September 18, 2025

Wyden Introduces Legislation Banning Corporations from Bypassing Courts to Settle Legal Disputes Behind Closed Doors

The legislation would restore rights of consumer and workers to sue corporations by banning forced arbitration

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today said that he is joining legislation that would stop corporations from bypassing the court system to settle legal disputes behind closed doors.

From workplace discrimination and sexual harassment to consumer complaints, corporations are writing forced arbitration clauses in the fine print of contracts, allowing them to escape accountability for any harms they may have caused workers or consumers. Since corporations have made it impossible for a judge or jury to review, workers and consumers cannot even legally object to a decision made behind closed doors regardless of whether the outcome was wrong.

“Big businesses shouldn’t be writing the legal playbook to escape being held accountable for taking advantage of workers and consumers,” Wyden said. “Forced arbitration is a dodgy tactic that tricks Americans into signing away their right to sue. It’s way past time to ensure our laws better protect workers and consumers from these abuses, and this bill is the way to get Americans the justice they deserve.”

The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act would restore Americans’ right to seek justice in front of a court by eliminating forced arbitration clauses in employment, consumer, and civil rights cases.

The FAIR Act has more than 80 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 34 cosponsors in the Senate. It was passed by the House of Representatives during the 116th and 117th Congresses.

In addition to Wyden, the bill was led by Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Representative Hank Johnson, D-Ga., and co-sponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

The FAIR Act was endorsed by American Association for Justice; Americans for Financial Reform; Center for Auto Safety, Center for Biological Diversity; Center for Economic Integrity, Center for Economic Justice; Center for Justice & Democracy; Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR); Center for Progressive Reform; Center for Responsible Lending; Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws; Consumer Action; Consumer Federation of America; Consumer Reports; Consumer Watchdog; Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety; DC Consumer Rights Coalition; Earthjustice; Economic Policy Institute; Essential Information; Farmworker Association of Florida; Food & Water Watch; Impact Fund; Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute; Justice in Aging; Kansas Holistic Defenders; Long Term Care Community Coalition; Mobilization for Justice; National Association of Consumer Advocates; National Association of the Deaf; National Center for Law and Economic Justice; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care; National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care; National Consumers League, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN); National Employment Law Project; National Employment Lawyers Association; National Institute for Workers' Rights; National Urban League, National Women's Law Center, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Northwest Workers’ Justice Project,; Oregon Consumer League; Public Citizen; Public Good Law Center; Public Justice; Public Justice Center; Rise Economy (formerly California Reinvestment Coalition); South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center; Student Borrower Protection Center; Texas Appleseed; The Sikh Coalition; Tzedek DC; United Way of Central Texas, Center for Community Impact; and Virginia Citizens Consumer Counsel.