(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted in favor of H.R. 1423, the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act, legislation she cosponsored, which passed the House with bipartisan support, 225 to 186, and which included her amendment to the bill that passed unanimously.

The FAIR Act prohibits the enforcement of mandatory, pre-dispute arbitration provisions—“forced arbitration”—in contracts involving consumer, employment, antitrust, and civil rights disputes. Congresswoman Fletcher’s amendment to the bill clarifies that the FAIR Act applies to pre-dispute forced arbitration, and does not prohibit parties from agreeing to arbitrate disputes after they occur, as some opponents of the bill had suggested.

“The FAIR Act is about restoring access to justice for the American people. It is for consumers and workers. It is for people whose civil rights have been violated. It is for small business people who have antitrust claims. It is for the millions of Americans who are denied their rights to seek justice and accountability today because of forced arbitration,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “There is certainly a role for the arbitration of disputes, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, in our system of justice. I know this from experience representing individuals and organizations in the courts and before arbitrators. Fundamentally, the FAIR Act and my amendment recognize this role, and also recognize the fundamental right of the people who have been subjected to arbitration agreements without true consent. The FAIR Act protects the freedom to contract, the freedom of choice, and the freedom granted in our Constitution, including its Seventh Amendment.”