Pa. bill prohibiting hair-based discrimination is bound for Shapiro’s desk

A bill banning discrimination based on hair texture and style is headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk after sailing through the state Senate this week, hailed as a victory for Black women in Pennsylvania who have faced prejudice toward the way they wear their hair.

The measure amends the commonwealth’s Human Relations Act — which bans certain types of discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations — to explicitly state that the act’s prohibition on racial bias extends to hair type. The bill also clarifies that religious anti-discrimination protections include head coverings.

The bill is one of several long-running efforts by the Democratic-majority state House to strengthen or expand the protections in the Human Relations Act. Until now, those attempts to alter the act