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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2296 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2006 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act strengthening sexual harassment and discrimination policies in the Commonwealth. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth1/16/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2296 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2006 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Sullivan-Almeida of Abington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. |
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| 19 | 19 | | 2006) of Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida relative to sexual harassment and discrimination policies |
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| 20 | 20 | | in the Commonwealth. The Judiciary. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 1775 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act strengthening sexual harassment and discrimination policies in the Commonwealth. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Section 4 of chapter 151B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2is hereby amended by striking out subsection 16A and inserting in place thereof the following:- |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4 16A. For an employer, personally or through its agents, to sexually harass any employee; |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5or to retaliate, personally or through its agents, against any employee for filing a complaint of |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6sexual harassment or discrimination based on sex, gender identity or sexual orientation or for |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7cooperating in an investigation of a complaint of sexual harassment or discrimination based on |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8sex, gender identity or sexual orientation, including, but not limited to, by termination, |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9suspension, demotion or reduction in the compensation or benefits of the employee; or to require, 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10as a condition of employment, continuing employment, promotion, compensation or the receipt |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11of benefits, entering into an agreement that contains a nondisclosure or confidentiality provision |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12(except as may be necessary to protect business intellectual property and trade secrets), a non- |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13disparagement provision, a restriction on reporting sexual harassment or discrimination based on |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14sex, gender identity or sexual orientation or participating in the investigation of a report of sexual |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15harassment or discrimination based on sex, gender identity or sexual orientation, or a waiver of |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16any rights or remedies available under law with respect to claims filed or that may be filed in a |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17civil action or complaints filed or that may be filed in an administrative action for sexual |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18harassment or discrimination based on sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. |
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