WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2024 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 495
By Senator Trump
[Introduced January 22, 2024; referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §5-11-21, relating to prohibiting racial discrimination based on certain hair textures and hairstyles.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
(a) For the purposes of this article, discrimination based on race includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on hair textures and protective hairstyles historically associated with a particular race.
(b) The term "protective hairstyles" includes, but is not limited to, hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to clarify that race discrimination includes discrimination based on certain hair textures and styles.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.