U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Announces Statement on Federal Civil Rights Enforcement and its Reports Planning for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019

By Jason Owen

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, by majority vote, issued a statement expressing concern over the potential negative impact of the Administration’s budget proposal on civil rights enforcement by federal agencies. In addition, the Commission unanimously approved a comprehensive two-year assessment of the efficacy of federal civil rights enforcement, which will conclude in a report to be issued at the end of fiscal year 2019.

The Commission also voted on the important civil rights issues it will address in fiscal years 2018 and 2019:

An assessment of voting rights obstacles in the United States (FY 2018 statutory enforcement report): The Commission will examine the U.S. Department of Justice’s voting rights enforcement efforts following the 2006 reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, including the impact of the Shelby County decision, as well as the proliferation of restrictions on voter access.
Responding to hate crimes at the federal, state, and local levels: The Commission will examine best practices for local law enforcement on collecting and reporting hate crimes data and the Education and Justice Departments’ role in prosecuting and preventing hate incidents.
The school-to-prison pipeline: the intersection of students of color and children with disabilities: The Commission will examine the intersection of school discipline policies for students who experience discrimination based on their race, their disability status, and their status as students of color with a disability.
Women in prison: The Commission will review the conditions of confinement of incarcerated women in prison systems around the country.
A view from the states: The Commission will conduct a survey of all 51 of its State Advisory Committees to determine which civil rights issues Committee members consider most pressing and significant in their respective states.

Chair Catherine E. Lhamon stated: “Each of the Commission’s investigations shines a valuable spotlight on the state of civil rights in the United States – whether with respect to voting, hate crimes, equal access to education, or fair and equal treatment of incarcerated persons. We look forward to reporting our findings and policy recommendations so that each person in this country can live the promises of our country’s civil rights protections.”

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights matters and issuing an annual federal civil rights enforcement report. For information about the Commission, please visit http://www.usccr.gov and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.