Sponsors (22)
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Introduced February 13, 2026 by Ayanna Pressley · Last progress February 13, 2026
Creates broad new workplace protections and enforcement tools: it expands who is covered by federal employment nondiscrimination and anti‑harassment laws (including explicit coverage for sexual orientation and gender identity), lowers employer-size thresholds, defines workplace harassment as unlawful across many statutes, and extends key protections to independent contractors, interns, volunteers, and applicants. The bill also bans mandatory nondisclosure and mandatory-arbitration/class-waiver clauses for harassment/discrimination claims, strengthens employer liability and training/reporting requirements, changes certain statute-of-limitations and remedies rules, phases up the tipped cash wage, requires federal procurement and contractor compliance improvements, and establishes multiple grant programs and research/education initiatives to prevent and respond to workplace discrimination and harassment.
The bill substantially expands workplace nondiscrimination protections and enforcement for nearly all workers and strengthens remedies and prevention efforts, but does so at the cost of higher compliance and litigation exposure for employers (especially small businesses), increased federal and state implementation costs, and some new legal uncertainties.
Nearly all workers — employees, independent contractors, interns, volunteers, applicants, and vulnerable groups (LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, older workers) — gain explicit, federal nondiscrimination and anti‑harassment protections because 'sex' is defined to include sexual orientation and gender identity and Title VII coverage is lowered to 1 employee.
Employees and claimants nationwide gain stronger enforcement tools and remedies — motivating‑factor standard, ability to recover compensatory (and punitive where authorized) awards for nonpecuniary harms, longer filing windows, declaratory/injunctive relief, and clearer enforcement authority against nondisclosure clauses — improving victims' ability to obtain redress.
Workers at firms with 15+ employees get required comprehensive nondiscrimination and anti‑harassment policies plus mandated interactive employee and supervisor training, while small employers receive model policies and trainings tailored to limited resources — raising workplace prevention and clarity about prohibited conduct and reporting.
Small businesses and sole proprietors face substantial increased compliance costs and administrative burdens (creating, posting, translating, training, conducting climate surveys, responding to investigations) that could affect viability, hiring, and prices.
Employers face much greater litigation exposure and potential higher damage awards — due to lowered coverage thresholds, recoverable nonpecuniary/punitive damages, restrictions on NDAs/arbitration, and longer filing windows — raising legal and insurance costs that may be passed to consumers, workers, or taxpayers.
Taxpayers will likely fund increased federal spending because multiple provisions authorize open‑ended appropriations ('such sums as may be necessary') for surveys, reports, grants, staffing, and legal aid without fixed caps.