House passes bill that would protect employees from bias based on hairstyles

In a bipartisan vote, the House of Representatives on Friday approved a bill that would protect employees from discrimination based on hairstyles that reflect race or national origin under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2022,” or the CROWN Act of 2022, passed the House on Friday with 235-189 vote, which included 221 Democrats and 14 Republicans. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate.

The bill prohibits discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle if it is in a style or texture “commonly associated with a particular race or national origin including a hairstyle in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros.”

In addition to applying to employers under Title VII, the bill would also apply to discrimination in housing programs and in public accommodations.

According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, as of November, 14 states, led by California in 2019, have passed similar legislation.