Oregon: The CROWN Act (HB2935)
Adopted: June 2021 Bill Number: HB2935 Governor: Kate Brown Status: Enacted
Oregon enacted its CROWN Act in June 2021 when Governor Kate Brown signed HB2935. The legislation completed a Pacific Coast corridor of hair discrimination protections, joining Washington and California to ensure consistent protections from the Canadian border to Mexico.
Key Provisions
Oregon Revised Statutes amendment. HB2935 amends the state’s civil rights statutes to include hair texture and protective hairstyles within the definition of race.
Employment, housing, and education. Oregon’s legislation covers employment decisions, housing, public accommodation, and educational settings, providing broad protections consistent with the state’s civil rights framework.
Bureau of Labor and Industries enforcement. Oregon’s BOLI has jurisdiction to investigate hair-related discrimination complaints in employment and other covered domains.
Oregon Context
Oregon’s adoption was shaped by the state’s engagement with racial justice issues and its growing diversity. Portland and the Willamette Valley have seen increasing racial and ethnic diversity, and Oregon’s history of addressing systemic discrimination, including acknowledging its own legacy of exclusion laws, informed the legislature’s receptiveness.
With approximately 80,000 Black residents, Oregon’s Black community is concentrated in Portland, where activism around natural hair and racial justice provided grassroots support for the legislation. The state’s technology sector, centred in the Portland metropolitan area, employs diverse workforces that benefit from clear grooming standards.
Oregon’s enactment in June 2021 completed the West Coast corridor alongside California and Washington. For the complete CROWN Act movement progression, see the CROWN Act timeline.
For detailed legal analysis of Oregon’s CROWN Act provisions, contact contact@crown.ngo.