Indiana lawmakers approve policies banning sexual harassment

("Indiana State Capitol Building" by Drew Tarvin, CC BY 2.0)

Indiana legislators are now covered by new policies prohibiting sexual harassment.

House members approved the policy in a unanimous voice vote Thursday after the Senate adopted a similar policy two weeks ago.

The new rules expressly forbid unwanted sexual advances by lawmakers, with language banning any sexual conduct with interns that was added after some experts faulted a draft policy for not including such a prohibition.

Indiana lawmakers weren’t previously covered by a specific sexual harassment policy, and the new rules were ordered in a bill adopted last year amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men in public office, Hollywood and the media that ignited the #MeToo movement.