Forced Arbitration Ban in Sexual Assault, Harassment Cases Is Ready for a Floor Vote in Both Chambers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote today to pass out of committee H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021. The markup follows a Tuesday hearing in which survivors of sexual harassment and sexual assault detailed how forced arbitration insulates perpetrators and employers from accountability. Remington A. Gregg, counsel for civil justice and consumer rights at Public Citizen, released the following statement:
“The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee already passed this bill out of committee. Following today’s action by House Judiciary, the bill is ready for a floor vote in both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support. We urge Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Schumer to quickly bring this bill up for a vote.
“Forced arbitration is bad across the board, but particularly pernicious when it is used to protect sexual assaulters and the companies that employ them. Corporate apologists for arbitration are wrong that it is an alternative venue to obtain justice. In practice, it insulates bad actors and their employers from transparency and accountability.”