CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today he and 21 attorneys general submitted four joint comment letters opposing the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) proposal to roll back regulations implementing civil rights laws that protect Americans from discrimination.
In the letters, Raoul and the coalition explain these regulations are critical to protecting against sex discrimination, disability discrimination, race and national-origin discrimination, among other forms of discrimination. The letters explain the unlawful rollbacks would strip away Americans’ rights to equal access, protection from discrimination and federal accountability – undermining decades of civil rights progress.
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“These laws have long served as the bedrock of equity, ensuring all Americans have access to education, health care, housing and other federally funded programs,” Raoul said. “I will continue to stand with fellow attorneys general to push back on any attempt by the Trump administration to erode our residents’ civil rights, weaken the law and strip away decades of protections and government accountability.”
Last month, the DOE proposed rollbacks that would eliminate its regulatory standards that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex and disability in federally funded programs including DOE facilities’ compliance with federal accessibility standards, which are all enforced through Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Additionally, the DOE failed to demonstrate this rulemaking is evidence-based and is not arbitrary, capricious or contrary to constitutional rights, which is required under the Administrative Procedure Act.
In the comment letters, Raoul and the coalition explain that if the regulations are not implemented, recipients of federal funding would lose key tools for investigating and stopping discrimination in federally funded programs and activities. Additionally, without federal construction requirements for DOE facilities, it will be difficult for individuals with disabilities to access schools, labs and energy facilities.
Joining Raoul in submitting the letters are attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
