By WPRO News
As sexual harassment becomes a bigger subject for the General Assembly, another lawmaker has stepped forward to urge prioritization of the issue.
Representative Gregg Amore said Tuesday that a package of bills that came out of a special legislative commission to study workplace sexual harassment should get committee hearings immediately after they are reintroduced.
“I supported this package of bills in 2018 and, in all candor, should have spoken out more forcefully at that time,” Amore said in a statement, noting that a number of laws on workplace protections haven’t been changed for decades.
The bills Amore cited are:
- 2018-H 8281 — Submitted by Rep. Evan P. Shanley (D-Dist. 24, Warwick), this bill would enhance a reporting requirement for state agencies and departments for violations of the fair employment practices chapter and the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action chapter. The act would also remove legislative branch exclusion from “agency” definition.
- 2018-H 8280 — Sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett), this bill would exclude the period of investigation of a discrimination case by the Human Rights Commission from counting toward the statute of limitations.
- 2018-H 8275 — Submitted by Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson (D-Dist. 21, Warwick), this act would require the Department of Children, Youth and Families and the Department of Education to identify or develop a program of age-appropriate sexual abuse and sexual awareness education.
- 2018-H 8288 – Introduced by Rep. Aaron Regunberg (D-Dist. 4, Providence), this act would mandate that applicants seeking state funds, state contracts or state tax incentives in excess of $50,000 disclose on their applications the number of discrimination cases and settlements, if any, pending or concluded before the Human Rights Commission or in court within five years of the date of their application.
All the bills, minus Regunberg’s that was only referred to the committee, were held for further study upon being taken up by the House Labor Committee.
“With all the tools and information available to us in today’s society, we cannot stand idly by and allow our co-workers, friends and neighbors to be subject to working in a hostile environment and then be burdened with navigating an archaic and sometimes unclear system,” Amore said. “When these incidents occur, whether they be in the workplace or in the State House, it is important that a person knows exactly where to go to address their grievances and that there is a safe, supportive, consistent and fair system in place for all parties involved.”
