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OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE              LA 200, John Adams Building, 110 Second Street, S.E.              Washington, DC 20540-1999
_________________________SHERRY M. BRITTON,      Complainant,             v.                                  Case No. 01-AC-346(CV,FM, RP)February 2, 2004OFFICE OF THE ARCHITECT  OF THE CAPITOL       Respondent ._________________________
Before the Board of Directors: Susan               S. Robfogel, Chair; Barbara L. Camens, Alan V. Friedman; Roberta               L. Holzwarth; Barbara Childs Wallace, Members.

DECISION AND ORDER OF THE               BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON EMPLOYING OFFICE’S MOTION TO DISMISS,               OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE TO STRIKE, COMPLAINANT’S PETITION FOR               REVIEWS

I. Introduction

 The Board, by decision and order dated June               3, 2003, remanded this matter with instructions to the hearing officer.               The hearing officer subsequently issued his dispositive decision               on November 5, 2003. The Office of Compliance’s Executive               Director transmitted that decision to the parties by U.S. certified               mail, return-receipt requested, on November 5, 2003. His transmittal               letter advised the parties that the hearing officer’s decision               had been entered into the records of the Office on November 5, 2003,               and that the appeal period ran from that date..

 The Complainant filed her petition for review               (“PFR”) with the Office on Monday, December 8, 2003.            

 Section 406(a) of the Congressional Accountability               Act (“the Act”) [2 U.S.C. §1406(a)] and §8.01(a)               of the Office’s Procedural Rules prescribe that any aggrieved               party may file a PFR of a hearing officer’s decision “not               later than 30 days after entry of the decision in the records of               the office.”

II. Positions of the Parties

 A. Complainant

 Complainant acknowledges that she did not file               her appeal within 30 days after the hearing officer’s decision               was entered into the records of the office.1               However, the Complainant contends that her PFR was timely filed               under §1.03(c) of the Office’s Procedural Rules, which               adds a prescribed number of days as a time allowance for receipt               of mailed documents, whenever a person or party has the right or               is required to do some act within a prescribed period “after               the service of a notice or other document upon him or her”               and the notice or document is mailed. The number of days added is               dependent upon the method of service for the mailing of official               notices (5 days for regular mail; 2 days for expedited delivery               or express mail; actual date of receipt for certified mail, return-receipt               requested). Complainant submits that even if she had received the               Executive Director’s November 5, 2003 certified mail transmittal               letter on the following day,2 her December               8th filing would have fallen within the mandated 30-day period.

 B. Respondent

 Respondent argues that Complainant’s PFR               was filed untimely under Section 406(a) of the Act, and §8.01(a)               of the Procedural Rules: because the clock starts ticking upon entry               of the decision in the records of the Office (November 5, 2003),               and not upon any later date when the Complainant receives the Office’s               mail transmitting the decision. Respondent submits that this CAA               requirement is unequivocal and dispositive of the appeal. Respondent               supports its position by citation of case law addressing rules of               statutory construction . Respondent additionally relies upon judicial               precedent applying Rule 4(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Appellate               Procedure, which also starts the appellate clock from the date of               entry of a judgment or order. Accordingly, Respondent moved that               the appeal be dismissed or that Complainant’s PFR be stricken.             

III. Discussion

Complainant does not proffer any equitable basis               for the Board to accept her PFR if it were untimely filed or otherwise               contend that the circumstances underlying her filing of the PFR               constitute “excusable neglect.” . Complainant contends               only that her PFR was timely filed, computing commencement of the               appeal period from the earliest date that she could have received               the mailed notice of the hearing officer’s decision. However,               Respondent submits that the PFR was untimely because it was not               filed within 30 days after the Office entered the hearing officer’s               decision into its records.

This constitutes the Board’s first occasion               to decide the petition for review time computation issue raised               by this appeal. We are persuaded that the appeal time period runs               from the date that a hearing officer’s decision is entered               into the Office’s record. In this regard, the Office’s               procedural rule §1.03(c) for               extending filing periods is inapposite because that provision applies               only to situations keyed to the service of a mailed notice or document               on a person or party. Section 406(a) of the CAA, on the other hand,               specifically links the appeal period to the entry of a decision               in the Office’s records, and that is how the federal courts               have interpreted essentially identical language in the Federal Rules               of Appellate Procedure. In its leading decision on this point, the               U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, computing the appeal               period from the date of a judgment’s entry into the record,               dismissed an appeal for having been filed two days late. Sofarelli               Associates, Inc. v. The United States, 716 F.2d 1395 (Fed.               Cir. 1983). Accord, Browder v. Director,               Department of Corrections of Illinois, 434 U.S. 257 (1978);               Patricio B. Bautista v. Anthony J. Principi,               Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 2003 U.S. App. LEXIS 17609               (Fed. Cir. 8/1/2003); Amos Cox v. Anthony               J. Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 2003 U.S. App.               LEXIS 2432 (Fed. Cir. 1/31/2003); Florida               Rock Industries, Inc. v. United States, 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS               21752 (Fed. Cir. 2000); United States of               America v. Glenn Efren Sisneros, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 14414               (10th Cir. 2001); Horoutunian v. INS,               87 F.3d 374, 377 (9th Cir. 1996); Christopher               Binder v. District of Columbia, et al., 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS               23143 (D. C. Cir. 1992); Welsh v. Elevating               Boats, Inc., 698 F.2d 230, 231-32 (5th Cir. 1983).

 Accordingly, we find that the Complainant’s               petition for review was untimely filed. 

ORDER

 Pursuant to Section 406(e) of the Congressional               Accountability Act and Section 8.01(d) of the Office’s Procedural               Rules, the Board grants the Respondent’s motion to dismiss               this appeal on the basis of untimeliness.

 It is so ordered.

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

 I hereby certify that on this day of February               2, 2004, I delivered a copy of this Decision of the Board of Directors               to the following parties by the below identified means:

 First-Class Mail Postage-Prepaid

Jeffrey H. Leib, Esquire              Attorney at Law              5104 34th Street, N.W.              Washington, D.C. 20008

First-Class Mail Postage-Prepaid              & Facsimile Mail (202-789-1708)

Christine Cooper, Esquire              McGuiness, Norris & Williams              1015 Fifteenth Street, N.W.              Suite 1200              Washington, D.C. 20005

Edgard Martinez, Esq.              Office of Architect of the Capitol              Office of Employment Counsel              Ford House Building, Room H2-202              Washington, D.C. 20515

 

              ___________________              Kisha L. Harley              Office of Compliance

1               Complainant and Respondent correctly compute the 30th day as being               Friday, December 5, 2003. The Complainant filed her PFR the following               Monday, the very next business day, which even by the Complainant’s               computation would have been the 31st day.

2               Complainant’s counsel acknowledges receiving Executive Director’s               letter but represents that he does not recall the date of receipt.               The Office did not receive the “green card” confirming               receipt.

  

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