On March 30, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act.” Democratic chairman Peter DeFazio first introduced H.R. 5706 to the House in 2019. The act will contribute to sufficient employee training, written procedures against sexual assault and harassment, and incident reporting across transportation industries. The law mandates that transportation providers—such as passenger airlines, transit agencies, and ridesharing providers—develop official rules, training, and reporting mechanisms to properly respond to sexual assault, harassment, and human trafficking occurrences.
“I’m particularly proud that the House passed my bill, the Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act, which will help ensure adequate personnel training, formal policies against sexual assault and harassment, and the reporting of these incidents.” DeFazio said, “This comes on the heels of the House yesterday passing my provisions, included in the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act, to protect maritime workers from sexual violence. Combined, these bills will make important strides toward creating a safer environment for passengers and our transportation workforce. In addition, I am pleased to move legislation to name the U.S. Department of Transportation’s headquarters after William T. Coleman, Jr. and Norman Y. Mineta. Both Mr. Coleman and Mr. Mineta served as Secretary of Transportation and were champions for this country’s infrastructure. I urge the Senate to take up these bills and pass them without delay.”
We at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation have long worked to get the transportation industry to do more to safeguard their passengers after the many occurrences of sexual assault and harassment that have been reported. The Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment Transportation Act is a step in the right direction as it will equip transportation staff members and give them the tools they need to identify misconduct. This law clearly states that time is up for sexual assault and harassment perpetrators who commit their crimes while using public transportation, and that public transit companies must do their share to ensure the safety of both passengers and employees.
But more still needs to be done, and your voice matters and makes a difference! Now is the time to contact your elected officials in the U.S. Senate in order to urge them to support this legislation as a means for making a significant positive change for protecting human dignity. You can do just that in five minutes or less by completing the easy-to-use Action form provided below which will put you in direct contact with your Senators about this bill.
