South Carolina S 584: The CROWN Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 584 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 23, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 584

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT 
THE "CROWN ACT"; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-13-30, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS 
PERTAINING TO THE STATE HUMAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION SO AS TO DEFINE TRAITS HISTORICALLY 
ASSOCIATED WITH RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN AND TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS 
ILLEGAL TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST AN INDIVIDUAL ON THE BASIS OF THESE 
CHARACTERISTICS; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-13-80, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT 
PRACTICES, SO AS TO PROHIBIT A COVERED EMPLOYER FROM DISCRIMINATING AGAINST AN 
INDIVIDUAL ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN; BY ADDING SECTION 
31-21-65 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL TO DISCRIMINATE IN THE SALE, 
RENTAL, OR FINANCING OF HOUSING, OR IN HOUSING-RELATED SERVICES ON THE BASIS OF 
RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN; BY ADDING SECTION 45-9-11 SO AS TO PROVIDE 
THAT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY OWNER, OPERATOR, OR EMPLOYEE OF A PLACE OF PUBLIC 
ACCOMMODATION TO DENY ACCESS OR SERVICE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, OR 
NATIONAL ORIGIN; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-63-40, RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION 
ON ACCOUNT OF RACE, CREED, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A 
PUBLIC OR CHARTER SCHOOL MAY NOT IMPLEMENT POLICIES OR PRACTICES THAT 
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST STUDENTS BASED ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL 
ORIGIN.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "CROWN Act".

SECTION 2. Section 1-13-30 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 (V) For purposes of this chapter, 
"race," "color," or "national origin" includes traits historically associated 
with race, color, or national origin, including, but not limited to, hair 
texture, hair type, hair length, hair color, and protected hairstyles, such as 
braids, locs, twists, cornrows, Bantu knots, and afros.

SECTION 3. Section 1-13-80(I) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (I) Notwithstanding any other provision 
of this chapter:

 (1) 
It is not an unlawful employment practice for an employer to employ employees, 
for an employment agency to classify or refer for employment an individual, for 
a labor organization to classify its membership or to classify or refer for 
employment an individual, or for an employer, labor organization, or joint 
labor-management committee controlling apprenticeship or other training or 
retraining programs to admit or employ an individual in a program on the basis 
of the individual's religion, sex, or national origin in those certain 
instances where religion, sex, or national origin is a bona fide occupational 
qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of that particular 
business or enterprise.

 (2) 
It is not an unlawful employment practice for a party subject to the provisions 
of this section to compile or assemble information as may be required pursuant 
to Section 1-13-70(i) or Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or 
federal contract compliance requirements or pursuant to another law not 
inconsistent with this chapter.

 (3) 
It is not an unlawful employment practice for an employer to apply different 
standards of compensation or different terms, conditions, or privileges of 
employment pursuant to a bona fide seniority or merit system or a system which 
measures earnings by quantity or quality of production or to employees who work 
in different locations if the differences are not the result of an intention to 
discriminate because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, or 
disability; nor is it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to give 
and to act upon the results of a professionally developed ability test if the 
test, its administration, or action upon the results is not designed, intended, 
or used to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, 
or disability. It is not an unlawful employment practice under this chapter 
for an employer to differentiate upon the basis of sex in determining the 
amount of wages or compensation paid or to be paid to employees of the employer 
if the differentiation is authorized by Section 6(d) of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938, as amended (29 U.S.C. 206(d)).

 (4) 
Nothing contained in this chapter applies to a business or enterprise on or 
near an Indian reservation with respect to a publicly announced employment 
practice of the business or enterprise under which a preferential treatment is 
given to an individual because the individual is an Indian living on or near a 
reservation.

 (5) 
This chapter does not apply to a religious corporation, association, 
educational institution, or society with respect to the employment of 
individuals of a pa