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HB 168

North Carolina Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Amber Baker and 30 co-sponsors

HB 168 NC CROWN Act bans employment discrimination based on race-related traits and protective hairstyles (braids, twists, locks); extends whistleblower protections to these claims.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · HB 168

Summary — HB 168 (2025) — North Carolina CROWN Act

Short title: North Carolina Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act

Main purpose

To prohibit employment discrimination based on traits historically associated with race — specifically protecting natural and protective hairstyles — and to add the new protection into North Carolina’s employment anti‑retaliation framework.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new statute to Chapter 95 (Article 3): Section 95‑28.1B — “Discrimination against persons in employment.”
    • Prohibits any person, firm, corporation, unincorporated association, State agency, unit of local government, or any public or private entity from denying employment to or discharging a person on account of race, color, creed, religion, sex, or national origin.
    • Defines two terms for the section:
    • “Protective hairstyles” — expressly includes, but is not limited to, bantu knots, braids, locks, and twists.
    • “Race” — expressly includes traits historically associated with race, including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles.
  • Amends G.S. 95‑241(a) (the State’s retaliation/whistleblower protection provision) to include claims and protections under the new §95‑28.1B among the statutes for which employees are protected from retaliatory action.
  • Effective date language: the act is effective when it becomes law and applies to employers, employees, and prospective employees on and after that date.

Who is affected

  • Employers: all public and private employers and entities in North Carolina (including State and local government units) will be prohibited from taking adverse employment actions based on the protected characteristics described.
  • Employees and job applicants: gain an explicit statutory protection against discrimination based on protective hairstyles and other race‑associated traits; they are also protected from retaliation for raising complaints or participating in enforcement under the new section.
  • Human resources, school/district employers, and other institutions that maintain grooming or appearance policies will need to review and, if necessary, revise policies to avoid discriminatory application.

Enforcement and remedies

  • Enforcement would proceed under North Carolina’s existing employment discrimination and retaliation statutory mechanisms (the bill integrates the new protection into existing anti‑retaliation provisions).
  • Remedies available under current State law for discriminatory employment practices would generally apply (administrative claims, civil remedies, etc.), subject to implementing regulations and existing procedures.

Potential practical impact

  • Employers may need to revise grooming/dress code policies, provide training to managers and HR, and update hiring/onboarding materials to ensure compliance.
  • May reduce incidents where natural hair or protective hairstyles are cited as grounds for discipline, discharge, or refusal to hire.
  • Could generate administrative claims or litigation where employers’ policies are challenged as discriminatory.
  • No explicit fiscal analysis is included in the bill text; the change is regulatory/standards‑based rather than an appropriation.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Bill text (2025 session) establishes the statutory changes described above; the act states it takes effect when it becomes law and applies thereafter to employers, employees, and prospective employees.
  • Provided materials indicate the bill was introduced and advanced through readings and committees during the 2025 session. (Document timelines supplied with the bill show committee referrals and readings; consult the North Carolina General Assembly status page for the bill’s live procedural status and final enactment information.)

If you want, I can:
- Extract the exact statutory redline language for inclusion in policy or HR guidance, or
- Draft sample employer policy language that complies with the new statutory protections.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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