S.Amdt. 3451

SA 3451, submitted by Mr. Blumenthal, is an amendment to bill S. 2296. Its purpose is to address the arbitration of disputes involving the rights of servicemembers and veterans.

The amendment aims to add a new chapter to Title 9 of the United States Code to change the following:

• Validity of Agreements: It states that no predispute arbitration agreement or predispute joint-action waiver is valid or enforceable for disputes arising under chapter 43 of title 38.
• Determination of Applicability: A court, rather than an arbitrator, will determine if this chapter applies to a dispute and whether an agreement is valid and enforceable.
• Collective Bargaining: The rules do not apply to arbitration provisions in contracts between labor organizations or between an employer and a labor organization, provided the provision does not waive a worker's right to seek judicial enforcement of rights under public policy, Federal or State statutes, or the Constitution of the United States or a State.

The amendment also includes technical and conforming amendments to Title 9 of the United States Code and specifies that these changes apply to any claim or dispute that accrues or arises on or after the date the Act is enacted.