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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby Mary Spiller <\/a><\/p>\n November 22, 2025<\/p>\n Pennsylvania is on track to become the 28th state to adopt the Crown Act.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania is on track to become the 28th state to adopt the Crown Act, a landmark measure that bars discrimination based on natural hair and protective hairstyles. The bill now awaits Gov. Josh Shapiro\u2019s signature after clearing the state Senate with a decisive 44\u20133 vote.<\/p>\n The legislation \u2014 formally known as the \u201cCreating a Respectful Open World for Natural Hair Act\u201d \u2014 targets longstanding bias in workplaces and academic settings against styles such as braids, locs, twists, and other natural hair textures commonly worn by Black and brown communities.<\/p>\n House Speaker Joanna McClinton, who has championed the measure alongside state Rep. LaTasha Mayes, said the law addresses a form of discrimination that often goes unnoticed by those who have never had to navigate it. For many Pennsylvanians, she said, hair choices can directly affect whether they\u2019re hired or promoted.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people across Pennsylvania who\u2019ve made decisions like I have \u2026 about how I should wear my hair to make sure it doesn\u2019t compromise a job opportunity, it doesn\u2019t make me look a certain way, or that I won\u2019t lose an opportunity to advance my career due to how my hair grows out of my head or how I choose to style it,\u201d McClinton said.<\/p>\n The lawmakers first introduced the bill in 2019, but earlier versions stalled. After repeated attempts and growing national momentum behind similar legislation, this year\u2019s effort gained broad bipartisan support.<\/p>\n