Which legislation extended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to cover public employers and educational institutions?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 is significant because it amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, explicitly extending its reach to include public employers and educational institutions. This legislation was crucial in ensuring that state and local governments, as well as educational entities, were subject to the same anti-discrimination laws that applied to private employers. By broadening the scope of Title VII, the Act aimed to eliminate employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin for a wider range of employers, promoting equality and fairness in the workplace across various sectors.

The other options, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, address different areas of employment law and do not pertain to the expansion of Title VII. The Family and Medical Leave Act deals with family leave rights, the Occupational Safety and Health Act focuses on workplace safety, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act pertains to health care privacy. Hence, while all are important pieces of legislation, they do not address the coverage of public employers and educational institutions under Title VII like the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 does.