Protecting Older Americans Act of 2023

The Protecting Older Americans Act of 2023 (H.R. 4120) would prevent employers from forcing workers to resolve age discrimination claims through private arbitration rather than in a court of law. Under current law, many employment contracts include "forced arbitration" clauses that require disputes to be settled in a private setting, often preventing employees from suing or joining class-action lawsuits.

If passed, this bill would make those specific clauses unenforceable for age-related disputes, giving employees the choice to take their case to a public court and a jury trial. The goal of the legislation is to increase transparency and accountability for workplace discrimination by ensuring that older workers have the same legal options as those filing claims for sexual harassment or assault.