IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 676 
Recognizing and honoring the 40th anniversary of congressional passage of 
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 15, 2004 
Ms. NORTON
(for herself, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 
CUMMINGS, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. MAJETTE, Mr. MEEK of Florida, 
Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. OWENS, Mr. 
PAYNE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SCOTT of 
Virginia, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. WATERS, Ms. 
WATSON, Mr. WATT, Mr. WYNN, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. CORRINE 
BROWN of Florida, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. 
CLAY, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 
FATTAH, Mr. FORD, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, 
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JEFFERSON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE 
JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. KILPATRICK, and Ms. LEE) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing and honoring the 40th anniversary of 
congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
Whereas 2004 marks the 40th anniversary of congressional 
passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88– 
352);
•HRES 676 IH 
Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the result of dec-
ades of struggle and sacrifice of many Americans who 
fought for equality and justice; 
Whereas generations of Americans of every background sup-
ported Federal legislation to eliminate discrimination 
against African Americans; 
Whereas a civil rights movement developed to achieve the 
goal of equal rights for all Americans; 
Whereas President John F. Kennedy on June 11, 1963, in 
a nationally televised address proposed that Congress 
pass a civil rights act to address the problem of invidious 
discrimination; 
Whereas a broad coalition of civil rights, labor, and religious 
organizations, culminating in the 1963 march on Wash-
ington, created national support for civil rights legisla-
tion; 
Whereas during consideration of the bill a historic prohibition 
against discrimination based on sex was added; 
Whereas the Congress of the United States passed the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964, and President Lyndon Johnson 
signed the bill into law on July 2, 1964; 
Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1964, among other things, 
prohibited the use of Federal funds in a discriminatory 
fashion, barred unequal application of voter registration 
requirements, encouraged the desegregation of public 
schools and authorized the United States Attorney Gen-
eral to file suits to force desegregation, banned discrimi-
nation in hotels, motels, restaurants, theaters, and all 
other places of public accommodations engaged in inter-
state commerce, and established the Equal Employment 
Opportunity Commission;
•HRES 676 IH 
Whereas title VII of the Act not only prohibited discrimina-
tion by employers on the basis of race, color, national ori-
gin, and religion but sex as well, thereby recognizing the 
national problem of sex discrimination in the workplace; 
Whereas the Congress of the United States has amended the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 from time to time, with major 
changes that strengthened the Act; 
Whereas the 1972 amendments, among other things, gave the 
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission litigation 
authority, thereby giving the EEOC the right to sue non-
government respondents, made State and local govern-
ments subject to title VII of the Act, made educational 
institutions subject to title VII of the Act, and made the 
Federal Government subject to title VII, thereby prohib-
iting Federal executive agencies from discriminating on 
the basis of race, color, sex, religion, and national origin; 
Whereas the 1991 amendments to the Civil Rights Act over-
ruled several Supreme Court decisions rendered in the 
late 1980s and allowed for the recovery of fees and costs 
in lawsuits where plaintiff prevailed, for jury trials, and 
for the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages 
in intentional employment discrimination cases, and also 
expanded title VII protections to include congressional 
and high level political appointees; 
Whereas the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the most comprehen-
sive civil rights legislation in our Nation’s history; and 
Whereas we applaud all those whose support and efforts lead 
to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
•HRES 676 IH 
(1) recognizes and honors the 40th anniversary 
of congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964; and 
(2) encourages all Americans to recognize and 
celebrate the important historical milestone of the 
congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964. 
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