Teacher:In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Teacher: Now, understand the problem? Solve this instance: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Civil Rights Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the fifth and fourteenth amendments to the Constitution
guarantee that all individuals are entitled to equal protection
of the laws, regardless of race, color, national origin, or
sex;
(2) the Supreme Court, in Adarand Constructors, Inc. v.
Pena, 515 U.S. 200 (1995), recently affirmed that this
guarantee of equality applies to Federal actions;
(3) the Federal Government currently conducts over 150
programs, including contracting programs, that grant
preferences based on race, color, national origin, or sex; and
(4) the Federal Government also grants preferences in
employment based on race, color, national origin, or sex.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide for equal
protection of the laws and to prohibit discrimination and preferential
treatment in the Federal Government on the basis of race, color,
national origin, or sex.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the Federal
Government nor any officer, employee, or agent of the Federal
Government shall--
(1) intentionally discriminate against, or grant a
preference to, any person or group based in whole or in part on
race, color, national origin, or sex, in connection with--
(A) a Federal contract or subcontract;
(B) Federal employment; or
(C) any other federally conducted program or
activity; or
(2) require or encourage a Federal contractor or
subcontractor, or the recipient of a license or financial
assistance, to discriminate intentionally against, or grant a
preference to, any person or group based in whole or in part on
race, color, national origin, or sex, in connection with any
Federal contract or subcontract or Federal license or financial
assistance.

SEC. 4. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PERMITTED.

This Act does not prohibit or limit any effort by the Federal
Government or any officer, employee, or agent of the Federal
Government--
(1) to encourage businesses owned by women and minorities
to bid for Federal contracts or subcontracts, to recruit
qualified women and minorities into an applicant pool for
Federal employment, or to encourage participation by qualified
women and minorities in any other federally conducted program
or activity, if such recruitment or encouragement does not
involve granting a preference, based in whole or in part on
race, color, national origin, or sex, in selecting any person
for the relevant employment, contract or subcontract, benefit,
opportunity, or program; or
(2) to require or encourage any Federal contractor,
subcontractor, or recipient of a Federal license or Federal
financial assistance to recruit qualified women and minorities
into an applicant pool for employment, or to encourage
businesses owned by women and minorities to bid for Federal
contracts or subcontracts, if such requirement or encouragement
does not involve granting a preference, based in whole or in
part on race, color, national origin, or sex, in selecting any
individual for the relevant employment, contract or
subcontract, benefit, opportunity, or program.

SEC. 5. CONSTRUCTION.

(a) Historically Black Colleges and Universities.--Nothing in this
Act shall be construed to prohibit or limit any act that is designed to
benefit an institution that is an historically Black college or
university on the basis that the institution is an historically Black
college or university.
(b) Indian Tribes.--This Act does not prohibit any action taken--
(1) pursuant to a law enacted under the constitutional
powers of Congress relating to the Indian tribes; or
(2) under a treaty between an Indian tribe and the United
States.
(c) Certain Sex-Based Classifications.--This Act does not prohibit
or limit any classification based on sex if--
(1) the classification is applied with respect to
employment and the classification would be exempt from the
prohibitions of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by
reason of section 703(e)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 2000e-
2(e)(1)); or
(2) the classification is applied with respect to a member
of the Armed Forces pursuant to statute, direction of the
President or Secretary of Defense, or Department of Defense
policy.
(d) Immigration and Nationality Laws.--This Act does not affect any
law governing immigration or nationality, or the administration of any
such law.

SEC. 6. COMPLIANCE REVIEW OF POLICIES AND REGULATIONS.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
head of each department or agency of the Federal Government, in
consultation with the Attorney General, shall review all existing
policies and regulations that such department or agency head is charged
with administering, modify such policies and regulations to conform to
the requirements of this Act, and report to the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the
Judiciary of the Senate the results of the review and any modifications
to the policies and regulations.

SEC. 7. REMEDIES.

(a) In General.--Any person aggrieved by a violation of section 3
may, in a civil action, obtain appropriate relief (which may include
back pay). A prevailing plaintiff in a civil action under this section
shall be awarded a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the costs.
(b) Construction.--This section does not affect any remedy
available under any other law.

SEC. 8. EFFECT ON PENDING MATTERS.

(a) Pending Cases.--This Act does not affect any case pending on
the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Pending Contracts and Subcontracts.--This Act does not affect
any contract or subcontract in effect on the date of enactment of this
Act, including any option exercised under such contract or subcontract
before or after such date of enactment.

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) Federal government.--The term ''Federal Government''
means executive and legislative branches of the Government of
the United States.
(2) Preference.--The term ''preference'' means an advantage
of any kind, and includes a quota, set-aside, numerical goal,
timetable, or other numerical objective.
(3) Historically black college or university.--The term
''historically Black college or university'' means a part B
institution, as defined in section 322(2) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)).
Student:
Civil Rights Act of 1997 - Prohibits discrimination or preferences in Federal employment and contracting and other Federal programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex. Prohibits requiring or encouraging any Federal contractor or subcontractor to so discriminate or grant a preference.
Declares that this Act does not prohibit or limit encouraging contract bidding, recruiting employees, encouraging participation in other programs or activities or requiring or encouraging Federal contractors, subcontractors, or recipients of Federal licenses or financial assistance to so recruit or encourage, if the recruiting or encouraging does not involve granting a preference. Prohibits construing this Act to prohibit or limit: (1) any act designed to benefit historically Black colleges or universities; or (2) any action under a Federal law or treaty relating to the Indian tribes. Declares that this Act does not prohibit or limit employment classifications based on sex if sex is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to normal operation or the classification is applied regarding an armed forces member.
Allows any aggrieved person to obtain, in a civil action, appropriate relief (including back pay). Requires awarding a prevailing plaintiff attorney's fees as part of the costs.