I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 165
To apply laws relating to part-time career employees, fair labor standards,
and occupational safety and health to the Congress.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 5, 1993
Mr. DUNCAN introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the
Committees on House Administration, Education and Labor, and Post
Office and Civil Service
A BILL
To apply laws relating to part-time career employees, fair
labor standards, and occupational safety and health to
the Congress.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Congressional Reform
and Compliance Act of 1992’’.
SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF LAWS RELATING TO PART-TIME
CAREER EMPLOYEES.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, sections
3401 through 3408 of title 5, United States Code, shall
apply to the House of Representatives, the Senate, and
the Instrumentalities of the Congress in the same manner
and to the same extent as they apply to agencies.
SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF LAWS RELATING TO LABOR
STANDARDS 
AND 
OCCUPATIONAL 
SAFETY
AND HEALTH.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) and the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.)
shall, to the extent that they relate to the terms and condi-
tions of employment (including hiring, promotion or demo-
tion, salary, benefits, work assignments or reassignments,
overtime, and termination), occupational safety and
health, and the rights and responsibilities of employers
and employees, apply with respect to the Senate, House
of Representatives, and Instrumentalities of the Congress
in the same manner and to the same extent as they apply
with respect to a private person.
(b) RIGHT OF APPEAL.—If an individual referred to
in section 4 is aggrieved by a violation of the laws referred
to in subsection (a), such individual may, after exhausting
any procedures established pursuant to rules or regula-
tions promulgated under section 5, seek redress in a Fed-
eral district court of competent jurisdiction and shall have
the same rights and remedies provided to private persons
under the laws referred to in subsection (a).
SEC. 4. INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY ACT.
This Act shall apply to the following individuals:
(1) A Senator or Representative in, or Resident
Commissioner or Delegate to, the Congress, for pur-
poses of section 3.
(2) An employee or officer of either House of
Congress, of a committee of either House, or a joint
committee of the two Houses.
(3) An employee of a Member if the pay of the
employee is paid by the Secretary of the Senate or
the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
(4) An employee of an Instrumentality of the
Congress.
SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.
(a) THE CONGRESS.—Not later than the 120-day pe-
riod beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the
House of Representatives and the Senate shall each pro-
mulgate rules and regulations to carry out this Act as it
applies to the respective Houses. Such rules and regula-
tions shall be consistent with Federal law. If a House of
Congress fails to promulgate such rules and regulations
within such time period—
(1) in the case of a failure to promulgate rules
and regulations to apply the Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1939 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), the rules and
regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor
pertaining to such Act shall apply to such House;
(2) in the case of a failure to promulgate rules
and regulations to apply the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.), the
rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary
of Labor pertaining to such Act shall apply to such
House; and
(3) in the case of a failure to promulgate rules
and regulations to apply sections 3401 through 3408
of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary of
Labor shall promulgate rules and regulations to
make such sections applicable to such House.
(b) INSTRUMENTALITIES OF THE CONGRESS.—Not
later than the 120-day period beginning on the date of
enactment of this Act, the head of each Instrumentality
of the Congress shall promulgate rules and regulations to
carry out this Act as it applies to such Instrumentality
of the Congress. Such rules and regulations shall be con-
sistent with Federal law. If an Instrumentality of the Con-
gress fails to promulgate such rules and regulations within
such time period—
(1) in the case of a failure to promulgate rules
and regulations to apply the Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1939 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), the rules and
regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor
pertaining to such Act shall apply to such Instru-
mentality of the Congress;
(2) in the case of a failure to promulgate rules
and regulations to apply the Occupational Safety
and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.), the
rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary
of Labor pertaining to such Act shall apply to such
Instrumentality of the Congress; and
(3) in the case of a failure to promulgate rules
and regulations to apply sections 3401 through 3408
of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary of
Labor shall promulgate rules and regulations to
make such sections applicable to such Instrumental-
ity of the Congress.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Instrumentality
of the Congress’’ means the Congressional Research Serv-
ice, the Office of Technology Assessment, the General Ac-
counting Office, the Government Printing Office, the Con-
gressional Budget Office, the Copyright Royalty Tribunal,
and, for purposes of section 3, the term ‘‘Instrumentality
of the Congress’’ also includes the Library of Congress,
the Botanic Garden, and the Architect of the Capitol.
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