Bill Championed by Reps. Frankel, Buck Empowers Sexual Assault, Harassment Survivors to Share Their Stories

Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Lois Frankel (D-FL-21) and Ken Buck (R-CO-04), joined by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), House Judiciary Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI-01) and Subcommittee Vice Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), and Representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Cheri Bustos (D-IL-07), and Burgess Owens (R-UT-04) released the following statement after voting to pass the Speak Out Act.

This bipartisan legislation makes predispute nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) null and void in instances in which sexual harassment or sexual assault has been alleged in violation of Federal, State, or Tribal law. The bill’s passage comes on the heels of the fifth anniversary of the “Me Too” Movement, which brought to light countless stories of sexual misconduct in the workplace. The Speak Out Act, which passed through the Senate unanimously thanks to the leadership of Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), now goes to President Biden for his signature.

“The Speak Out Act will change the culture of the workplace making it healthier and more productive,” said the Members. “Today, one-in-three workers is subjected to NDAs that hide sexual misconduct in order to protect a business’s reputation. By making predispute NDAs null and void as they pertain to sexual abuse, we’re taking the gag off of survivors and pushing businesses to create safer work environments. We’re proud of the bipartisan support the Speak Out Act received in both chambers and look forward to President Biden signing this critical bill into 

Current federal law allows the use of predispute NDAs that force employees and consumers to unknowingly sign away their rights to come forward about an allegation of sexual harassment or assault. This practice silences survivors and perpetuates illegal conduct and abuse. The new law will not prohibit the use of voluntary NDAs in settlements

The bill passed the Senate unanimously on September 29^th. The House passed the Speak Out Act by a vote of 315-109, and now goes to President Biden for his signature. 

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