I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4705 

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to require the automatic referral to the congressional ethics committees of the disposition 

of any allegation that an employing office of the House of Representatives or Senate violated part A of title II of such Act. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 20, 2017 

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (for herself and Ms. FRANKEL of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House 

Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to 

require the automatic referral to the congressional ethics 

committees of the disposition of any allegation that an 

employing office of the House of Representatives or Senate violated part A of title II of such Act. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Me Too Congressional 

5 Ethics Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC REFERRAL TO CONGRESSIONAL ETH2 ICS COMMITTEES OF DISPOSITION OF ALLE3 GATIONS OF VIOLATIONS OF CONGRES4 SIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995 IN5 VOLVING CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES. 

6 (a) AUTOMATIC REFERRAL.—Section 416(e) of the 

7 Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 

8 1416(d)) is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(e) AUTOMATIC REFERRALS TO CONGRESSIONAL

10 ETHICS COMMITTEES OF DISPOSITIONS OF ALLEGATIONS

11 INVOLVING EMPLOYING OFFICES OF HOUSE OR SEN12 ATE.— 

13 ‘‘(1) REFERRAL.—Upon the final disposition 

14 under this title of an allegation that an employing 

15 office of the House of Representatives or an employ16 ing office of the Senate has committed a violation of 

17 part A of title II, the Executive Director shall refer 

18 the allegation to— 

19 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Ethics of the 

20 House of Representatives, in the case of an em21 ploying office of the House; or 

22 ‘‘(B) the Select Committee on Ethics of 

23 the Senate, in the case of an employing office 

24 of the Senate. 

25 ‘‘(2) ACCESS TO RECORDS AND INFORMA26 TION.—If the Executive Director refers an allegation 


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1 to a Committee under paragraph (1), the Executive 

2 Director shall provide the Committee with access to 

3 the records of any hearings or decisions of the hear4 ing officers and the Board under this title, and any 

5 information relating to an award or settlement paid, 

6 in response to such allegation. 

7 ‘‘(3) PERMITTING COVERED EMPLOYEE TO

8 WAIVE REFERRAL.—At the request of the covered 

9 employee filing an allegation described in paragraph 

10 (1), the Executive Director shall waive paragraph 

11 (1) or paragraph (2) with respect to the allegation 

12 or the records and information in response to the al13 legation. 

14 ‘‘(4) FINAL DISPOSITION DESCRIBED.—In this 

15 subsection, the ‘final disposition’ of an allegation 

16 means any of the following: 

17 ‘‘(A) The payment of an award or settle18 ment. 

19 ‘‘(B) A final decision of a hearing officer 

20 under section 405(g). 

21 ‘‘(C) A final decision of the Board under 

22 section 406(e). 

23 ‘‘(D) A final decision in a civil action 

24 under section 408.’’. 


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1 (b) ACTIONS BY CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS COMMIT2 TEES.— 

3 (1) MANDATORY INITIATION OF INVESTIGA4 TION.—If the Executive Director of the Board of 

5 Compliance refers an allegation to the Committee on 

6 Ethics of the House of Representatives or the Select 

7 Committee on Ethics of the Senate under section 

8 415(d) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 

9 1995 (as amended by subsection (a)), such Com10 mittee shall promptly initiate an investigation into 

11 the allegation and take such actions in response to 

12 the investigation as may be appropriate. 

13 (2) PROTECTION OF IDENTITY OF INDIVIDUALS

14 MAKING ALLEGATIONS.—If a Committee to which an 

15 allegation is referred under paragraph (1) issues a 

16 report with respect to the allegation, the Committee 

17 shall ensure that the report does not disclose the 

18 identity of the individual who made the allegation. 

19 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend20 ments made by this section shall take effect on the date 

21 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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