Service Member Employment Protection Act.

Existing law prohibits a person from discriminating against a member of the military forces because of his or her membership or service, as prescribed. Existing law makes a violation of those provisions a crime. Existing law also provides civil remedies for violations of those provisions. This bill would prohibit a person from requiring a waiver of the protections afforded under those provisions as a condition of employment, including the right to file and pursue a civil action or complaint, as specified. The bill would prohibit a person from retaliating against a person who refuses to waive his or her rights under those provisions, as prescribed. The bill would require any waiver of the protections afforded under those provisions to be knowing and voluntary, in writing, and expressly not made as a condition of employment, as specified. The bill would require a person seeking to enforce that waiver to have the burden of proving that the waiver was knowing and voluntary and not made as a condition of employment. The bill would apply its provisions to any waiver agreement entered into on or after January 1, 2017, including an agreement that requires private arbitration. A violation of these provisions would not constitute a crime. The bill would include a severability clause.