FILED ON: 7/31/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4930

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 most recently amended by section 3 of chapter 124 of the acts of 2020, is hereby further 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, locks, twists and other formations.

SECTION 2. Section 32 of chapter 22C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “racial”, in line 12, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 3. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 1C, as so appearing, 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 4. 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 5. Section 89 of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in lines 98 and 348, in each instance, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 6. Section 5 of chapter 76 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 11, the following words:-, natural hairstyle.

SECTION 7. Section 12B of said chapter 76, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 195, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 8. Section 3 of chapter 151B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in lines 17 and 63, in each instance, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 9. Section 4 of said chapter 151B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in lines 3, 186, 201, 209, 220, 229, 263, 291, 298, 308, 358, 366, 376, 477, 487, 492, 499, 633, 643, 821 and 830, in each instance, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 10. Section 39 of chapter 265 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “color”, in line 3, the following words:- , natural hairstyle.

SECTION 11. 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 12. 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 13. 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.