BE HEARD in the Workplace Act

Bill: 116-hr-2148
Sponsor: Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5]
Introduced: 2019-04-09 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Age discrimination
Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Assault and harassment offenses
Census and government statistics
Civil actions and liability
Congressional agencies
Congressional officers and employees
Congressional oversight
Contracts and agency
Disability and health-based discrimination
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Evidence and witnesses
Executive agency funding and structure
Genetics
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government studies and investigations
Indian social and development programs
Labor-management relations
Lawyers and legal services
Library of Congress
Public contracts and procurement
Racial and ethnic relations
Religion
Self-employed
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
State and local government operations
User charges and fees
Women's employment

Summary:
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: 

Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination in the Workplace Act or the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act

 
This bill sets forth provisions to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace and raises the minimum wage for tipped employees.
 
Specifically, the bill (1) makes it an unlawful employment practice to discriminate against an individual in the workplace based on sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype; (2) prohibits employers from entering into contracts or agreements with workers that contain certain nondisparagement or nondisclosure clauses; (3) prohibits predispute arbitration agreements and postdispute agreements with certain exceptions, and (4) establishes grant programs to prevent and respond to workplace discrimination and harassment, provide legal assistance for low-income workers related to employment discrimination, and establish a system of legal advocacy in states to protect the rights of workers.
 
Additionally, the bill, among other things
 
 
 requires employers who have 15 or more employees to adopt a comprehensive nondiscrimination policy; 
 
 requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to provide specified training and resource materials, establish and convene a harassment prevention task force, and establish an Office of Education and Outreach with regard to prohibited discrimination and harassment in employment; 
 
requires specified studies, reports, and research on prohibited harassment in employment; and
 
 grants employees the right to retain their tips.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-05-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
action_date: 2019-04-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-04-09
text: Introduced in House