HR 5842 United States House · 117th Congress

Ending the Monopoly of Power Over Workplace Harassment through Education and Reporting Act

Summary
Ending the Monopoly of Power Over Workplace Harassment through Education and Reporting Act or the EMPOWER Act This bill makes it an unlawful labor practice for an employer to enter into, or attempt to enforce, a contract with an employee or job applicant that contains a nondisparagement or nondisclosure clause that covers workplace or sexual harassment, including retaliation for participating in a workplace harassment proceeding. The bill exempts certain settlement or separation agreements from such prohibition. The bill also requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to promulgate a regulation that requires any issuer of securities to submit a report for the most recent five-year period with respect to workplace and sexual harassment. The commission must provide for the development and dissemination of training programs and information regarding workplace and sexual harassment. The bill denies a tax deduction for amounts related to judgments and expenses in connection with litigation related to workplace or sexual harassment. It also excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received in connection with a claim or settlement related to workplace or sexual harassment, or other unlawful discrimination.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2021
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Nov 3, 2021 Last action Nov 3, 2021
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Nov 3, 2021
Committee
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform, and Financial Services, 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.
lower
Nov 3, 2021
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 98 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Lois Frankel
Lois Frankel
DDemocratic
FL
22
Co
Photo of Adriano Espaillat
Adriano Espaillat
DDemocratic
NY
13
Co
Photo of Al Lawson, Jr.
Al Lawson, Jr.
DDemocratic
FL
5
Co
Photo of Alan S. Lowenthal
Alan S. Lowenthal
DDemocratic
CA
47
Co
Photo of André Carson
André Carson
DDemocratic
IN
7
Co
Photo of Andy Levin
Andy Levin
DDemocratic
MI
9
Co
Photo of Ann Kirkpatrick
Ann Kirkpatrick
DDemocratic
AZ
2
Co
Photo of Ann M. Kuster
Ann M. Kuster
DDemocratic
NH
2
Co
Photo of Anthony G. Brown
Anthony G. Brown
DDemocratic
MD
4
Co
Photo of Antonio Delgado
Antonio Delgado
DDemocratic
NY
19
Co
Photo of Ayanna Pressley
Ayanna Pressley
DDemocratic
MA
7