Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act of 2025

119 HR 6172 IH: Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act of 2025 U.S. House of Representatives 2025-11-20 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6172 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 20, 2025 Mr. Bell (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Mr. Quigley , Ms. Tlaib , Mr. Castro of Texas , Ms. Norton , Mr. Cleaver , Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida , Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania , Mr. Doggett , Ms. Kelly of Illinois , Ms. Scanlon , Mr. Ivey , Mr. Davis of Illinois , Mrs. Watson Coleman , and Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 9, United States Code, with respect to arbitration of disputes involving race discrimination. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act of 2025 . 2. Predispute arbitration of disputes involving race discrimination (a) In general Title 9, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 5 Arbitration of disputes involving race discrimination Sec. 501. Definitions. 502. No validity or enforceability. 501. Definitions In this chapter: (1) Predispute arbitration agreement; predispute joint-action waiver The terms predispute arbitration agreement and predispute joint-action waiver have the meanings given the terms in section 401. (2) Race discrimination dispute The term race discrimination dispute means a dispute relating to conduct that is alleged to constitute discrimination (including harassment), or retaliation, on the basis of race, color, or national origin under applicable Federal, Tribal, State, or local law. 502. No validity or enforceability (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, at the election of the person alleging conduct constituting a race discrimination dispute, or the named representative of a class or in a collective action alleging such conduct, no predispute arbitration agreement or predispute joint-action waiver shall be valid or enforceable with respect to a case which is filed under Federal, Tribal, State, or local law and relates to the race discrimination dispute. (b) Determination of applicability An issue as to whether this chapter applies with respect to a dispute shall be determined under Federal law. The applicability of this chapter to an agreement to arbitrate and the validity and enforceability of an agreement to which this chapter applies shall be determined by a court, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement, and irrespective of whether the agreement purports to delegate such determinations to an arbitrator. . (b) Technical and conforming amendments (1) In general Title 9, United States Code is amended— (A) in section 2, by inserting or 5 before the period at the end; (B) in section 208, in the second sentence, by inserting or 5 before the period at the end; and (C) in section 307, in the second sentence, by inserting or 5 before the period at the end. (2) Table of chapters The table of chapters for title 9, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 5. Arbitration of disputes involving race discrimination 501. . 3. Applicability This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall apply with respect to any dispute or claim that arises or accrues on or after the date of enactment of this Act.