HCS/HB 1718 - This act provides that in arbitration agreements between an employer and an at-will employee the arbitrator shall make all initial decisions as to arbitrability which includes deciding whether the parties have agreed to arbitrate, whether the arbitration agreement is enforceable, and whether specific claims are arbitrable. The act establishes certain criteria for when the arbitrator shall determine that the arbitration agreement is valid, and the abitrator must be selected by mutual agreement of the parties or using a strike and ranking process when the parties cannot agree. When a party shows an arbitration agreement between an employer and an at-will employee that does not expressly delegate the issue of arbitrability to the court and makes a motion, the court shall stay the action and order the parties to proceed to arbitration. This act is similar to SCS/SB 746 (2016), SB 412 (2015) and HB 928 (2015). JESSI BAKER
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