WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) along with U.S. Representatives Wesley Bell (D-MO-01) and Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) introduced the Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act, legislation that gives workers and consumers the ability to take race discrimination claims to court rather than being pushed into private arbitration proceedings.

“This legislation will put an end to forced arbitration clauses and allow people who have been harassed or mistreated because of their race to have their day in court,” said Senator Booker. “No one who has faced discrimination because of their race should lose their right to seek justice simply because they were forced to sign an arbitration agreement. This is a long-overdue change in the law that will empower workers and others to fight back against mistreatment and achieve equality.”

“People who face racial discrimination deserve their day in court. They shouldn’t be pushed into a private process that was designed to protect corporations, not workers,” said Congressman Bell. “In St. Louis, we’ve lived with the consequences of systems that keep people from speaking out and seeking fair treatment. This bill does something simple by restoring a basic right that should never have been taken away.”

“Thanks to Congressional Democrats and President Biden, victims of sexual assault and harassment now have the right to sue their employer in a court of law, rather than being forced into the secretive and pro-employer arbitration process,” said Congressman Johnson. “It’s high time for Congress to give that same protection to those alleging racial discrimination. Since 2007, I have worked to eliminate the use of unfair pre-dispute arbitration clauses that force consumers, workers, and small businesses into the secretive, for-profit, and pro-corporate arbitration process where the deck is stacked against the little guy. Because everyone deserves the right to choose between court and arbitration, I am pleased to join Senator Booker and Congressman Bell on the Ending Forced Arbitration for Race Discrimination Act.”

“Forced arbitration is a secretive and rigged system that too often allows race discrimination to continue relentlessly. This legislation would restore the rights of Americans to seek justice and public accountability when corporations and individuals engage in illegal discrimination. We thank Senator Cory Booker, Representative Hank Johnson, and Representative Wesley Bell for their steadfast leadership on this issue,” said American Association for Justice CEO Linda Lipsen.

The Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act is endorsed by: American Association for Justice, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality Inc, Alliance for Justice, American Association for Justice, Americans for Financial Reform, Center for Economic Justice, Center for Justice & Democracy, Consumer Action, Consumer Watchdog, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, DC Consumer Rights Coalition, Impact Fund, Long Term Care Community Coalition, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Center for Law and Economic Justice, National Consumer Law Center, National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, National Employment Law Project, National Employment Lawyers Association, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Institute for Workers' Rights, National Urban League, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Oregon Consumer Justice, Public Citizen, Public Justice, Rise Economy, Texas Watch, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, The Sikh Coalition, Tzedek DC, and Virginia Citizens Consumer Council.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.