The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners announced today that it approved a resolution establishing the county’s first-ever Human Relations Commission (HRC).

The HRC is described as “a local body dedicated to ensuring that all residents receive the protections guaranteed under Pennsylvania law” and “will provide Montgomery County residents with a direct, local pathway to address complaints of discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on race, religion, age, sex, national origin, or disability status,” according to a press release.

The Board of Commissioners will appoint 5–7 county residents to serve on the HRC. Applications open next week and will be available on the County’s Boards & Commissions webpage.

“By creating the Montgomery County Human Relations Commission, we are making sure that our residents will not need to depend solely on a state-level process in Harrisburg or whether their municipality already has a local HRC,” said Neil K. Makhija, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “They will be able to turn to the Montgomery County HRC—made up of neighbors from their own communities—who will work to uphold the principles of fairness, dignity, and equal opportunity. This action is another way that Montgomery County is showing that, no matter where you live, no matter who you love, no matter what you look like, we believe that everyone belongs and deserves equal protection under the law.”

“We have been working on the establishment of this commission for a long time, and I’m proud to see it come to fruition,” said Jamila H. Winder, Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “This sends a clear message to our residents: discrimination has no place here, and if you face it, Montgomery County will stand with you. This Commission goes beyond compliance. It’s about dignity. It’s about ensuring that every resident, in every community across Montgomery County, has a fair chance to live, work, and raise a family.”