Restoring Equal Opportunity Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4448
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Housing and Community Development
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-01T08:08:04Z
AI-Generated Summary
Restoring Equal Opportunity Act (H.R. 4448)
Purpose
This bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to eliminate the ability to bring legal claims based on "disparate impact." The legislation expresses the view that U.S. policy should avoid using disparate-impact liability in civil rights enforcement wherever possible, to align with constitutional principles and focus only on intentional discrimination.
Key Provisions
- Prohibition on disparate-impact claims in employment: Amends Section 703 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to bar any lawsuit or proceeding alleging an unlawful employment practice based on disparate impact. Defines the term as a neutral practice (one without intent to discriminate) that may still have a disproportionate effect on protected groups.
- Prohibition on disparate-impact claims in housing: Adds a new subsection to Section 807 of the Fair Housing Act with the same prohibition for housing-related claims, using an identical definition of disparate impact.
- Nullification of certain regulations: Removes the legal effect of specific presidential approvals of regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This targets rules from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Justice that permit enforcement based on discriminatory effect rather than intent.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
The bill removes the disparate-impact theory of liability that has been available under Title VII (employment) and the Fair Housing Act since the 1970s. It overrides prior interpretations allowing claims where a neutral rule produces unequal outcomes for groups based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, even without proof of discriminatory purpose. It also invalidates specific regulatory language that supported effect-based enforcement under Title VI.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Limits enforcement tools for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Justice, and Department of Housing and Urban Development, shifting focus exclusively to intentional discrimination cases.
- Citizens: Reduces avenues for individuals or groups to challenge employment or housing practices that have uneven results across protected classes, potentially affecting hiring tests, background checks, zoning rules, or lending criteria.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Employers and housing providers (including landlords, real estate firms, and lenders)
- Employees, job applicants, and housing seekers from protected classes
- Federal civil rights enforcement agencies (EEOC, DOJ, HUD)
- Advocacy organizations and individuals previously relying on disparate-impact litigation
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill directly addresses constitutional concerns by seeking to limit liability theories that could be viewed as conflicting with equal protection principles. It represents a statutory change that would require courts to dismiss disparate-impact cases in these areas and could prompt new litigation over the validity of remaining regulations or the scope of the changes. The measure does not alter requirements for proving intentional discrimination.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (59)
Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1], Rep. Jack, Brian [R-GA-3], Rep. Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5], Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1], Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19], Rep. Brecheen, Josh [R-OK-2], Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4], Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3], Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3], Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38], Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7], Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1], Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21], Rep. Clyde, Andrew S. [R-GA-9], Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5], Rep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3], Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9], Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15], Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3], Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6], Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5], Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10], Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4], Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10], Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4], Rep. Moore, Riley M. [R-WV-2], Rep. Norman, Ralph [R-SC-5], Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6], Rep. Rose, John W. [R-TN-6], Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27], Rep. Biggs, Sheri [R-SC-3], Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6], Rep. Kustoff, David [R-TN-8], Rep. Patronis, Jimmy [R-FL-1], Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11], Rep. Franklin, Scott [R-FL-18], Rep. Stutzman, Marlin A. [R-IN-3], Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5], Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6], Rep. Van Epps, Matt [R-TN-7], Rep. Jackson, Ronny [R-TX-13], Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6], Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5], Rep. Estes, Ron [R-KS-4], Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2], Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1], Rep. Comer, James [R-KY-1], Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1], Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9], Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6] and 9 more
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-07-16: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-16: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Restoring Equal Opportunity Act — issued 2025-07-16 — PDF (4 pages)