Federal Laws and Regulations
We are committed to promoting a fair and accessible campus environment for the Emory University community through collaboration with our university partners.
The Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance ensures Emory University's compliance with Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action, Title IX, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act federal regulations. DECRC also monitors and executes the university's Equal Opportunity Policy.
| Law or Regulation | Description |
|---|---|
| Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 | The ADEA prohibits discrimination on the basis of age against applicants and employees who are forty years of age and older. |
| Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 | This law was enacted for the purpose of eliminating discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 expanded the definition of disability to include, among other things, additional major life activities (including major bodily functions) and episodic impairments. |
| Civil Rights Act of 1991 | This law was enacted to provide for jury trials in Title VII cases and to expand the remedies available to plaintiffs under the civil rights laws by providing for compensatory and punitive damages, with statutory caps, under Title VII, the ADA, and the Rehabilitation Act. |
| Equal Pay Act of 1963 | This law, enacted as an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, proscribes sex-based wage discrimination in employment. |
| Executive Order (EO) 11246 of 1965 | Executive Order (EO) 11246 prohibits discrimination by federal contractors on the basis of race, color, national origin, or religion. Subsequent EOs added handicap and age (1969), and sexual orientation (1998) to the definition of discrimination. |
| Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 | This law entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for medical reasons, for the birth or adoption of a child, and for the care of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition. |
| Final Rule for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities of 2013 (effective 2014) | This law was implemented with regard to recruiting qualified veterans and individuals with disabilities. Rule changes include hiring benchmarks, utilization goals, data collection, records access, self-identification process, equal opportunity language in contracts, job listing specifications, and changes required by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. |
| Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 | This law prohibits discrimination by employers and insurers on the basis of genetic information about potentially inheritable diseases and health conditions. |
| Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 | This law prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of national origin and citizenship. |
| Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 | Title VI prohibits discrimination in any program or activity and against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, and national origin. |
| Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 | Title VII prohibits discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, and national origin. The 1978 amendment provides that discrimination because of pregnancy is sex discrimination. |
| Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 | This law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities and extends coverage to employment and admission to institutions receiving federal financial assistance. |
| Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 | This law requires taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment specified categories of veterans protected by the Act and prohibits discrimination against such veterans. VEVRAA requires employment openings be listed with the appropriate employment service delivery system and that covered veterans receive priority in referral to such openings. |
| Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 | This law ensures that persons who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard, or other uniformed services are not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their service, are promptly reemployed in their civilian jobs upon their return from duty, and are not discriminated against in employment based on past, present, or future military service. |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 | This law protects people from discrimination in admission, employment, treatment, or access based on disability in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. |