Human Rights Commission, Washington State

The Washington State Human Rights Commission Division is a state government entity registered with the federal government since 2004 to receive federal contracts and grants in support of civil rights enforcement and fair housing initiatives. As a certified state agency, the Commission provides essential services to the federal government in investigating and enforcing discrimination laws, delivering civil rights training and education, and maintaining compliance infrastructure within the state of Washington. The organization serves as a critical partner to federal agencies in advancing equal employment opportunity and fair housing protections across the state.

Through federal contract awards, the Washington State Human Rights Commission Division has provided comprehensive services to enforce federal equal employment opportunity laws and anti-discrimination regulations. The Commission received two substantial Definitive Contracts from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): a $754,860 firm fixed price contract for FY 2022 (awarded October 1, 2021, with completion by September 30, 2024) and a $182,600 firm fixed price contract for FY 2025 (awarded October 1, 2024, with completion by September 30, 2025). Neither contract utilized set-aside designations. Through these EEOC-funded agreements, the Commission has undertaken employment discrimination complaint investigation and resolution, civil rights training and education delivery, EEOC compliance support, and collaborative programming with the EEOC in Washington State. The contracts represent the Commission's role as a Federal and State Pattern or Practice Agency (FEPA) working directly with the EEOC to enforce federal employment discrimination laws at the state level.

The Washington State Human Rights Commission Division has received substantial federal grant funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Housing Assistance Program (CFDA 14.401), administered by the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The Commission has been awarded eight separate grant or cooperative agreement awards under this program since 2021, demonstrating a sustained federal commitment to fair housing enforcement in Washington State. The most recent award, a $180,455.60 Formula Grant for FY 2026 (awarded October 1, 2025, with completion by September 30, 2026), supports housing discrimination investigation and enforcement, civil rights training and outreach, data system maintenance, and fair housing compliance infrastructure development. Previous years' awards were structured as Cooperative Agreements, including one with an extended completion date of June 30, 2028, indicating multi-year initiatives. Through these HUD-funded grants, the Commission processes housing discrimination complaints, delivers civil rights education to state residents and stakeholders, conducts fair housing outreach activities, and maintains systems supporting overall fair housing enforcement capacity within the state of Washington.