III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 511 

Establishing best business practices to fully utilize the potential of the United 

States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 22, 2014 

Mr. SCOTT (for himself, Mr. PAUL, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. 

PRYOR, and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Establishing best business practices to fully utilize the 

potential of the United States. 

Whereas the Rooney Rule, formulated by Daniel Rooney, 

chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the 

National Football League (referred to in this preamble as 

‘‘NFL’’), requires every NFL team with a coach or general manager opening to interview at least 1 minority 

candidate; 

Whereas the Rooney Rule has been successful in increasing 

minority representation among the higher leadership positions in professional football, as shown by the fact that 

in the 80 years between the hiring of Fritz Pollard as 

coach by the Akron Pros and the implementation of the 

Rooney Rule in 2003 there were only 7 minority head 


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2 

•SRES 511 IS 

coaches but since 2003 there have been 13 minority head 

coaches; 

Whereas the Rooney Rule has shown that once highly qualified and highly skilled diversity candidates are given exposure during the hiring process their abilities can be 

better utilized; 

Whereas the RLJ Rule, formulated by Robert L. Johnson, 

founder of Black Entertainment Television (commonly 

known as ‘‘BET’’) and of The RLJ Companies, and 

based on the Rooney Rule from the NFL, similarly encourages companies to voluntarily establish a best practices policy to identify minority candidates and minority 

vendors by implementing a plan to interview a minimum 

of 2 qualified minority candidates for managerial openings at the director level and above and to interview at 

least 2 qualified minority businesses before approving a 

vendor contract; 

Whereas, according to Crist-Kolder Associates as cited in the 

Wall Street Journal, at the top 668 companies in the 

United States, only 27 Chief Financial Officers are African-American, Hispanic, or of Asian descent; 

Whereas underrepresented groups contain members with the 

necessary abilities, experience, and qualifications for any 

position available; 

Whereas business practices such as the Rooney Rule or the 

RLJ Rule are neither an employment quota nor Federal 

law but rather a voluntary initiative instituted by willing 

entities to provide the human resources necessary to ensure success; 

Whereas experience has shown that people of all genders, colors, and physical abilities can achieve excellence; 


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•SRES 511 IS 

Whereas increased involvement of underrepresented workers 

would improve the economy of the United States and the 

experience of the people of the United States; and 

Whereas ensuring the increased exposure and resulting increased advancement of diverse qualified candidates 

would result in gains by all people of the United States 

through stronger economic opportunities: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate encourages corporate, aca2 demic, and social entities, regardless of size or field of op3 eration, to— 

4 (1) develop an internal rule modeled after a 

5 successful business practice such as the Rooney Rule 

6 or RLJ Rule and, in accordance with title VII of the 

7 Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), 

8 adapt that rule to specifications that will best fit the 

9 procedures of the individual entity; and 

10 (2) institute the individualized Rooney Rule or 

11 RLJ Rule to ensure that the entity will always con12 sider candidates from underrepresented populations 

13 before making a final decision when searching for a 

14 business vendor or filling leadership position. 

Æ 


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