I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6627 

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to require the application of the administrative and judicial dispute-resolution procedures 

to registered lobbyists for claims alleging sexual harassment or sexual 

assault, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 

Mr. GAETZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on House Administration 

A BILL 

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to 

require the application of the administrative and judicial 

dispute-resolution procedures to registered lobbyists for 

claims alleging sexual harassment or sexual assault, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lobbyist Account5 ability Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL 

2 DISPUTE-RESOLUTION PROCEDURES FOR 

3 CERTAIN CLAIMS AGAINST REGISTERED LOB4 BYISTS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title IV of the Congressional Ac6 countability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.) is amend7 ed by adding at the end the following new section: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 418. APPLICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDI9 CIAL DISPUTE-RESOLUTION PROCEDURES TO 

10 REGISTERED LOBBYISTS. 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—With respect to a claim by a cov12 ered employee alleging sexual harassment or sexual as13 sault by an individual who is a registered lobbyist under 

14 the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1601 et 

15 seq.), the lobbying firm (as such term is defined in section 

16 3 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 1602)) that employs such reg17 istered lobbyist shall be deemed an employing office for 

18 the purpose of the application of the procedures under this 

19 title for the consideration of any such claim. 

20 ‘‘(b) REMEDY.—The remedy with respect to an alle21 gation described in subsection (a) shall be— 

22 ‘‘(1) such remedy as would be appropriate if 

23 awarded under section 706(g) of the Civil Rights 

24 Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e–5(g)); and 

25 ‘‘(2) such compensatory damages as would be 

26 appropriate if awarded under section 1977 of the 


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1 Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1981), or as would be 

2 appropriate if awarded under sections 1977A(a)(1), 

3 1977A(b)(2), and, irrespective of the size of the em4 ploying office, 1977A(b)(3)(D) of the Revised Stat5 utes (42 U.S.C. 1981a(a)(1), 1981a(b)(2), and 

6 1981a(b)(3)(D)). 

7 ‘‘(c) REIMBURSEMENT FOR PAYMENT OF AWARD OR

8 SETTLEMENT.—If a payment is made from the account 

9 described in section 415(a) for an award or settlement in 

10 connection with a claim described in subsection (a), the 

11 lobbying firm that employs such individual shall reimburse 

12 the account for the amount of the award or settlement 

13 for the claim involved.’’. 

14 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

15 (1) FILING AND REVIEW OF CLAIMS.—Section 

16 401 of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 

17 (2 U.S.C. 1401) is amended— 

18 (A) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or an 

19 allegation described in section 418(a)’’ after 

20 ‘‘part A of title II’’; and 

21 (B) in subsection (e), by inserting ‘‘or an 

22 allegation described in section 418(a)’’ after 

23 ‘‘the consideration of an alleged violation of 

24 part A of title II’’. 


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1 (2) INITIATION OF PROCEDURES.—Section 

2 402(a)(1) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 

3 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1402(a)(1)) is amended by inserting 

4 ‘‘or an allegation described in section 418(a)’’ after 

5 ‘‘under part A of title II’’. 

6 (3) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Section 407(a)(1)(A) 

7 of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 

8 U.S.C. 1407(a)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or 

9 an allegation described in section 418(a)’’ after 

10 ‘‘arising under part A of title II’’. 

11 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

12 of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating 

13 to section 417 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 418. Application of administrative and judicial dispute-resolution procedures to registered lobbyists.’’. 

14 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend15 ments made by this section shall apply to any claims filed 

16 or payments made on or after the date of the enactment 

17 of this Act. 

Æ 


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