The authority under which the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) directs the Department's EEO activities comes from a variety of legal sources, such as statutes and regulations passed by Congress, Executive Orders signed by the President, and policies issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Statutes

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: race, color, religion, national origin, or sex (including pregnancy)
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967: age
• Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008: disability
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973: disability
• Equal Pay Act of 1963: wage differences related to sex
• Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: genetic information

(All statutes also ban reprisal based on participation in or opposition to covered EEO activity.)

Regulations

• 29 C.F.R. § 1614

Executive Orders

• Executive Order 13087, amending Executive Order 11478: sexual orientation
• Executive Order 13152, amending Executive Order 11478: parental status

DHS Anti-Discrimination Policy

• Anti-Discrimination Policy Statement
• Memo by Secretary Janet Napolitano to all DHS re Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Anti-Discrimination Information Sheet on Rights, Responsibilities, and Remedies