Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed the CROWN Act into law, banning hair discrimination in the state, per CBS News.

On Tuesday (November 24), Shapiro signed the bill at Island Design Natural Hair Studio, a West Philadelphia salon that has served the community for 24 years.

“This is a place where the community gets nurtured,” Shapiro said. “Folks get to walk in and walk out looking and feeling their absolute best. I think that’s noble work.”

The CROWN Act, or Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, prohibits schools, employers, and other institutions from discriminating against people for the style, type, or texture of their hair. The law protects braids, locs, twists, Afros, and other natural or protective hairstyles commonly worn by Black Pennsylvanians.

Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, who shepherded the legislation for six years, said she herself changed her hairstyle in law school to avoid discrimination. U.S. Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, a West Philadelphia native now representing parts of Pittsburgh, was the lead sponsor of the bill and said the new law marks a turning point for Pennsylvanians who have been targeted or humiliated because of their hair.

“Hair discrimination has taken confidence from our children, but that ends today,” Mayes said. “It has taken dignity from workers, but that ends today. It has taken access to economic opportunities, hopes and dreams — but that begins to end today.”

Tuesday's signing came after the CROWN Act passed in the Pennsylvania Senate with a 44–3 vote last week.

Salon owner Lorraine Ruley, who specializes in natural hair care, said many clients come to her in tears after being told their braids or locs look “unprofessional.”

“Wearing our crown is very important to me,” Ruley said.

Pennsylvania is the 28th state to enact the CROWN Act. At the federal level, the bill was first introduced in 2021, but it stalled after being passed by the House in 2023. The CROWN Act was reintroduced last year in both chambers of Congress, where it remains pending.

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