States Expand Bans on Nondisclosure Pacts Beyond #MeToo Claims

Nondisclosure agreement restrictions in Washington state might be the nation’s broadest after recent revisions—as NDA bans spread and expand beyond their original scope nearly five years after the #MeToo movement spotlighted sexual harassment and assault.

California first enacted a law in 2018 banning employers from imposing contracts that prevent employees from talking about their claims of workplace sexual harassment or assault. Fourteen other states have since passed similar restrictions on private-sector employers.

The measures began in response to public revelations that Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein and other high-profile actors and business executives used nondisclosure pacts to keep quiet the ...