NC CROWN Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 897

Short Title: NC CROWN Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Murdock, Smith, and Salvador (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 30, 2026
*S897-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ENACT THE NORTH CAROLINA CROWN ACT TO CREATE A 2
RESPECTFUL AND OPEN WORLD FOR NATURAL HAIR. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "North Carolina 5
CROWN Act." 6
SECTION 2. Article 3 of Chapter 95 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 7
a new section to read: 8
"§ 95-28.1B. Discrimination against persons in employment. 9
(a) No person, firm, corporation, unincorporated association, State agency, unit of local 10
government, or any public or private entity shall deny or refuse employment to any person or 11
discharge any person from employment on account of the person's race, color, creed, religion, 12
sex, or national origin. 13
(b) The following definitions apply in this section: 14
(1) Protective hairstyles. – Includes, but is not limited to, such hairstyles as bantu 15
knots, braids, locks, and twists. 16
(2) Race. – Includes traits historically associ ated with race, including, but not 17
limited to, hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles." 18
SECTION 3. G.S. 95-241(a) reads as rewritten: 19
"(a) No person shall discriminate or take any retaliatory action against an employee 20
because the employee in good faith does or threatens to do any of the following: 21
(1) File a claim or complaint, initiate any inquiry, investigation, inspection, 22
proceeding or other action, or testify or provide information to any person 23
with respect to any of the following: 24
a. Chapter 97 of the General Statutes. 25
b. Article 2A or Article 16 of this Chapter. 26
c. Article 2A of Chapter 74 of the General Statutes. 27
d. G.S. 95-28.1. 28
e. Article 16 of Chapter 127A of the General Statutes. 29
f. G.S. 95-28.1A.G.S. 95-28.1A or G.S. 95-28.1B. 30
g. Article 52 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. 31
h. Article 5F of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes. 32
(2) Cause any of the activities listed in subdivision (1) of this subsection to be 33
initiated on an employee's behalf. 34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 897-First Edition
(3) Exercise any right on behalf of the employee or any other employee afforded 1
by Article 2A or Article 16 of this Chapter, by Article 2A of Chapter 74 of the 2
General Statutes, or by Article 52 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. 3
(4) Comply with the provisions of Article 27 of Chapter 7B of the General 4
Statutes. 5
(5) Exercise rights under Chapter 50B. Actions brought under this subdivision 6
shall be in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 50B-5.5." 7
SECTION 4. Effective July 1, 2026, there is appropriated from the General Fund to 8
the Department of Labor the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 2026-2027 9
fiscal year to educate employers and employees about the rights and responsibilities confe rred 10
by this act. 11
SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law 12
and applies to employers, employees, and prospective employees on and after that date. 13