I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4458 
To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the 
use of public funds for the payment of a settlement or award under 
such Act in connection with a claim arising from sexual harassment 
committed by a Member of Congress, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 28, 2017 
Mr. MARINO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 
prohibit the use of public funds for the payment of 
a settlement or award under such Act in connection 
with a claim arising from sexual harassment committed 
by a Member of Congress, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. PROHIBITING USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PAY-
MENT 
OF 
SETTLEMENTS 
AND 
AWARDS 
UNDER CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY 
ACT IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS IN-
VOLVING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Section 415 of the Congressional 
Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (c) and (d)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(d) NO USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PAYMENTS OF 
AWARDS AND SETTLEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ACTS 
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMMITTED BY MEMBERS OF 
CONGRESS.—No funds of the Treasury of the United 
States may be used for the payment of an award or settle-
ment under this Act in connection with a violation of sec-
tion 201(a)(1) if the violation consists of an act of sexual 
harassment committed personally by a Member of the 
House of Representatives (including a Delegate or Resi-
dent Commissioner to the Congress) or a Senator.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to settlements and 
awards paid on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
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SEC. 2. MANDATORY CONSIDERATION BY ETHICS COMMIT-
TEES OF EXPULSION OF MEMBERS OF CON-
GRESS COMMITTING ACTS OF SEXUAL HAR-
ASSMENT 
UNDER 
CONGRESSIONAL 
AC-
COUNTABILITY ACT. 
(a) MANDATORY CONSIDERATION OF QUESTION OF 
EXPULSION.—Title V of the Congressional Accountability 
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 509 as section 510; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 508 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 509. MANDATORY CONSIDERATION BY ETHICS COM-
MITTEES OF QUESTION OF EXPULSION OF 
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS COMMITTING ACTS 
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT. 
‘‘If it is determined in any final decision entered 
under section 405(g) or 406(e), or in any decision in a 
civil action brought under section 408, that a violation of 
section 201(a)(1) occurred which consisted of an act of 
sexual harassment committed personally by a Member of 
the House of Representatives (including a Delegate or 
Resident Commissioner to the Congress) or a Senator, or 
if the payment of an award or settlement under this Act 
is ordered in connection with a violation of section 
201(a)(1) which consists of such an act— 
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‘‘(1) in the case of an act committed by a Mem-
ber of the House, the Committee on Ethics of the 
House of Representatives shall conduct an investiga-
tion and issue a report on the question of whether 
the Member should be expelled from the House; or 
‘‘(2) in the case of an act committed by a Sen-
ator, the Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate 
shall conduct an investigation and issue a report on 
the question of whether the Senator should be ex-
pelled from the Senate.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of such Act is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the item relating to section 
509 as relating to section 510; and 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 508 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 509. Mandatory consideration by ethics committees of question of expul-
sion of Members of Congress committing acts of sexual harass-
ment.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to acts occurring be-
fore, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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