CROWN Act (California)

CROWN Act
California State Legislature
  • Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act
Enacted byCalifornia State Senate
EnactedJune 27, 2019
Signed byGavin Newsom
SignedJuly 3, 2019
Introduced byHolly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles)
Status: Current legislation

The CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act (SB 188) is a California law which prohibits discrimination based on hair style and hair texture by extending protection under the FEHA and the California Education Code. It is the first legislation passed at the state level in the United States to prohibit such discrimination.

The CROWN Act, which was drafted and sponsored by State Senator Holly Mitchell, was passed unanimously in both chambers of the California Legislature by June 27, 2019, and was signed into law on July 3, 2019.[1]

CROWN Acts outside of California

Main article: Discrimination based on hair texture in the United States

CROWN Acts were subsequently adopted in New York, New Jersey, New York City, Washington, Maryland, Nevada,[2] Virginia, Colorado,[3] Texas,[4] Massachusetts[5] and Michigan[6] while Illinois adopted a similar law titled the Jett Hawkins Law.[7] and expanded those protections by enacting the CROWN Act, effective January 1, 2023, which amended the Illinois Human Rights Act.[8][9]

A CROWN Act was also introduced in the South Carolina General Assembly, but did not pass the body.[10]

Federal CROWN Act

See also: CROWN Act of 2022

On September 21, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act of 2020, which failed to pass the Senate. The bill was then reintroduced on March 22, 2021 in the House and Senate simultaneously as the CROWN Act of 2021, and was passed by the House on March 18, 2022.[11]

The bill was never voted on in the Senate.

References

  1. ^ "California becomes first state to ban discrimination against natural hair". CBS News. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Nevada is 12th state to pass CROWN Act, making race-based hair discrimination illegal". 23 June 2021.
  3. ^ "U.S. Congress passes CROWN Act". Congresswoman Robin Kelly. 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  4. ^ "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs CROWN Act into law". www.khou.com. May 27, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  5. ^ "The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts".
  6. ^ Jordan, Ta'Niyah (June 15, 2023). "WATCH: Gov. Whitmer signs 'CROWN Act' prohibiting hair discrimination in the workplace". WILX 10. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  7. ^ Jones, Will (2021-08-13). "Chicago mother wins fight to ban hair discrimination in Illinois schools". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  8. ^ "CROWN Act Illinois e-News Release" (PDF). Illinois Department of Human Rights. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  9. ^ "The Illinois CROWN Act". Randolph Holloway & Associates. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  10. ^ Masters, Collin (2020-01-29). "New SC bill could end race-based hair discrimination". WCIV. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  11. ^ Veronica Stracqualursi (March 18, 2022). "US House passes CROWN Act that would ban race-based hair discrimination". CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2022.