The U.S. House passed a bill that would prohibit hair discrimination in employment, public accommodations, housing, and other venues, after the lower chamber failed to pass the legislation with a two-thirds majority in February.

The House advanced the bill (H.R. 2116) with a vote of 235-189 on Friday, moving closer to legally clarifying that race discrimination doesn’t exclusively translate into adverse actions taken based only on a person’s skin color.

The bill would bar discrimination against locs, braids, Bantu knots, and other hairstyles to make uniform the hodgepodge of state laws against this form of bias, as well as competing court rulings weighing in on bias against specific styles.

Sign up for Business & Practice, a free newsletter from Bloomberg Law featuring in-house counsel and law firm news.

The House attempted to advance the bill under a special rule last month but failed to do so. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) called the vote “unnecessary and duplicative,” citing instances when federal courts have said that hair discrimination may constitute racial bias.

On the House floor before the vote, Jordan said members of Congress should instead be focused on addressing issues like energy independence and inflation.

“Not the Democrats—they’re going to focus on the hair bill,” he said.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said the bill touches on a civil rights issue.

“This bill, as I just said, is not about hair,” he said. “But it’s about the reaction, the inequality, the discrimination, the ‘you’re not welcome here’ if your hair texture is different.”

Advocates in support of the bill say a split of opinions between federal appellate courts necessitates the clarification the legislation would provide.

The White House also endorses the legislation.

“Such discrimination has imposed significant economic costs, learning disruption, and denial of economic opportunities for people of color,” the Biden administration said in a March 15 policy statement. “Black women, for example, experience discrimination in hiring because of natural hair styles, and Black girls experience disproportionate rates of school discipline, sometimes for discriminatory hair violations.”

It’s uncertain how the bill will fare in the Senate; Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced a companion bill (S. 888), but it currently has no Republican backers. Only one Republican, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), supports the House version.

The full title of the CROWN Act is the “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act.”

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel _______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion. Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof

Two leading books on electronic evidence by Hon. Justice Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Rtd., PhD, FICMC, are now available for purchase. The publications, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition), With The Evidence Act, 2011 and Compendium Of Cases On Electronic Evidence, Volume II, 2020–2025, provide practical guidance, legal analysis and recent judicial authorities on electronic evidence in Nigeria.Order directly from the author here: https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/ _______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

________________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation _______________________________________________________________________