HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
Austin City Code § 2-1-148
in effect§ 2-1-148 - HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
(A) The Human Rights Commission should be composed of members who as nearly as possible are representative of the several social, economic, religious, cultural, ethnic, and racial groups which comprise the population of the City.
(B) The commission shall:
(1) advise and consult with the city council on all matters involving racial, religious, or ethnic discrimination, and devise practices to promote equal opportunity;
(2) serve in an advisory and consultive capacity to all city departments, advisory boards, and regulatory agencies to assure effective compliance with non-discrimination policies and orders, and recommend to the city manager measures to improve the ability of various departments and agencies to ensure equal protection of any and all persons and groups against discrimination;
(3) recommend to the city council legislation to aid in programs designed to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and encourage community support for the legislation;
(4) aid in the formulation of local community groups in neighborhoods as needed to carry out specific programs;
(5) initiate and facilitate discussions and negotiations between individuals and groups to lessen tensions and improve understanding in the community;
(6) institute and conduct educational programs to promote equal treatment, opportunity and understanding, and sponsor meetings, institutes, forums, and courses of instruction to lead to a clearer understanding and solution of human relations problems;
(7) assist in training city employees to use methods of dealing with intergroup relations that result in respect for equal rights and equal treatment, and cooperate with law enforcement agencies whose primary jurisdiction is within the City to develop and include human rights courses in the curriculum of police training;
(8) conduct research, obtain factual data, and hold public hearings to ascertain the status and treatment of racial, religious, and ethnic groups in the city and the best means of progressively improving human relations;
(9) provide services and information to the city manager and heads of all city departments and agencies to achieve the purposes of this chapter; and
(10) cooperate with all city, state, county, federal, and other governmental agencies, as well as racial, religious, ethnic, nationality, educational, community, civic, fraternal, benevolent and other groups, associations, societies, and individuals with constructive talents and resources helpful in achieving mutual appreciation of the privileges and the responsibilities of citizenship in a land of freedom enriched by free commerce and full utilization of all human resources from all racial, religious, ethnic, and national groups.
Source: Ord. 20071129-011; Ord. 20110210-030; Ord. No. 20211202-030, Pt. 3, 12-13-21.
Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_CH2-1CIBO_ART2BO_S2-1-148HURICOFetched: 10/27/2026