Labor Department removes disparate impact rules from Title VI regulations

The Labor Department is removing parts of its regulations that enforced Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, it is deleting language that prohibited programs receiving federal money from using methods that have a discriminatory effect on people based on race, color, or national origin.

Why it matters: This changes how federal funds can be monitored for civil rights violations. Recipients of federal money no longer need to adjust their practices to avoid unintentional racial disparities in results, as long as there is no evidence of intentional discrimination. It simplifies compliance by removing the requirement to prove or disprove disparate impact, but it also removes a tool that advocates have used to challenge policies with unequal racial effects.

Who it affects

• State and local governments receiving federal labor-related grants

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This rule was issued by the Labor Department; check the full text of 29 CFR Part 31 for specific regulatory changes before relying on this summary.

Agency: Labor Department,
Source: Federal Register — read the official document