Chamber, Business Groups Oppose Anti-Arbitration Proposals

A coalition of major industry groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are opposing recent legislative efforts to chip away at the arbitration system by injecting anti-arbitration provisions in more than 11 industry-specific bills.

The May 1 letter sent to members of Congress points to a recent study by the Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform, which found that 82% of those polled prefer arbitration to litigation as a means to settle disputes, and 71% of likely voters oppose efforts by Congress to remove arbitration agreements from consumer contracts.

The letter outlines “multiple unwarranted bills and provisions” that are being considered including bills that would prohibit arbitration clauses or provisions in motor vehicle sales and lease contracts, nursing home and long-term care facilities agreements, and contracts for the sale of a home.

“These attacks on arbitration are unnecessary and would undermine a system that has
benefited consumers, employees, and businesses for decades, and on which many of them
now rely,” the letter says.

The letter was signed by 20 industry groups, including the National Association of Homebuilders, the Council for Employment Law Equity, and the Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace.  Read the letter.

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