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Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021

Public Law 117-90 · H.R. 4445 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Mar 3, 2022 · Law

Sponsor: Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17)

Cosponsors (25): Rep. Morgan Griffith,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 335 yea, 97 nay335–97
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This bill invalidates arbitration agreements that preclude a party from filing a lawsuit in court involving sexual assault or sexual harassment, at the election of the party alleging such conduct.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 335 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

335 yea97 nay2 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(222)

Republicans who voted yea(113)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 480 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.Res. 900Procedurally-relatedRelated bill

    Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3485) to impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of internationally recognized human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and int…

  • S. 2342Identical billRelated bill

    Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.

  1. Mar 3, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-90.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Mar 2, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Feb 10, 2022FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Feb 8, 2022CalendarCalendar · Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 264.
  7. Feb 7, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 335 - 97 (Roll no. 33).House roll call 33
  9. FloorFloor · UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of agreeing to the Buck amendment, which was debated earlier an on which further proceedings had been postponed.
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · Pursuant to clause 1(c) of rule XIX, further proceedings on H.R. 4445 were postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Buck amendment, the Chair put the question on agreeing to the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Jordan demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a …
  13. FloorFloor · DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 900, the House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Buck amendment.
  14. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House continued with debate on H.R. 4445.
  15. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4445.
  16. FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3485, H.R. 4445 and H.R. 4521. The rule provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 3485 and H.R. 4445. The rule provides for two hours of general debate on H.R. 4521. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit for all three bi…
  17. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 900.
  18. Feb 2, 2022FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 900 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3485, H.R. 4445 and H.R. 4521. The rule provides for one hour of general debate on H.R. 3485 and H.R. 4445. The rule provides for two hours of general debate on H.R. 4521. The resol…
  19. Jan 28, 2022CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 169.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 117-234.
  21. Nov 17, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 27 - 14.
  22. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  23. Jul 16, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  24. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • H.Amdt. 171HouseRep. Ken BuckR-CO-4· offered Feb 7, 2022Agreed to

    Amendment clarifies that, for the purposes of the bill, sexual harassment dispute is defined as a dispute relating to conduct that allegedly constitutes sexual harassment under applicable Federal, Tribal, or State sexual harassment laws.

    Feb 7, 2022: On agreeing to the Buck amendment (A002) Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 427 - 0 (Roll no. 32).

    Agreed to

  • H.Amdt. 170HouseRules Committee· offered Feb 7, 2022Agreed to

    Feb 7, 2022: On agreeing to the Rules amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.