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Minutes for HB2044 - Committee on Federal and State Affairs
Short Title
Amending the definition of "race" in the Kansas act against discrimination to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles.
Minutes Content for Thu, Feb 16, 2023
Chairperson Carpenter opened the hearing on HB2044. The revisor provided an overview on the bill. Questions were asked by Representatives Sanders and Jacobs.
Chairperson Carpenter recognized Glenda Duboise as a proponent of HB2044 (Attachment 1). She stated that all people have the fundamental right to be free from discrimination. Policymakers should protect and enforce this right by eliminating practices that target specific groups for discrimination and exploitation. She asked them to support HB2044.
Chairperson Carpenter recognized Stacey Knoell who testified in support of HB2044 (Attachment 2). She stated that this bill is known as the CROWN Act. CROWN is an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. It seeks to address the discrimination that many feel for their hairstyles that are often associated with Black culture. This bill contains language protecting hairstyles that are most used by the Black community and will ensure that no dress code or standard of appearance would be used against another person in a discriminatory manner. Questions and comments were made by Representatives Houser, Moser, Howell, Xu, Garber, and Sanders.
Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau testified as a proponent of HB2044 (Attachment 3). She stated that it is unfair for people who want to work or compete in school sports to be discriminated against because of the style or texture of their natural hair. She stated that a lot of Black people straighten their hair to fit in, but recent studies now show that straightening products are twice as likely to cause cancer (Attachment 3A) so this is also a health issue. She urged the Committee to support this bill. Questions were asked by Representatives Eplee, Bryce, Sanders, Buehler, and Highberger.
The Chairperson recognized Michele Watley as a proponent on the bill (Attachment 4). She stated that positive change in issues such as economic prosperity, health and vitality, education, and the eradication of violence is derailed by rules in grooming policies in schools that prohibit natural hairstyles such as locs, twists, and braids. These rules disproportionately affect Black Kansans and create unnecessary barriers to growing our economy and providing access to employment and education. A question was asked by Representative Clayton.
Liz Meitl testified in support of HB2044 (Attachment 5). She stated that maintaining hair to Eurocentric standards can be costly and time-consuming. It is dehumanizing to equate somebody's skills, manners or habits to an outsider's prescribed maintenance of their hair. She would urge the Committee to pass this bill.
Chairperson Carpenter recognized Anita Alexander as a proponent of HB2044 (Attachment 6). She stated that natural hairstyles are often viewed as less professional and cause school and workplace discrimination.
Chairperson Carpenter drew the Committee's attention to the written testimony of Ashley Corrales Valles (Attachment 7); Genesis Rico Aguilar (Attachment 8); Danetra Johnson (Attachment 9); Emalee Nagrubi (Attachment 10); Peter Aguilar-Perez (Attachment 11); Aileen Berquist, ACLU (Attachment 12); Connie Brown Collins, Voter Rights Network of Wyandotte County (Attachment 13); Lessly Razo Luna (Attachment 14); Lauren Tice Miller (Attachment 15); Kamari Murray (Attachment 16); Adrienne Olejnik, Kansas Action for Children (Attachment 17); D'Mikel Reed (Attachment 18); Brisa Rios (Attachment 19); Emanuel Rodriguez (Attachment 20); Melissa Stiehler (Attachment 21); and Glenda Overstreet Vaughn, NAACP (Attachment 22).
Chairperson Carpenter recognized Ruth Glover as a neutral on HB2044 (Attachment 23). She stated the current law provides that individuals may file complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, genetic screening and testing (employment only), familial status (housing only) , and retaliation. Her agency is neutral on the bill because the protections sought in HB2044 are already in law. Individuals currently can include complaints that they have been subjected to discriminatory action based on hair texture or a hairstyle historically associated with their race or other applicable protected class, such as ancestry, national origin, sex, religion, and disability. The Human Rights Commission is not a solution for school children. Their recommendation is that if they want to extend these protections to school children, thought should be given to amending the Kansas anti-bullying act. Questions were asked by Representatives Bergkamp, Haswood, Sanders, Boyd, and Clayton.
Chairperson Carpenter noted that there was written neutral testimony from Eric Stafford, Kansas Chamber (Attachment 24) and Kyle Russell, Kansas Society for Human Resource Management (Attachment 25).
There being no further conferees, Chairperson Carpenter closed the hearing on HB2044.
