Los Angeles, Calif. , March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Silenced No More Foundation and Founder Stephanie Van de Motter, are praising legislators in the state of Washington for passing the Silenced No More Act and expanding the reach of whistleblower protections.

House Bill 1795 bans employers from using non-disclosure agreements to prevent workers from talking about harassment, discrimination, retaliation, sexual assault and wage violations at workplaces in Washington. It mirrors a version of bill SB 331 that first passed in California last year and was enacted statewide this January. Now Washington has become the second state to pass the legislation, laying the groundwork for other states to follow. HB 1795 is on the way to Governor Jay Inslee’s desk for signature.

“In pivotal moments like these it’s important to mark the contribution of the trailblazers that work tirelessly and without reserve to create the change they wish to see,” said Van de Motter. “We would not be where we are now without State Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle), who introduced the House version of this bill, and Sen. Karen Keiser (D-WA), who introduced a version of the bill to the Senate.”