S.Amdt. 6064

1. Adds Subtitle __--Arbitration Rights of Members of the Armed Forces and Veterans SEC. 6___. SHORT TITLE at the appropriate place in title VI

   Adds a section

   Inserted: Subtitle __--Arbitration Rights of Members of the Armed Forces and Veterans SEC. 6___. SHORT TITLE.

   Inserted: This subtitle may be cited as the "Justice for Servicemembers Act of 2022".

   Inserted: SEC. 6___. PURPOSES.

   Inserted: The purposes of this subtitle are--

   Inserted: (1) to prohibit predispute arbitration agreements that force arbitration of disputes arising from claims brought under chapter 43 of title 38, United States Code, or the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.); and

   Inserted: (2) to prohibit agreements and practices that interfere with the right of persons to participate in a joint, class, or collective action related to disputes arising from claims brought under the provisions of the laws described in paragraph (1).

   Inserted: SEC. 6___. ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES INVOLVING THE RIGHTS OF SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS.

   Inserted: (a) In General.--Title 9, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

   Inserted: "CHAPTER 5--ARBITRATION OF SERVICEMEMBER AND VETERAN DISPUTES

   Inserted: "Sec.

   Inserted: "501. Definitions.

   Inserted: "502. No validity or enforceability.

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   Inserted: "Sec. 501. Definitions "In this chapter:

   Inserted: "(1) Predispute arbitration agreement.--The term 'predispute arbitration agreement' means an agreement to arbitrate a dispute that has not yet arisen at the time of the making of the agreement.

   Inserted: "(2) Predispute joint-action waiver.--The term 'predispute joint-action waiver' means an agreement, whether or not part of a predispute arbitration agreement, that would prohibit, or waive the right of, one of the parties to the agreement to participate in a joint, class, or collective action in a judicial, arbitral, administrative, or other forum, concerning a dispute that has not yet arisen at the time of the making of the agreement.

   Inserted: "Sec. 502. No validity or enforceability

   Inserted: "(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no predispute arbitration agreement or predispute joint-action waiver shall be valid or enforceable with respect to a dispute relating to disputes arising under chapter 43 of title 38 or the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.).

   Inserted: "(b) Applicability.--

   Inserted: "(1) In general.--An issue as to whether this chapter applies with respect to a dispute shall be determined under Federal law. The applicability of this chapter to an agreement to arbitrate and the validity and enforceability of an agreement to which this chapter applies shall be determined by a court, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement, and irrespective of whether the agreement purports to delegate such determinations to an arbitrator.

   Inserted: "(2) Collective bargaining agreements.--Nothing in this chapter shall apply to any arbitration provision in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations, except that no such arbitration provision shall have the effect of waiving the right of a worker to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under a provision of the Constitution of the United States, a State constitution, or a Federal or State statute, or public policy arising therefrom.".

   Inserted: (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Title 9, United States Code, is amended--

   Inserted: (A) in section 1 by striking "of seamen," and all that follows through "interstate commerce" and inserting "persons and causes of action under chapter 43 of title 38 or the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.)";

   Inserted: (B) in section 2, by inserting "or 5" before the period at the end;

   Inserted: (C) in section 208, in the second sentence, by inserting "or 5" before the period at the end; and

   Inserted: (D) in section 307, in the second sentence, by inserting "or 5" before the period at the end.

   Inserted: (2) Table of chapters.--The table of chapters of title 9, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

   Inserted: "5. Arbitration of servicemember and veteran disputes.......501".....

   Inserted: SEC. 6___. LIMITATION ON WAIVER OF RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS UNDER SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF ACT.

   Inserted: (a) Amendments.--Section 107(a) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3918(a)) is amended--

   Inserted: (1) in the second sentence, by inserting "and if it is made after a specific dispute has arisen and the dispute is identified in the waiver" before the period at the end; and

   Inserted: (2) in the third sentence by inserting "and if it is made after a specific dispute has arisen and the dispute is identified in the waiver" before the period at the end.

   Inserted: (b) Application of Amendments.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to waivers made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

   Inserted: SEC. 6___. APPLICABILITY.

   Inserted: This subtitle, and the amendments made by this subtitle, shall apply with respect to any dispute or claim that arises or accrues on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

   The amendment doesn't say where this goes; the clerk decides.

   Original wording

   At the appropriate place in title VI, insert the following:

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As printed