Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a United States government agency. It enforces laws that prohibit job discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. These laws include the Equal Pay Act of 1963; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Titles I and IV of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990; and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. The commission investigates complaints of job discrimination by public and private employers, labor unions, and employment agencies. If an investigation shows reasonable cause to believe that discrimination has occurred, the EEOC works to help negotiate a settlement. If negotiations fail, the EEOC may sue in federal court. The EEOC was set up under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and began operating in 1965. The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 broadened the EEOC's powers.