Congress just passed an extremely important bill protecting victims of sexual misconduct

The Senate passed a significant bill on Thursday that effectively prevents employers, universities, and other institutions from immunizing themselves from lawsuits alleging sexual harassment or assault. The bill passed the House on Monday, and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law.

The bill, known as the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, targets “forced arbitration,” a practice championed by Republicans on the Supreme Court. Forced arbitration allows companies to shield themselves from lawsuits — and to shunt legal disputes into a privatized arbitration system that overwhelmingly favors corporate parties.

The new legislation provides that plaintiffs alleging sexual assault or sexual harassment may elect to have their dispute decided by a real court, even if they previously signed a forced arbitration agreement.