FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Feb. 27, 2018

 

Sexual harassment bills pass off House floor, head back to the Senate

 

OLYMPIA — Three bills related to combatting workplace sexual harassment passed off the House floor unanimously today.

“I have been working on addressing sexual harassment for quite some time, and passing this group of bills off the floor in the House today is great news for the women of Washington,“ said Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, sponsor of two of the three bills. “Right now, women are demanding a change, and it is incumbent that those with power listen. The fact that these bills were passed unanimously by both Democrats and Republicans in both chambers shows how seriously the Legislature is taking this issue.”

 

“In recent months, we have all been struck by the sheer volume and national discussion of prominent sexual harassment incidents across the country,” said Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, sponsor of Senate Bill 6068. “We have seen that powerful perpetrators and enablers on company boards and other entities have hidden behind non-disclosure agreements to prevent the truth about patterns of behavior from coming out. This bill will lead to more truth and justice for victims.”

 

Brief Summary:

  • Senate Bill 5996 prohibits an employer from requiring an employee, as a condition of employment, to sign a nondisclosure agreement that prevents the employee from disclosing sexual harassment or sexual assault.
  • Senate Bill 6471 calls for the development of model policies to create workplaces that are safe from sexual harassment.
  • Senate Bill 6068 sheds light on repeat sexual harassers by removing barriers to lawsuits created by non-disclosure agreements.

 

Having passed the Senate but having been amended in the House, all three bills must now go through the concurrence process before heading to the governor’s office to be signed into law.

 

###

 

For more information or interviews, Keiser: Bre Weider, (360) 786-7326

For more information or interviews, Frockt: Amelia Dickson, (360) 786-7535