Texas Civil Rights Laws

The rights of individuals to receive equal treatment including freedom from discrimination in a number of settings (employment, housing, etc.) are collectively called”civil rights.”

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| Last reviewed June 20, 2016

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The vast majority of civil rights laws originate at the federal level, most notably the broad protections outlined in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But states, including Texas, also protect the civil rights of their residents.

Some of the main provisions of Texas civil rights laws are listed in the table below. See FindLaw’s Civil Rights section for more articles and resources.

Code Section	Hum. Res. §121.001, et seq. (Disabled); Lab. §21.001, et seq. (Employment); Prop. §301.001, et seq. (Housing)
Agency	Hum.: None; Lab., Prop.: Human Rights Commission
Administrative Preemption	No
Private Action Permitted?	Yes
Attorney Fees Recoverable by Plaintiff?	No
Statute of Limitations	Hum.:Not specified; Lab.: 180 days/agency, 2 yrs./private action; Prop: 1 yr./agency, 2 yrs./private

Note: State laws are constantly changing — contact a Texas civil rights attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.

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