Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964
42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.
Overview of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 |
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Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.,
was enacted as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination
on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving
federal financial assistance. As President John F. Kennedy said in 1963:
Simple justice requires that public funds, to which all
taxpayers of all races [colors, and national origins] contribute, not be spent in any
fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes or results in racial [color or national
origin] discrimination.
If a recipient of federal assistance is found to have
discriminated and voluntary compliance cannot be achieved, the federal agency providing
the assistance should either initiate fund termination proceedings or refer the matter to
the Department of Justice for appropriate legal action. Aggrieved individuals may file
administrative complaints with the federal agency that provides funds to a recipient, or
the individuals may file suit for appropriate relief in federal court. Title VI itself
prohibits intentional discrimination. However, most funding agencies have regulations
implementing Title VI that prohibit recipient practices that have the effect of
discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.
To assist federal agencies that provide financial assistance,
the wide variety of recipients that receive such assistance, and the actual and potential
beneficiaries of programs receiving federal assistance, the U.S. Department of Justice has
published a Title VI Legal Manual. The Title VI Legal Manual sets out Title VI legal
principles and standards. Additionally, the Department has published an Investigation
Procedures Manual to give practical advice on how to investigate Title VI complaints. Also
available on the Coordination and Review Website are a host of other materials that may be
helpful to those interested in ensuring effective enforcement of Title VI. |
Statutes and Regulations |
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- Department of Justice's Title VI Regulations (28 C.F.R. §
42.101 et seq.) (HTML or PDF)
- Department of Justice's Title VI Coordination Regulations (28
C.F.R. § 42.401 et seq.) (HTML or PDF)
- Department of Justice's Guidelines for the Enforcement of
Title VI (28 C.F.R. § 50.3) (HTML or PDF)
- Rulemaking actions to incorporate the Civil Rights
Restoration Act's definitions of "program or activity" and
"program" into regulations implementing
Title VI, Section 504, and the Age Discrimination Act:
- Twenty-two agencies' Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, published
December 6, 2000 (65 FR 76460) (HTML or PDF)
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Twenty-two agencies' Final Rule, published August 26, 2003 (68 FR
51332) (HTML or
PDF)
- Department of Education's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(also includes amendments to Title IX regulations),
published May 5, 2000 (65 FR 26464) (HTML or PDF)
- Department of Education's Final Rule
(also includes amendments to Title IX regulations), published November 13,
2000 (65 FR 68049) (HTML or PDF)
- Department of Health and Human Services' Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (also includes amendments to Title IX
regulations), published October 26, 2000 (65 FR 64194) (HTML or PDF)
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Title VI Materials |
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Publications |
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What to do if you have a Title VI complaint, or have some questions
on Title VI |
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