Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a senior member of the Judiciary and Homeland Committees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2574, the ``Equity and…”

“As a senior member of the Judiciary and Homeland Committees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2574, the ``Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019,'' which restores the power of students and parents to challenge discriminatory policies and practices in schools and other federally funded programs. In 2001, the Supreme Court decided in Alexander v. Sandoval to overturn four decades of statutory protections against discrimination by stripping victims of discrimination of the right to bring disparate impact claims under Title VI. However, this bill ensures that victims of discrimination no longer have to rely on the Department of Education to take legal action in order to challenge discriminatory practices in their schools. Instead, individuals will once again have the ability to address instances of racial inequities themselves. The Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act further protects students by making positive and substantive changes to Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. For example, the bill creates Title VI monitors to ensure that every school district and institution of higher education has at least one employee who is specifically responsible for investigating any complaints of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.…”