A number of new requirements for California settlement and separation agreements took effect on January 1, 2019. Two of them stem from the #MeToo movement. These are:

• Assembly Bill (AB) 3109 prohibits language in contracts or settlement agreements that bars anyone from testifying in administrative, legislative or judicial proceedings concerning alleged criminal conduct or sexual harassment. I think that those provisions would have been void under prior law, but there’s no doubt that they’re void now.
• Senate Bill (SB) 820 prohibits non-disclosure provisions in settlement agreements related to civil or administrative complaints of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and workplace harassment or discrimination based on sex. The bill expressly authorizes provisions that (i) preclude the disclosure of the amount paid in settlement and (ii) protect the claimant’s identity and any fact that could reveal the identity, so long as the claimant has requested anonymity and the opposing party is not a government agency or public official. Settlement agreements signed after January 1, 2019 should be reviewed by counsel to ensure compliance with the new restrictions.

A third bill (SB 1431) has received less attention. This bill changes the language of the ubiquitous Civil Code § 1542 waiver. As of January 1, 2019, the language required to waive unknown claims is:

“A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.”

It’s not a huge change (adding “or releasing party” and “or released party”). But if you plan to ask anyone to release claims, you should include the current language.

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