National CROWN Day is July 3. This article gives a brief summary of the CROWN Act and its significance to employers. California passed the first CROWN (The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act in 2019, which amended California Section 212.1 of the Education Code and Section 12926 of the Government Code’s definition of race-related traits to include hair texture and protective hairstyles, including braids, locs, and twists. In 2022, the CROWN Act was passed by the House of Representatives but did not gain enough support in the Senate to become federal law. Currently, the CROWN Act was reintroduced into Congress on February 26, 2025, and will be considered by committee before sending to the House or Senate as a whole.

As of November 2025, 28 states had enacted similar legislation prohibiting hair-based discrimination. Pennsylvania was the most recent state to pass the CROWN Act, which amended the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act’s definition of “race” to include hair texture and protective hairstyles, including locs, braids, twists, coils, bantu knots, afros, and extensions.

The CROWN Act does not establish a new protected class but instead clarifies that “race” includes traits such as hair texture and protective hairstyles. Employers may wish, in an abundance of caution, to reference the CROWN Act in employee handbooks. This type of update may help reduce ambiguity and align workplace policies more closely with the CROWN Act. Employers may also review anti-discrimination policies to ensure consistency with current legislation. For example, employers should check if certain workplace policies, including grooming and appearance standards, do not disproportionately impact individuals based on hair texture or protective hairstyles. As the CROWN Act and related laws continue to develop, employers may wish to stay informed and update policies as needed to help reduce risk and maintain compliance.

For more information, contact Annie Yan at ayan@tresslerllp.com and Bicvan Brown at bbrown@tresslerllp.com.

About Annie Yan

Annie Yan is a rising second-year law student at the University of California, Irvine School of Law and currently works as a Summer Law Clerk at Tressler LLP. She has enjoyed her time at the firm, where she is learning from talented attorneys, gaining exposure to various areas of legal practice, and building meaningful professional relationships. Annie looks forward to continuing to expand her knowledge and contribute to the firm.

About Bicvan Brown

Bicvan is a partner in Tressler’s Irvine, California office and Chair of the firm’s national Employment Practice Group. She focuses her practice in all aspects of general litigation and employment matters, including trials, arbitrations, and mediations. Bicvan defends defendants and employers while providing advice and counsel against claims such as injury claims, wage and hour (individual and class actions), PAGA, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblowing. She defends employers before state and federal agencies such as the EEOC, NLRB, California Labor Commission, and California Civil Rights Department. She is fluent in Vietnamese and Spanish, and she provides advice about as well as translates workplace policies, employee handbooks, and agreements. Bicvan regularly speaks at seminars with the purpose of helping employers and their insurers regarding best practices to minimize risk in California. Click here to read Bicvan’s full attorney biography.