I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4497 

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the 

use of public funds to pay settlements and awards for workplace harassment and discrimination claims under the Congressional Accountability 

Act of 1995 which arise from acts committed personally by Members 

of Congress, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 30, 2017 

Ms. CASTOR of Florida (for herself and Mr. BACON) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 

A BILL 

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to 

prohibit the use of public funds to pay settlements and 

awards for workplace harassment and discrimination 

claims under the Congressional Accountability Act of 

1995 which arise from acts committed personally by 

Members of Congress, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. PROHIBITING USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO PAY 

2 SETTLEMENTS AND AWARDS FOR CLAIMS 

3 UNDER CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY 

4 ACT OF 1995 WHICH ARISE FROM ACTS COM5 MITTED PERSONALLY BY MEMBERS OF CON6 GRESS. 

7 (a) PROHIBITION.—Section 415 of the Congressional 

8 Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415) is amended— 

9 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘subsection 

10 (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (c) and (d)’’; and 

11 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub12 section: 

13 ‘‘(d) NO USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PAYMENTS OF

14 AWARDS AND SETTLEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ACTS

15 COMMITTED PERSONALLY BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No funds of the Treasury 

17 of the United States, including the account described 

18 in subsection (a), an account of the House of Rep19 resentatives or Senate, or any other account of the 

20 Federal Government, may be used for the payment 

21 of an award or settlement in connection with a viola22 tion of section 201(a) if the violation consists of an 

23 act committed personally by a Member of the House 

24 of Representatives or a Senator. 

25 ‘‘(2) PERSONAL LIABILITY OF MEMBERS AND

26 SENATORS.—A Member of the House of RepresentaVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:27 Dec 02, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4497.IH H4497

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1 tives or Senator shall be personally liable for the 

2 payment of an award or settlement described in 

3 paragraph (1).’’. 

4 (b) PROHIBITING USE OF CAMPAIGN FUNDS FOR

5 PAYMENTS.—Section 313(b) of the Federal Election Cam6 paign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30114(b)) is amended by 

7 adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

8 ‘‘(3) PROHIBITING USE TO PAY AWARDS OR

9 SETTLEMENTS IN CLAIMS BROUGHT AGAINST MEM10 BERS OF CONGRESS.—Notwithstanding paragraph 

11 (2), a contribution or donation shall be considered to 

12 be converted to personal use if it is used to pay an 

13 award or settlement in connection with a violation of 

14 section 201(a) of the Congressional Accountability 

15 Act of 1995 which consists of an act committed per16 sonally by a Member of the House of Representa17 tives or a Senator.’’. 

18 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

19 this section shall apply with respect to settlements and 

20 awards paid on or after the date of the enactment of this 

21 Act. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST USE OF MEMBERS’ REP2 RESENTATIONAL ALLOWANCE FOR PAY3 MENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ALLEGATIONS 

4 OF VIOLATIONS OF CONGRESSIONAL AC5 COUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995. 

6 The Members’ Representational Allowance of a Mem7 ber of the House of Representatives may not be used to 

8 pay awards, settlements, or other compensation in connec9 tion with allegations of any violation of section 201(a) of 

10 the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 which con11 sists of an act committed personally by the Member. 

Æ 


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