United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 6406 (115th)
EMPOWER Act
Introduced
17 July 2018
Last action
17 July 2018 · Introduced
Status
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Financial Services, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, 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.
Sponsors
Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22], Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Comstock, Barbara [R-VA-10], Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE], Rep. Faso, John J. [R-NY-19], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14], Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21], Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rescom. González-Colón, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large], Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18]
Subjects
Taxation, Education
Source updated
11 August 2025
Summary
Ending the Monopoly of Power Over Workplace Harassment through Education and Reporting Act or the EMPOWER Act This bill makes it an unlawful practice (with exceptions regarding certain settlement or separation agreements) for an employer to: (1) enter into a contract with an employee or applicant, as a condition of employment, promotion, compensation, benefits, or change in employment status or contractual relationship, or as a term, condition, or privilege of employment, if that contract contains a nondisparagement or nondisclosure clause that covers workplace harassment; and (2) enforce, or attempt to enforce, a nondisparagement clause or nondisclosure clause. Notwithstanding signing any nondisparagement or nondisclosure clause, an employee or applicant retains any right that person would otherwise have had to report a concern about workplace harassment to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other specified agencies, and any right that person would otherwise have had to bring an action in a court of the United States. The bill: (1) sets forth enforcement powers of the EEOC and various entities, and the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, regarding workplace harassment; and (2) makes specified procedures and remedies applicable. The EEOC shall: (1) establish a confidential tip-line that supplements its existing process for submitting a charge of discrimination, and (2) provide for the development and dissemination of workplace training programs and information regarding workplace harassment, including sexual harassment. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to modify the tax treatment of amounts related to employment discrimination and workplace harassment.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
17 July 2018
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Financial Services, House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, 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 July 2018
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
17 July 2018
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Introduced in House · 17 July 2018 · Download file
Documents
3 official files
Introduced in House (text)
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Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 17 July 2018
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 17 July 2018
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 17 July 2018
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Sponsors
- Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Comstock, Barbara [R-VA-10] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Faso, John J. [R-NY-19] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] · D · Cosponsor
- Rescom. González-Colón, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] · D · Cosponsor
- · hsju00 · Standing
- · hsgo00 · Standing
- · hsha00 · Standing
- · hsba00 · Standing
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- · hsed00 · Standing
Related records
- related to → EMPOWER Act - Part 2
- related to → EMPOWER Act-Part I
- related to → EMPOWER Act
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6406
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/115/hr/6406
- us · 115-hr-6406 · source updated 11 August 2025