PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 963, FORCED ARBITRATION INJUSTICE REPEAL ACT OF 2022, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2116, CREATING A RESPECTFUL AND OPEN WORLD FOR NATURAL HAIR ACT OF...
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-3-16

. Madam , the Rules Committee met on and reported a rule, House Resolution 979, providing for consideration of H.R. 963, the FAIR Act, under a structured rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary. It makes in order one amendment and provides one motion to recommit. prgtoken The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 2116, the CROWN Act, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary and provides one motion to recommit. prgtoken Madam , the bills we discuss today have to do with fundamental American values. prgtoken The first bill under this rule, the FAIR Act, simply restores the right of individuals to have their day in court. prgtoken It prevents the use of forced arbitration clauses in consumer and employment contracts. prgtoken Most likely, all of us have signed a contract with a forced arbitration clause, and many may not even know it. How many Americans have read their cell phone contract? How many have read their credit card contract? prgtoken Too many consumer contracts are written to protect the pockets of corporations, leaving consumers at the mercy of a system created by, paid by, and focused on minimizing liabilities of corporate companies. prgtoken These documents are dozens of pages long, and most contain clauses that require arbitration in case of a legal dispute and prevent the consumer from going to court as an alternative. There is no negotiation or choice. prgtoken Ask yourselves, if you saw something that you objected to in a contract for your cell phone, what option do you have to change it? The answer is no choice at all. prgtoken That is why this is called forced arbitration, and these requirements game the system in favor of one party, large corporations. If there is a dispute, corporations get to pick the location of arbitration, and in many cases, it is out of State; pick the arbitrator; and pay for them. Yes, the impartial arbitrator, who depends on corporate contractors, is paid for by the corporation. And corporations get to shield the results from the public. Imagine that. prgtoken The FAIR Act stops this harmful and abusive behavior. It bans forced arbitration clauses in employment, civil rights, and consumer disputes. prgtoken Congress just passed legislation that changed this process for disputes involving sexual harassment. However, there are tens of millions of Americans who are still affected by forced arbitration in other contexts, and this legislation provides those same protections to them as well. prgtoken Ensuring fairness under the law is at the center of the second bill being considered under this rule, the CROWN Act. This bill would ensure that discrimination based on race is not masked as discrimination about hairstyles. prgtoken This is legislation that we passed by a voice vo