United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 5994 (117th)
BE HEARD in the Workplace Act
Introduced
17 November 2021
Last action
1 November 2022 · Referred
Status
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Sponsors
Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5], Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7], Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37], Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Bowman, Jamaal [D-NY-16], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-17], Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4], Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22], Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18], Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5], Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6], Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2], Rep. Lawrence, Brenda L. [D-MI-14], Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5], Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12], Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3], Rep. Levin, Andy [D-MI-9], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12], Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6], Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5]
Subjects
Education
Source updated
13 January 2026
Summary
Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination in the Workplace Act or the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act This bill expands protections against discrimination and harassment in the workplace and raises the minimum wage for tipped employees. Specifically, the bill (1) makes it an unlawful employment practice to discriminate against an individual in the workplace based on sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, or a sex stereotype; and (2) provides a statutory definition for what constitutes workplace harassment. Further, these protections apply to all workplaces, regardless of size, and to all workers, including independent contractors, interns, volunteers, and trainees. The bill prohibits employers from entering into contracts or agreements with workers that contain certain nondisparagement or nondisclosure clauses and prohibits certain predispute arbitration agreements and postdispute agreements. It also establishes grant programs to (1) prevent and respond to workplace discrimination and harassment, (2) provide legal assistance for low-income workers, and (3) establish a system of legal advocacy in states to protect the rights of workers. The bill further provides employees the right to retain their tips and it increases, in specified annual increments, the minimum wage for tipped employees to match the federal minimum wage for nontipped employees. Additionally, the bill requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to provide specified training and resource materials, establish and convene a harassment prevention task force, and establish an Office of Education and Outreach with regard to prohibited discrimination and harassment in employment. The bill also requires specified studies, reports, and research on prohibited workplace harassment.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
17 November 2021
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
17 November 2021
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
17 November 2021
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
29 November 2021
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Source: Committee
1 November 2022
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Introduced in House · 17 November 2021 · Download file
Documents
3 official files
Introduced in House (text)
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Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 17 November 2021
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 17 November 2021
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 17 November 2021
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Sponsors
- Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Bowman, Jamaal [D-NY-16] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-17] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Lawrence, Brenda L. [D-MI-14] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Levin, Andy [D-MI-9] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] · D · Sponsor
Showing 48 of 99 sponsors and actors.
Related records
- related to → BE HEARD in the Workplace Act
- related to ← BE HEARD in the Workplace Act
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5994
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/117/hr/5994
- us · 117-hr-5994 · source updated 13 January 2026