SB 174-ALLOW NATURAL HAIRSTYLES  9:14:48 AM CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 174 "An Act relating to dress codes and natural hairstyles." 9:15:21 AM SENATOR DAVID WILSON, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, stated that this legislation prohibits schools and workplaces from establishing dress codes that restrict someone from wearing their natural hair. No employee or student should be prohibited from participating in work or attending school because they are wearing natural hair. SB 174 defines what standards are unacceptable for school districts and employers to place on hairstyles. He stated testimony would be given on why SB 174 is essential. 9:16:25 AM JASMINE MARTIN, Staff, Senator David Wilson, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the sectional analysis for SB 174 as follows: [Original punctuation provided.]   Section 1: Adds a new section (.135. Dress code;  natural hairstyles) to AS 14.03 (Title 14. Education,  Libraries, and Museums, 03. Public Schools Generally) This section disallows a school district from adopting a school dress code that prohibits a student from wearing a hairstyle that is commonly or historically associated with race, wearing a natural hairstyle regardless of the student's hair texture or type, or that requires a student to permanently or semi- permanently alter their natural hair. This bill makes an exception to allow school districts to restrict hairstyles in any way necessary to comply with health or safety laws. Section 2: Adds a new section (.450. Dress code;  natural hairstyles) to AS 23.10 (Title 23. Labor and  Workers Compensation 10. Employment Practices and  Working Conditions) This section is identical to section 1, except it deals with an employee and employer relationship rather than school and students. 9:19:16 AM At ease. 9:19:22 AM CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting. He stated technical difficulties were being experienced and asked for questions from committee members. 9:20:17 AM SENATOR HUGHES said she was surprised that in 2022 there was a need for SB 174. She asked if there was anything that would inhibit the ability of an employer or school to require a groomed appearance, including clothing and hair. She stated she could understand how an employee showing up for work with uncombed hair could be a problem for a business, but it is not uncommon for students to arrive at school with uncombed hair. SENATOR WILSON stated that SB 174 was created to address all culturally relevant hairstyles such as locs, braids, twists, and afros, not neatness. He stated his belief that SB 174 is the best way to address this area of discrimination that plagues Alaska and the nation. 9:22:05 AM SENATOR HUGHES stated she did not find any verbiage in SB 174 that would prevent general neatness. She asked for an explanation of the term "protective style." SENATOR WILSON stated that definitions would be provided. 9:23:07 AM SENATOR HUGHES stated the word protective stood out to her because she once wore her hair in a style that her son said resembled a helmet. She is confident this is not what "protective style" means. 9:23:28 AM CHAIR HOLLAND opened invited testimony. 9:23:50 AM ALYSSA QUINTYNE, representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska, stated she is a 20-year resident and is pleased that Alaska's legislators care enough about the issue to hear her testimony. Many black people in Alaska suffer in silence, with only close friends and family to talk. Hair discrimination is just a part of being black. 9:25:01 AM MS. QUINTYN noted that every black person she knows endured hair harassment. While many things have happened to her, she believes others have suffered even more. From elementary through high school, students, teachers, and administrators touched her hair without permission, made inappropriate comments, and asked inappropriate questions. She stated she was banned from taking swimming, home economics, and chemistry lab classes because of her hair. She recalled that she has had her hair cut, burned, and even tied to a pole. She has also been yanked downstairs by her hair. Her parents spoke with school authorities, but nothing happened to address the ignorance and bigotry. She has also experienced discrimination in the workplace. A former employer told her not to come to work without her hair straightened, and human resource policies were written to target her hairstyle. She stated it is difficult to effect change in these situations because the employee needs a paycheck. MS. QUINTYN stated that she has advocated for change since she was 13 years old. She stated that she served on the district's diversity committee for three years to educate the school board about black hairstyles, bonnets, and durags. She has attempted to explain the need for gang affiliation rhetoric to stop because it has nothing to do with black hairstyles. It is a microaggression rooted in fear and targets black and brown students. She had offered resources and suggestions to make the dress code more responsible and mindful of student financial access, culture, and identity. 9:29:31 AM She opined that dismissing hair discrimination is easy because if a person does not live it every day, it does not seem like a problem. School districts and boards do not want to address it. The city council thinks it is a lower 48 problem. The borough assembly said there was nothing it could do. So, the last place to turn was the state legislature and Congress. She said living in a community that does not understand discrimination and lacks support is exhausting. She stated she is hopeful because the two black leaders in the legislature want to effect change. SB 174 will have started a needed conversation to stop microaggression and lateral violence even if it does not pass. She hopes SB 174 will help black children grow up feeling loved, respected, and celebrated rather than feeling they merely survived growing up. 9:33:01 AM ROSALYN WYCHE, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, stated she has lived in Alaska since the 1970s. She graduated high school in 1982 and became a hairstylist. She has worked and taught in the industry for many years. She has five children, and all of them encountered hair discrimination. Her daughters' braids were always being touched and undone. Comments would then be made about the texture and look of their hair by classmates. She opined that the teacher should not have allowed this. On another occasion, a daughter had a bad hair day and wore a pink bandana to school. The counselor requested her daughter be picked up from school because bandanas represent gangs. Three boys wearing cowboy hats and long trench coats passed by the office while she was meeting with the counselor. She explained to the counselor that pink is not a gang color, and if the boys could wear cowboy hats, why was her daughter not able to wear a pink bandana to cover her hair. The counselor replied that he did not make the rules. During this same timeframe, she said her sons wore long hair in braids. She was told the look was inappropriate for male students even though white and Latino male students could wear long hair. She considered it biased that braids, cornrows, and dreadlocks were inappropriate, but mullets and perms were not. She added that black women are often told that the cultural hairstyles of afros, braids, and locs are not a professional look. Her hair academy teaches how to cut and manage all types of hair. She was pleased to learn about SB 174 because her children and others should not experience negative influences because of their hair type. When they leave home feeling great about how they look, they should return home feeling the same way. She said tennis star Venus Williams had a game stopped for wearing beads in her hair. She opined that black people should not be criticized for the cultural hairstyles they choose to wear. She said, "Its almost like a society trying to take away every bit of culture that you have." 9:39:07 AM CHAIR HOLLAND asked Ms. Quintyne if she ever felt any support for cultural hairstyles at school. 9:39:28 AM MS. QUINTYNE replied that, unfortunately, she never felt any support. As an adult, she has noticed a decline in dress codes mentioning specific hairstyles. However, nothing acknowledges that locs, braids, twists, extensions, and wigs are a part of black culture and hygiene. 9:40:36 AM SENATOR BEGICH stated that the double standard mentioned during invited testimony struck him as clearly discriminatory. He opined that as a Caucasian man, he was never asked to change his style, even when wearing beads, but he recalls African Americans being asked to wear their hair differently. He understands and appreciates that SB 174 is being heard. 9:41:55 AM SENATOR HUGHES stated she appreciates the eye-opening testimony. She asked if district policies are what prevents afros, braids, and other protective and natural hairstyles from being worn. She stated policies would need to be changed if discrimination was policy based. MS. WYCHE stated that written hairstyle policies were enforced when her children attended private schools, and forbidding bandanas was district policy. 9:43:59 AM MS QUINTYNE stated that dress codes are typically found in student handbooks. However, not having a policy does not prevent staff from being discriminatory. Having legislation would be more powerful than policy. It would establish a boundary and let others know how damaging hair discrimination is to students and employees. 9:45:33 AM SENATOR HUGHES asked if there are districts in Alaska with policies that need to be changed and would SB 174 apply to private schools. MS. MARTIN replied that she does not have a list of discriminatory district policies; such policies tend to be subtle. For example, a policy might say "professional-style" or only one braid instead of a person cannot wear cornrows. Problems arise because determining a professional style is subjective and left to administrative discretion. She stated SB 174 would not apply to private schools since school board policies do not govern private schools. 9:46:35 AM CHAIR HOLLAND said that he would prefer SB 174 be made into two bills, one for students and the other for employees. He reasoned that enforcement at school is possible. However, the expanse of the workplace would make it challenging to determine what hairstyles are cultural and then set a guideline as to which cultural hairstyles are appropriate for a workplace. 9:47:36 AM SENATOR STEVENS asked for clarity on the exceptions that might come with health and safety laws, regulations, or ordinances. He stated he could understand a shop teacher's concern about hair getting caught in a machine and the need for discretion. SENATOR WILSON stated that the intent of the exceptions is not to bypass ordinances, laws, or regulations that a municipality or other government agency may have. The language in SB 174 was intentionally left broad to avoid being prescriptive and causing unsafe situations. He stated he does not want students experiencing their hair catching on fire like Michael Jackson in filming a Pepsi commercial. 9:49:16 AM SENATOR BEGICH noted that SB 174 does not list as many styles as the 14 other states that have passed similar legislation. He asked why all styles were not listed, especially since invited testimony mentioned discrimination against cornrows, afros, and headwraps. He commented that in 2014 former defense secretary Chuck Hagel changed military policy to allow certain natural hairstyles. MS. MARTIN replied that in SB 174, page 1, lines 8-10, and page 2, lines 6-8, where types of natural styles are listed, the word "includes" is used. The meaning of "includes" in Alaska's Manual of Legislative Drafting is not limited to. All styles were not listed because all natural styles are included. The styles listed were just examples. 9:51:17 AM SENATOR BEGICH stated that AS 14.03.135 is public education code, so SB 174 would not apply to private schools. MS. MARTIN said that is correct. 9:51:55 AM SENATOR WILSON thanked the committee for hearing SB 174 because hair discrimination affects children from pre-K through adulthood. He stated the next committee of referral would address discriminatory hairstyle dress codes in the workplace, a practice he personally encountered. If SB 174 passes, people will no longer have to suffer in silence in the state of Alaska. 9:52:42 AM CHAIR HOLLAND held SB 174 in committee.