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The House and Senate Judiciary Committees conduct hearings and introduce legislation on a variety of topics, including Civil Rights and Liberties and Minority Issues. Below are a selection of transcripts from hearings conducted by the House and/or Senate Subcommittees on the Judiciary that touch upon issues of race and civil liberties. Find additional hearing transcripts from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on the Judiciary on GovInfo.gov.
Examining Civil Rights Litigation Reform, Part 1: Qualified Immunity (2022)
In this hearing, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties considered the impact of the qualified immunity doctrine in civil rights litigation.
Examining Civil Rights Litigation Reform, Part 2: State and Local Government Employer Liability (2022)
In this hearing, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties considered State and local government liability for the actions of their employees in light of the public’s “recent demands for racial justice and police accountability.”
Discrimination and the Civil Rights of Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American Communities (2022)
In this hearing, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties considered the pervasive discrimination facing the Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American communities.
The Rise in Violence Against Minority Institutions (2022)
In this hearing, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties considered the rise in violence against minority institutions as part of its broader inquiry into the rise of domestic terrorism.
Oversight of the Voting Rights Act: A Continuing Record of Discrimination (2021)
In this hearing, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties considered recent instances of race-based and discriminatory voter suppression.
Oversight of the Voting Rights Act: Potential Legislative Reforms (2021)
In this hearing, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties explored legislative solutions to the worsening problem of voting discrimination against citizens based on race, color, or language minority status.
The State of Civil and Human Rights in the United States (2014)
Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate.
"Stand Your Ground" Laws: Civil Rights and Public Safety Implications of the Expanded Use of Deadly Force (2013)
2013 Hearing before the Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate.
Ending Racial Profiling in America (2012)
This was a 2012 Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate.
The United States Civil Rights Commission is an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding federal agency, whose mission is to inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil rights laws. Below are several recent reports of the agency that address race and racial disparities. You may find additional reports on the Commission's website.
The Federal Response to Anti-Asian Racism in the United States (2023)
This report examines three main areas: 1) national trends and data regarding the rise of hate incidents and hate crimes against members of Asian communities; 2) local and state law enforcement’s prevention and reporting practices regarding hate crimes; and 3) federal efforts and policies that encourage greater participation in reporting hate crime incidents, as well as prosecution and enforcement efforts to prevent hate crimes.
Civil Rights and Protections During the Federal Response to Hurricanes Harvey and Maria (2022)
This report examines the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster response and compliance with federal civil rights laws and policies in Texas and Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Harvey and María. It examines factors such as barriers to providing aid, FEMA’s coordinating role in disaster recovery efforts including local factors impacting damage assessments and delivering resources, and efforts by federal agencies to comply with the Stafford Act and other civil rights obligations.
Contemporary Civil Rights Challenges (2022)
This report examines the work of the Commission’s 56 Advisory Committees, capturing data on persistent civil rights issues; identifying emerging ones; and capturing how perspectives differ cross the United States.
The Civil Rights Implications of Cash Bail (2022)
This report examines current approaches to reforming the pre-trial and bail systems in the U.S. criminal justice system.
Racial Disparities in Maternal Health (2021)
This report examines the federal role in addressing racial disparities in maternal health, including negative pregnancy-related health outcomes and pregnancy-related deaths of women in the United States.
Examining the Race Effects of Stand Your Ground Laws (2020)
This report examines whether there is a possible racial bias in the assertion, investigation, or enforcement of justifiable homicide laws in states with Stand Your Ground provisions.
Are Rights a Reality? Evaluating Federal Civil Rights Enforcement (2019)
For this report, the Commission examines thirteen different federal agencies, seeking to evaluate each on the efficacy of the agency’s external federal civil rights enforcement efforts from Fiscal Year 2016 to Fiscal Year 2018.
In the Name of Hate: Examining the Federal Government's Role in Responding to Hate Crimes (2019)
In this report, the Commission examined three areas: (1) federal law enforcement’s hate crimes reporting practices and local policies being developed to encourage greater reporting; (2) federal prosecution and enforcement of laws regarding hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents; and (3) prevention of federal crimes based on race, national origin, ethnicity, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
An Assessment of Minority Voting Rights Access in the United States (2018)
In this report, the Commission assessed minority voter access around the country, and evaluated the Department of Justice’s enforcement of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) since 2006.
Police Use of Force: An Examination of Modern Policing Practices (2018)
In this report, the Commission investigated rates of police use of force; whether rates and instantiations of that use of force violate civil rights of persons of color, persons with disabilities, LGBT communities, and low-income persons; promising or proven policies and practices worth replicating to minimize unnecessary use of force; and the perception and reality of discrimination in police use of force.
Targeted Fines and Fees Against Communities of Color (2017)
This report examines (1) the reality – and real harm – of cities imposing fines and fees on residents to raise city funds rather than to secure legal compliance and increase public safety and (2) the U.S. Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to encourage constitutional practices and hold jurisdictions accountable for constitutional violations stemming from the way these jurisdictions impose fines and fees.
Dialogue on Race Program Guide
This guide published by the U.S. Justice Department provides tips and tricks for conducting dialogues about race.
Equitable Algorithms: How Human-Centered AI Can Address Systemic Racism and Racial Justice in Housing and Financial Services (House Financial Services Committee, 2020)
This is a recording of a virtual hearing held before the House Committee of Financial Services' Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.