Equal Employment Opportunity is based on laws, regulations, and affirmative employment requirements. Below are the laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission prohibiting discrimination.

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits against exclusion from participation in, denial of benefits of, and discrimination under federally assisted programs on ground of race, color or national origin.
• Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination.
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older.
• Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibit employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments.
• Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities who work in the federal government.
• Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination.
• The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (The No Fear Act of 2002), requires Federal agencies be accountable for violations of antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws; agencies must also make employees aware of discrimination and whistleblower protection laws; require that each Federal agency post quarterly on its public Web site, certain statistical data relating to Federal sector equal employment opportunity complaints filed with such agency; and for other purposes. (Effective October 1, 2003) NOAA's NO FEAR Act EEO Complaint Data.