As Trump Abandons Workers, Senator Murray, Reps. Pressley, Garcia, & Strickland, Reintroduce BE HEARD Act to Protect Workers From Harassment and Abuse

The BE HEARD Act is comprehensive legislation to prevent workplace harassment, strengthen and expand key protections for workers, and support workers in seeking accountability and justice

ICYMI: Senator Murray Sounds Alarm Over Trump's EEOC Eliminating Anti-Harassment Guidance, Abandoning Robust Enforcement of Workplace Sexual Harassment

Senator Murray forcefully opposed Andrea Lucas's nomination and Trump's illegal firings of Commissioners Burrows & Samuels; In July hearing, Murray grilled Andrea Lucas on EEOC's shocking dismissal of discrimination cases under her tenure-MORE HERE

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act of 2026, alongside Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), who introduced the bill in the House. In response to Trump and Andrea Lucas, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), eliminating workplace anti-harassment guidance and attacking transgender workers for using the locker rooms, bathrooms, and private spaces, this bill takes critical steps to address workplace harassment, protects against discrimination based on gender identity and sexuality, and ensures workers can seek accountability and justice. These moves come at a time when the Trump administration has repeatedly shielded abusers including refusing to the release the Epstein files without an act of Congress. Murray first introduced the BE HEARD Act in 2019.

Earlier this year, Andrea Lucas and Trump's EEOC moved to rescind the EEOC's Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace-comprehensive anti-harassment guidance that was issued in April 2024, and was the EEOC's first update on harassment since 1999. The 2024 guidance made much-needed and long-overdue updates to better reflect Congress's intent, including addressing online harassment, and responding to the Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County recognizing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on gender orientation and sexual discrimination. Senator Murray applauded the updated guidance when it was issued under the Biden administration.

The BE HEARD Act includes key reforms including ending mandatory arbitration and pre-employment NDAs to help ensure transparency and expanding civil rights protections for workers-including independent contractors and interns, extending the time limit for reporting and challenging harassment, and ending the tipped minimum wage-a key reform to ensure workers don't have to endure harassment from customers because their wages depend on tips.

"The Trump administration has proven time and time again that they couldn't care less about workers, women, or victims of abuse-as they fired EEOC Commissioners, and got rid of important enforcement guidance to protect workers against harassment," said Senator Murray. "I'm proud to re-introduce the BE HEARD Act, because whoever you are or wherever you work-everyone deserves to be treated fairly, respectfully, and with dignity at their job. While Trump helps giant corporations sweep abuse and discrimination under the rug, I will continue to push for this important legislation to expand protections for workers to ensure they get accountability and justice. I will always stand with women, with workers, and for fairness. I will keep fighting to make sure people feel safe in their workplace and get the justice they deserve."

"Every worker should be safe and respected in their workplace, this shouldn't be controversial," said Rep. Pressley. "Under the Trump Administration, the EEOC is weakening protections and exposing workers to discrimination, harassment, and abuse at their jobs. The BE HEARD Act would take critical steps to confront workplace harassment and ensure workers can seek the accountability they deserve when their rights are violated."

"When the Trump administration guts enforcement, workers pay the price. No one should have to choose between a paycheck and their dignity," said Rep. Garcia. "The BE HEARD Act restores real accountability by ending the tricks that keep abuse in the dark, stopping retaliation from being the cost of speaking up, and making sure every worker has protections, no matter their job title or paycheck."

"Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with respect in their workplace," said Rep. Strickland. "This bill ensures that workers have the tools they need to address workplace harassment."

Andrea Lucas has served as a member of the EEOC since she was first nominated by President Trump in 2020 and was appointed as Chair in November after being confirmed to a second term on the Commission in July (Senator Murray forcefully opposed her confirmation). Earlier last year, Ms. Lucas served as Acting Chair after President Trump illegally fired EEOC Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels at the beginning of his term. Under Ms. Lucas, the EEOC has retreated from longstanding civil rights enforcement work, attacked law firms over their diversity efforts, and targeted the rights of trans workers in particular. At a HELP Committee hearing in July on Andrea Lucas's nomination, Senator Murray grilled Ms. Lucas on EEOC's shocking and indiscriminate dismissal of discrimination cases involving people based on their gender identity. Senator Murray has been a leading voice sounding the alarm on Trump's EEOC eliminating anti-harassment guidance and abandoning enforcement of workplace sexual harassment.

The BE HEARD Act will:

• Strengthen understanding of workplace harassment and help businesses prevent it: The BE HEARD Act invests in research about the economic impact of workplace harassment, requires regular reporting on the prevalence of workplace harassment, and ensures that workers have access to more information and training about what constitutes harassment and their rights if they are harassed.
• Help ensure transparency: The BE HEARD Act puts an end to mandatory arbitration and pre-employment non-disclosure agreements, which prevent workers from coming forward and holding perpetrators and businesses accountable.
• Broaden and expand civil rights protections to all workers: The BE HEARD Act builds on and strengthens existing civil rights laws by expanding protections for workers, while also safeguarding existing antidiscrimination laws and protections. It strengthens civil rights protections for all workers and makes clear that the Civil Rights Act protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the context of workplace discrimination. It also ensures that no matter where you work-and whether you are an independent contractor or an intern-your rights are protected.
• Empower workers who come forward with reports of harassment or retaliation to ensure they get support: The BE HEARD Act allows workers more time to report harassment, authorizes grants to support legal assistance for workers who have low incomes, invests in delivering more resources to the state level to help workers ensure their rights are protected, and lifts the cap on damages when workers pursue legal action and win their cases.
• Eliminate the tipped sub-minimum wage: The BE HEARD Act eliminates the tipped minimum wage, because tipped workers are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual harassment and discrimination by both clients and supervisors.

In addition to Senator Murray, the Senate bill is co-sponsored by: Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR).

In addition to Reps. Pressley, Garcia, and Strickland the House bill is co-sponsored by: Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Yvette Clarke (NY-11), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Chellie Pingree (ME-1), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Judy Chu (CA-28), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).

The legislation has been endorsed by: National Women's Law Center Action Fund, A Better Balance, AFL-CIO, American Association of University Women (AAUW), American Civil Liberties Union, Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), California Women's Law Center, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Chicago Women in Trades, Clearinghouse on Women's Issues, Coalition on Human Needs, Equal Rights Advocates, Feminist Majority, Gender Equality Law Center, Human Right Campaign, Human Rights Campaign, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Jewish Women International, Justice for Migrant Women, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Legal Momentum, The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund, Lift Our Voices, MomsRising, National Action Network, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, National Black Worker Center, National Council of Jewish Women, National Employment Law Project, National Employment Lawyers Association, National Institute for Workers' Rights, National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Organization for Women, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Taskforce on Tradeswomen's Issues, PowHer New York, Reproductive Freedom for All, Service Employees International Union, Solar for Women, The Sikh Coalition, Vermont Works for Women, Women Employed, Women In Non Traditional Employment Roles, WorkLife Law.

As the former chair and a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and a champion of gender equality her entire career, Senator Murray has long been a leader when it comes to fighting workplace harassment. In 2018, Senator Murray spearheaded a historic report on how workplace harassment is impacting workers in industries across the country. She pressed the Secretaries of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services under the Trump administration on what they were doing to prevent harassment at their workplaces and pressed trade associations representing industries with some of the highest rates of sexual harassment to be more transparent and accountable. Murray was also a lead advocate for the confirmation of Kalpana Kotagal and Jocelyn Samuels as EEOC Commissioners, delivering a pro-worker majority on the EEOC for the Biden administration. When President Trump illegally fired EEOC Commissioners Jocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrows at the beginning of his term, Senator Murray forcefully condemned the move, led Senators in a letter demanding their immediate reinstatement, and continued to press the issue publicly at every opportunity.

Senator Murray also leads the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, comprehensive legislation to put hard-earned wages back in workers' pockets and crack down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees. Murray also helped reintroduce the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to protect workers' right to join and form a union in order to demand better pay, benefits, and working conditions-legislation she first introduced in the 116^th Congress. Murray also introduced the Children Harmed in Life-threatening or Dangerous (CHILD) Labor Act last Congress, new legislation to protect children from exploitative child labor practices and hold the companies and individuals who take advantage of them accountable.

A one-pager of the bill is HERE.

###