
225	225	NGENERAL.—No person in the United States 24
226	226	shall be subjected to a discriminatory housing practice 25
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229	229	•HR 1638 IH
230	230	based on the person’s hair texture or hairstyle, if that hair 1
231	231	texture or that hairstyle is commonly associated with a 2
232	232	particular race or national origin (including a hairstyle in 3
233	233	which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, corn-4
234	234	rows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros). 5
235	235	(b) E
236	236	NFORCEMENT.—Subsection (a) shall be en-6
237	237	forced in the same manner and by the same means, includ-7
238	238	ing with the same jurisdiction, as if such subsection was 8
239	239	incorporated in the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 9
240	240	et seq.), and as if a violation of subsection (a) was treated 10
241	241	as if it was a discriminatory housing practice. 11
242	242	(c) D
243	243	EFINITION.—In this section— 12
244	244	(1) the terms ‘‘discriminatory housing practice’’ 13
245	245	and ‘‘person’’ have the meanings given the terms in 14
246	246	section 802 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 15
247	247	3602); and 16
248	248	(2) the terms ‘‘race’’ and ‘‘national origin’’ 17
249	249	mean, respectively, ‘‘race’’ within the meaning of the 18
250	250	term in section 804 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 3604) 19
251	251	and ‘‘national origin’’ within the meaning of the 20
252	252	term in that section 804. 21
253	253	SEC. 5. PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS. 22
254	254	(a) I
255	255	NGENERAL.—No person in the United States 23
256	256	shall be subjected to a practice prohibited under section 24
257	257	201, 202, or 203 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 25
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260	260	•HR 1638 IH
261	261	U.S.C. 2000a et seq.), based on the person’s hair texture 1
262	262	or hairstyle, if that hair texture or that hairstyle is com-2
263	263	monly associated with a particular race or national origin 3
264	264	(including a hairstyle in which hair is tightly coiled or 4
265	265	tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, 5
266	266	and Afros). 6
267	267	(b) E
268	268	NFORCEMENT.—Subsection (a) shall be en-7
269	269	forced in the same manner and by the same means, includ-8
270	270	ing with the same jurisdiction, as if such subsection was 9
271	271	incorporated in title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 10
272	272	and as if a violation of subsection (a) was treated as if 11
273	273	it was a violation of section 201, 202, or 203, as appro-12
274	274	priate, of such Act. 13
275	275	(c) D
276	276	EFINITION.—In this section, the terms ‘‘race’’ 14
277	277	and ‘‘national origin’’ mean, respectively, ‘‘race’’ within 15
278	278	the meaning of the term in section 201 of that Act (42 16
279	279	U.S.C. 2000a) and ‘‘national origin’’ within the meaning 17
280	280	of the term in that section 201. 18
281	281	SEC. 6. EMPLOYMENT. 19
282	282	(a) P
283	283	ROHIBITION.—It shall be an unlawful employ-20
284	284	ment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor 21
285	285	organization, or joint labor-management committee con-22
286	286	trolling apprenticeship or other training or retraining (in-23
287	287	cluding on-the-job training programs) to fail or refuse to 24
288	288	hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to dis-25
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291	291	•HR 1638 IH
292	292	criminate against an individual, based on the individual’s 1
293	293	hair texture or hairstyle, if that hair texture or that hair-2
294	294	style is commonly associated with a particular race or na-3
295	295	tional origin (including a hairstyle in which hair is tightly 4
296	296	coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, 5
297	297	Bantu knots, and Afros). 6
298	298	(b) E
299	299	NFORCEMENT.—Subsection (a) shall be en-7
300	300	forced in the same manner and by the same means, includ-8
301	301	ing with the same jurisdiction, as if such subsection was 9
302	302	incorporated in title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 10
303	303	(42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), and as if a violation of sub-11
304	304	section (a) was treated as if it was a violation of section 12
305	305	703 or 704, as appropriate, of such Act (42 U.S.C. 13
306	306	2000e–2, 2000e–3). 14
307	307	(c) D
308	308	EFINITIONS.—In this section the terms ‘‘per-15
309	309	son’’, ‘‘race’’, and ‘‘national origin’’ have the meanings 16
310	310	given the terms in section 701 of the Civil Rights Act of 17
311	311	1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e). 18
312	312	SEC. 7. EQUAL RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW. 19
313	313	(a) I
314	314	NGENERAL.—No person in the United States 20
315	315	shall be subjected to a practice prohibited under section 21
316	316	1977 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1981), based on 22
317	317	the person’s hair texture or hairstyle, if that hair texture 23
318	318	or that hairstyle is commonly associated with a particular 24
319	319	race or national origin (including a hairstyle in which hair 25
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322	322	•HR 1638 IH
323	323	is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, 1
324	324	braids, Bantu knots, and Afros). 2
325	325	(b) E
326	326	NFORCEMENT.—Subsection (a) shall be en-3
327	327	forced in the same manner and by the same means, includ-4
328	328	ing with the same jurisdiction, as if such subsection was 5
329	329	incorporated in section 1977 of the Revised Statutes, and 6
330	330	as if a violation of subsection (a) was treated as if it was 7
331	331	a violation of that section 1977. 8
332	332	SEC. 8. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 9
333	333	Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit defini-10
334	334	tions of race or national origin under the Civil Rights Act 11
335	335	of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.), the Fair Housing Act 12
336	336	(42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), or section 1977 of the Revised 13
337	337	Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1981). 14
338	338	Æ
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