Colorado: The CROWN Act (HB20-1048)
Adopted: March 2020 Bill Number: HB20-1048 Governor: Jared Polis Status: Enacted
Colorado enacted its CROWN Act in March 2020 when Governor Jared Polis signed HB20-1048, extending hair discrimination protections to the Mountain West region. The bill prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles in employment and educational settings.
Key Provisions
Anti-discrimination expansion. HB20-1048 amends Colorado’s anti-discrimination statutes to include hair texture and protective hairstyles, including braids, locs, twists, and Bantu knots, within the definition of race-based protections.
Workplace and schools. The legislation covers employment decisions and grooming policies in schools, ensuring that students and employees are protected from hair-based discrimination.
Civil Rights Division enforcement. The Colorado Civil Rights Division within the Department of Regulatory Agencies has authority to investigate and adjudicate hair discrimination complaints.
Colorado Context
Colorado’s adoption brought CROWN Act protections to the Mountain West, expanding the geographic reach beyond the coastal states that had led the initial wave. With a growing and diversifying population, including approximately 250,000 Black residents, Colorado’s enactment reflected the national scope of hair discrimination.
Denver and Colorado Springs, both significant employment centres, have corporate cultures influenced by outdoor recreation and technology industries that tend toward informal dress codes. However, formal employment sectors, government agencies, and schools maintained grooming standards that the legislation addressed.
Colorado’s adoption in the same month as Virginia and Washington demonstrated that the CROWN Act movement had reached a national tipping point within its first year. For the full progression, see the CROWN Act timeline.
For analysis of how state-by-state adoption informs European legislative strategy, see Lessons from the CROWN Act for Europe.
For detailed legal analysis of Colorado’s CROWN Act provisions, contact [email protected].