CROWN Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced
Summary
Would add hair texture and hairstyles associated with race or national origin to federal civil rights protections. It would redefine race and national origin so grooming rules that target natural Black hair receive explicit coverage across schools, workplaces, housing, public accommodations, and federally funded programs.
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- Students and participants in federally funded programs would be protected from school or program grooming policies that disproportionately discipline or exclude hairstyles tied to African descent.
- Workers would be barred from hiring, firing, or training decisions based on hair texture or hairstyles, with enforcement modeled on Title VII employment law.
- People seeking housing or using public businesses would gain explicit protections against housing and public accommodation rules that target hair, enforced through the Fair Housing Act and Title II frameworks.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Contracts: Ban hair discrimination
If enacted, people could not be denied contracts or treated unfairly in making or enforcing contracts because of hair linked to a race or national origin. Examples listed include locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros, and tightly coiled or tightly curled hair. Enforcement would follow existing 42 U.S.C. 1981 claims. It would take effect upon enactment.
Federal programs: Ban hair discrimination
If enacted, any program that gets federal money could not exclude you, deny you benefits, or treat you worse because of hair linked to a race or national origin. Examples include locs, cornrows, braids, Bantu knots, Afros, and tightly coiled or tightly curled hair. Enforcement would follow Title VI procedures. It would take effect upon enactment.
Public places: Ban hair discrimination
If enacted, businesses open to the public could not deny you service or treat you differently because of hair linked to a race or national origin. The bill names examples such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros, and tightly coiled or tightly curled hair. Enforcement would follow Title II procedures. It would take effect upon enactment.
Housing: Ban hair discrimination
If enacted, housing providers could not deny you housing, evict you, or treat you worse because of hair linked to a race or national origin. The bill names locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros, and tightly coiled or tightly curled hair as examples. Enforcement would follow the Fair Housing Act. It would take effect upon enactment.
Workers: Ban on hair discrimination
If enacted, employers, agencies, labor groups, and training programs could not refuse to hire, fire, or discriminate against you because of hair linked to a race or national origin. Examples named include locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros, and tightly coiled or tightly curled hair. Enforcement would follow Title VII rules. It would take effect upon enactment.
Keeps current race and origin definitions
If enacted, the bill would say it does not narrow how "race" or "national origin" are defined under key civil rights laws. This is an interpretive rule and would not by itself create new benefits. It would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
ME • R
Sponsored 2/26/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov