,i  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bcdi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #a1 #bjba,mr4 
,tiffany 7for himself and ,mr4 ,owens7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide for
 equal protection of the law and to     
prohibit discrimination and preferential
 treatment on the basis of race1 color1 
national origin1 or sex in the          
administration of programs of the       
,department of ,agriculture1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,agriculture   
,civil ,rights and ,equality ,act or the
 ,,acre ,act4  #b4 ,anti-discrimination 
policies  7a7 ,in general               
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture 7or 
any officer1 employee1 or other designee
 of the ,secretary7 7referred to in this
 ,act as the ,secretary7 shall not--    
7#a7 intentionally discriminate against1
 or grant a preference to1 any person or

 group based in whole or in part on     
race1 color1 national origin1 or sex1 in
 connection with any contract or        
subcontract entered into by the         
,secretary1 award made by the           
,secretary1 employment with the         
,department of ,agriculture1 or any     
other program or activity carried out by
 the ,secretary2 or  7#b7 require1      
direct1 or encourage any entity under a 
contract or subcontract withe           
,secretary1 or the recipient of a       
license issued by the ,secretary or     
financial assistance provided under a   
program administered by the ,secretary1 
to discriminate intentionally against1  
or grant a preference to1 any person or 
group based in whole or in part on race1
 color1 national origin1 or sex1 in     
connection with such a contract1        
subcontract1 license1 or financial      
assistance4  7b7 ,states1 territories1  
and private entities ,a ,state1         
territory1 or private entity 7including 
institutions of higher education 7as    

defined in section #aja of the ,higher  
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajja77 that receives financial         
assistance through a program            
administered by the ,secretary shall    
not1 as a condition of receiving such   
funding1 discriminate against1 or grant 
a preference to1 any person or group    
based in whole or in part on race1      
color1 national origin1 or sex-- 7#a7 in
 connection with any grant1 activity1   
project1 contract 7or subcontract7      
carried out using such funds1 including 
the salaries and expenses of any        
employees paid using such funds2 or     
7#b7 with respect to determining        
admission to any such institution of    
higher education4  7c7 ,certain         
sex-,based classifications ,nothing in  
subsection 7a7 or 7b7 shall be construed
 as prohibiting or limiting any         
classification based on sex if-- 7#a7   
the classification is applied with      
respect to employment2 and  7#b7 the    
classification would be exempt from the 

prohibitions of title ,,vii of the      
,civil ,rights ,act of #aifd 7#db       
,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;a et seq47 by reason of 
section #gjc7;e77#a7 of such ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;e-#b7;e77#a774  7d7     
,civil action  7#a7 ,in general ,any    
person who is aggrieved by conduct      
prohibited by subsection 7a7 or 7b71 may
 commence a civil action in the         
appropriate district court of the       
,united ,states to obtain appropriate   
relief 7which may include back pay71    
against ,secretary or a ,state1         
territory1 or private entity referred to
 in subsection 7b74  7#b7 ,damages ,a   
prevailing plaintiff in a civil action  
under paragraph 7#a7 may recover        
reasonable attorney's fees4  7#c7       
,effect on other law ,the remedies      
available to a plaintiff pursuant to a  
civil action under paragraph 7#a7 shall 
not affect any remedy available to such 
a plaintiff under any other ,state or   
,federal law4