Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will join President Biden at the White House for the signing of her bipartisan Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, legislation that will prevent perpetrators from being able to push survivors of sexual harassment and sexual assault into the secretive, biased process of forced arbitration. The bill will invalidate existing forced arbitration clauses that prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment survivors from seeking justice and public accountability under the laws meant to protect them.
The bill passed the Senate—unanimously—on February 10, 2022. Senator Gillibrand first introduced the bill in 2017 and reintroduced it last year alongside her Senate co-lead, Senator Lindsey Graham, and House lead Representative Cheri Bustos. They were joined by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson.
“The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act represents one of the most significant workplace reforms in American history and I am so proud to see President Biden sign our bill into law today,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This law will void the forced arbitration provisions for sexual assault and sexual harassment cases in the contracts of more than 60 million Americans, giving survivors a real chance at justice. The arbitration process has not only allowed corporations to hide sexual harassment and sexual assault cases in this secretive and often biased process, but it has also shielded those who have committed serious misconduct from the public eye. Today, we are entering a new era of accountability and delivering real change for survivors and for working people across the country.”
The White House signing is slated to occur today, March 3, 2022, from 5:00pm-6:00pm.