Legal Definitions - Commission on Civil Rights

The Commission on Civil Rights is an agency that collects information about discriminationbased on various factors such as race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. It also gathers information about the denial of equal protection of the laws in areas such as voting, education, employment, and housing.

The agency was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and is also known as the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Although it has no enforcement power, it makes findings and recommendations to Congress.

For example, if the Commission on Civil Rights finds that a particular company is discriminating against employees based on their race, it may recommend that Congress take action to address the issue. Similarly, if the agency finds that a state is denying certain groups of people the right to vote, it may recommend changes to voting laws.