HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4828

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, July 7, 2020.

The committee on The Judiciary to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4295) of Steven Ultrino and others for legislation to prohibit discrimination based on natural hairstyles, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4828) ought to pass.

For the committee,

CLAIRE D. CRONIN.

        FILED ON: 6/26/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4828

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act prohibiting discrimination based on natural hairstyles.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:-

Sixty-second, “Natural hairstyle”, shall mean hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles, which shall include, but not be limited to, protective hairstyles such as braids, locs, twists and other formations.

SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after section 1C the following section:-

Section 1D. No school district, school committee, public school or nonsectarian school shall adopt or implement a policy or code that impairs or prohibits natural hairstyles.

The department of elementary and secondary education shall provide written guidance for the administration of this section.

SECTION 3. Paragraph (3) of subsection (d) of section 37O of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 137, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 4. Subsection 6 of section 3 of chapter 151B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 17, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 5. Subsection 9 of said section 3 of said chapter 151B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 63, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 6. Subsection 1 of section 4 of said chapter 151B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 3, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 7. Subsection 3 of said section 4 of said chapter 151B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in lines 201 and 209, each time it appears, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 8. Section 92A of chapter 272 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 9, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 9. Section 98 of said chapter 272, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 2, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 10. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination shall adopt, promulgate, amend and rescind rules and regulations or formulate policies and make recommendations to effectuate the purposes of sections 4 to 9.

SECTION 11. In addition to any other remedy or claim for relief provided under law, the attorney general may, pursuant to sections 11H to 11J, inclusive, of chapter 12, bring a civil action for injunctive or other appropriate equitable relief in order to protect the exercise of the rights secured in this act, provided, however, the plaintiff has exhausted the administrative remedies set forth in sections 5 and 6 of chapter 151B.