Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) has introduced legislation—the “Dismantle DEI Act” (S. 4516)—that would affect corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) introduced a companion bill, H.R. 8706, in the House of Representatives.
S. 4516 would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding a definition of “prohibited diversity, equity, or inclusion practice.” The bill would add “ethnicity” to the Civil Rights Act’s list of protected bases and would add “biological” as a modifier of “sex” to ban discrimination based on “biological sex.”
S. 4516 also would rescind numerous Biden Administration pro-DEI initiatives. Furthermore, it would prohibit mandatory employee training asserting that a particular race or ethnicity is superior or inferior, oppressive or oppressed, or privileged or unprivileged.
Significantly, the bill would provide a private right of action that would allow any person alleging a violation of the Dismantle DEI Act to sue in federal district court. The court could award monetary as well as equitable and declaratory relief.