A bill by a South Coast lawmaker that’s intended to combat sexual harassment in the workplace has passed the State Senate.
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara says her legislation would close loopholes in the law that allow workplace sexual harassment to persist.
Senate Bill 1300 provides guidance to the courts on the “severe or pervasive” legal standard for sexual harassment litigation, so that it’s fairly applied in court to protect victims. It also prohibits non-disparagement clauses that prevent victims from speaking out about abuse, strengthens sexual harassment training requirements and holds employers accountable for preventing harassment.
SB 1300 now heads to the Assembly.
Jackson also introduced SB 224, which is now in the Assembly, to expand sexual harassment protections to explicitly prohibit sexual harassment by investors, elected officials, lobbyists, directors and producers.