Chairman Goodlatte Introduces Bill to Protect Employers Who Report Violent Behavior of Former Employees

Washington, D.C.— House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today introduced the Safe Harbor for Reporting Violent Behavior Act of 2016 (H.R. 4532) to protect employers who accurately report violent behavior of past employees to their potential future employers. To encourage employers to volunteer accurate reports of violence or threats of violence to potential future employers, the Safe Harbor for Reporting Violent Behavior Act would provide a safe harbor from lawsuits to those who, in good faith and based on objectively reasonable suspicion, make such reports. The legislation is directly modeled on bipartisan legislation, signed into law in 2007, that provides a safe harbor from lawsuits to those who report suspicious behavior on public transportation systems. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement upon introduction of the legislation: “Employees and employers alike need to know they are safe in the places they work. The time we spend in the workplace is time away from our families and friends, and we all deserve to know that our work environments are safe from those whose behavior may cause us harm in the future.“The need to address this issue was highlighted after the tragedy which occurred on August 26, 2015, when a former employee of Roanoke television station WDBJ killed two employees while they conducted a live interview for the station’s morning broadcast. Various reports indicate the perpetrator had a history of violent behavior with previous employers, but that history was not shared with his future employer, WDBJ.“Employers need to be empowered to make and receive honest reports regarding employees, and prospective employees, who pose a threat of physical injury, including behavior resulting from mental illness, so others will not be needlessly put in danger.“A more truthful dialogue between employers will mean greater protections for hardworking Americans against those who pose a risk of violence in the workplace. This legislation will give employers, employees, and their families peace of mind knowing their workplaces will be safer.” The bill’s original cosponsors include House Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.), Rep. Robert Hurt (R-Va.), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.).