Proposed legislation in New York would void any contract provision in which an employer can force an employee to keep quiet about sexual harassment and discrimination claims.

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A pair of New York lawmakers are aiming to end the sort of confidentiality agreements that shield workplace sexual harassment and that have been cited in the ongoing Harvey Weinstein scandal. The new language to an existing bill, to be introduced on Friday, would void any contract provision where an employer can force an employee to keep quiet about sexual harassment and discrimination claims. It would include claims that are settled in arbitration, where nondisclosure agreements routinely keep the details of allegations secret.

Dimitrios Kambouris Harvey Weinstein attends the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman, who is cosponsoring the bill with Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, said the legislation was rewritten after sexual assault and harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein were published by the New York Times and the New Yorker. Several people contacted in those stories said they were prevented from speaking out because of nondisclosure agreements. "As we've seen in the Weinstein matter, these types of settlement agreements perpetuate harassment of other people for decades," said Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat who counts Weinstein among his constituents. Hoylman added that because of the secrecy surrounding confidentiality agreements, no one knows how extensive they are. "Employees who are in a position of very little agency, power, are being forced, it would appear, to sign away their rights," he said.

New York Senate / Via nysenate.gov , New York Assembly / Via nyassembly.gov