•HRES 724 IH 
IV of such Act (other than a civil action 
filed under section 408 of such Act); and 
(ii) in any proceedings of the Office of 
Compliance, the Committee on Ethics of 
the House of Representatives (including 
the Office of Congressional Ethics), or any 
other administrative or judicial body re-
lated to the alleged violations of such Act 
which are the subject of the proceedings 
initiated by the covered employee, or the 
proceedings in which the covered employee 
participates, under title IV of such Act. 
(C) Operating a hotline through which cov-
ered employees of the House under such Act 
may contact the Office. 
(2) AUTHORITY
TO
PROVIDE
ASSISTANCE
IN 
ANY
JURISDICTION.—Notwithstanding any law re-
garding the licensure of attorneys, an attorney who 
is employed by the Office and is authorized to pro-
vide legal assistance and representation under this 
section is authorized to provide that assistance and 
representation in any jurisdiction, subject to such 
regulations as may be prescribed by the Office. 
(3) NATURE OF RELATIONSHIP.—The relation-
ship between the Office and an employee to whom 
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•HRES 724 IH 
the Office provides legal assistance, consultation, 
and representation under this section shall be the re-
lationship between an attorney and client. 
(4) PROHIBITING ACCEPTANCE OF AWARD OF 
ATTORNEY FEES OR OTHER COSTS.—The Office may 
not accept any award of attorney fees or other litiga-
tion expenses and costs under any hearing or civil 
action brought under the Congressional Account-
ability Act of 1995. 
(5) PROHIBITING ASSISTANCE IN OTHER MAT-
TERS OR PROCEEDINGS.—The Office may not pro-
vide any legal assistance, consultation, or represen-
tation with respect to any matter or proceeding 
which does not arise under the Congressional Ac-
countability Act of 1995. 
(c) PROHIBITING PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE UPON 
FILING OF CIVIL ACTION.—If a covered employee of the 
House files a civil action with respect to an alleged viola-
tion of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, as 
provided in section 408 of such Act, the Office may not 
provide assistance under this section to the employee with 
respect to investigations or proceedings under such Act 
in connection with such alleged violation at any time after 
the employee files such action. 
(d) DIRECTOR.— 
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•HRES 724 IH 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Office shall be headed 
by a Director who shall be appointed by the Chief 
Administrative Officer of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS; NONPARTISANSHIP OF PO-
SITION.—The individual appointed as Director shall 
be a lawyer who is admitted to practice before the 
United States District Court for the District of Co-
lumbia and who has experience in representing em-
ployees in workplace discrimination cases. 
(3) COMPENSATION.—The Director shall be 
paid at an annual rate established by the Chief Ad-
ministrative Officer. 
(4) REMOVAL.—The Director may be removed 
by the Chief Administrative Officer only for cause. 
(e) OTHER PERSONNEL.—Subject to regulations of 
the Committee on House Administration and with the ap-
proval of the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director 
may appoint and fix the compensation of such additional 
personnel as the Director determines to be necessary to 
carry out the functions of the Office. 
(f) NONPARTISANSHIP OF POSITIONS.—The Director 
and the other personnel of the Office shall be appointed 
without regard to political affiliation and solely on the 
basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. 
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•HRES 724 IH 
SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS OF OFFICE OF HOUSE EMPLOYMENT 
COUNSEL. 
(a) FUNCTIONS DESCRIBED.—The Office of the 
House Employment Counsel established under the Office 
of the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall carry 
out all of the functions which the Office carried out as 
of the date of the enactment of this Act, including the 
following: 
(1) Providing legal assistance and representa-
tion to employing offices of the House with respect 
to proceedings under the Congressional Account-
ability Act of 1995 which are brought by covered 
employees of the House under such Act. 
(2) Providing employing offices of the House 
with confidential advice and counseling regarding 
compliance with employment laws. 
(3) Providing training to managers and employ-
ees regarding employment law compliance. 
(b) NO EFFECT ON PENDING PROCEEDINGS.—Noth-
ing in this section may be construed to affect any pro-
ceeding to which the Office is a party that is pending on 
the date of the enactment of this Act, including any suit 
to which the Office is a party that is commenced prior 
to such date. 
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•HRES 724 IH 
SEC. 4. REQUIRING INCLUSION OF CERTIFICATIONS ON 
PAYROLL AUTHORIZATION FORMS OF HOUSE 
OF REPRESENTATIVES OF NO CONNECTION 
BETWEEN PAYROLL ACTIONS AND AWARDS 
AND SETTLEMENTS UNDER CONGRESSIONAL 
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995. 
(a) REQUIRING INCLUSION OF CERTIFICATION ON 
FORMS.—The Chief Administrative Officer of the House 
of Representatives shall incorporate, as part of the Payroll 
Authorization Form used by an office of the House to reg-
ister the appointment of an employee to the office or a 
salary adjustment or title change with respect to an em-
ployee of the office— 
(1) a certification to be made by the author-
izing official of the office that the appointment, sal-
ary adjustment, or title change is not made to pay 
a settlement or award in connection with conduct 
prohibited under the Congressional Accountability 
Act of 1995; and 
(2) in the case of an office of a Member of the 
House, a certification by the Member that any 
amounts in the Members’ Representational Allow-
ance for the office which may be used to carry out 
the appointment, salary adjustment, or title change 
are not being used to pay a settlement or award in 
connection with conduct prohibited under such Act. 
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(b) REQUIRING CERTIFICATION AS CONDITION OF 
PROCESSING PAYROLL ACTION.—The Chief Administra-
tive Officer may not process any Payroll Authorization 
Form with respect to an office of the House if the Form 
does not include the certifications required with respect 
to that office under subsection (a). 
SEC. 5. SEXUAL HARASSMENT AS VIOLATION OF HOUSE 
CODE OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT. 
Clause 9 of rule XXIII of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives is amended by striking ‘‘such indi-
vidual,’’ and inserting ‘‘such individual, including by com-
mitting an act of sexual harassment against such indi-
vidual,’’. 
SEC. 6. SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HOUSE MEM-
BERS AND EMPLOYEES AND UNWELCOME 
SEXUAL ADVANCES AS VIOLATION OF HOUSE 
CODE OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT. 
Rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representa-
tives is amended— 
(1) by redesignating clause 18 as clause 19; 
and 
(2) by inserting after clause 17 the following 
new clause: 
‘‘18.(a) A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commis-
sioner may not engage in a sexual relationship with any 
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employee of the House who works under the supervision 
of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner. This 
paragraph does not apply with respect to any relationship 
between two people who are married to each other. 
‘‘(b) A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, 
officer, or employee of the House may not engage in un-
welcome sexual advances or conduct towards another 
Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or em-
ployee of the House. 
‘‘(c) In this clause, the term ‘employee’ includes an 
applicant for employment, a paid or unpaid intern (includ-
ing an applicant for an internship), a detailee, and an indi-
vidual participating in a fellowship program.’’. 
SEC. 7. EFFECT OF INITIATION OF PROCEEDINGS UNDER 
CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 
1995 ON AUTHORITY OF OFFICE OF CONGRES-
SIONAL ETHICS TO CONSIDER ALLEGATIONS. 
The Office of Congressional Ethics may not initiate 
or continue any investigation of an allegation of a violation 
of law made applicable to employing offices of the House 
of Representatives under part A of title II of the Congres-
sional Accountability Act of 1995, or make any rec-
ommendations regarding such an allegation, if a covered 
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employee initiates proceedings with respect to the alleged 
violation under title IV of such Act. 
Æ 
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