Title: To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the use of public funds to pay settlements and awards for workplace harassment and discrimination claims under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 which arise from acts committed personally by Members of Congress, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This bill amends (1) the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to prohibit the use of public funds to pay awards or settlements for certain violations of employees' rights and protections under the CAA committed personally by Members of Congress, and (2) the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit the use of campaign funds for such payments. The bill also prohibits the Members' Representational Allowance of a Member of the House of Representatives from being used for these settlements or awards.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4497 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4497

 To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the 
    use of public funds to pay settlements and awards for workplace 
     harassment and discrimination claims under the Congressional 
 Accountability Act of 1995 which arise from acts committed personally 
            by Members of Congress, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 30, 2017

   Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the 
     following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the 
    use of public funds to pay settlements and awards for workplace 
     harassment and discrimination claims under the Congressional 
 Accountability Act of 1995 which arise from acts committed personally 
            by Members of Congress, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. PROHIBITING USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO PAY SETTLEMENTS AND 
              AWARDS FOR CLAIMS UNDER CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT 
              OF 1995 WHICH ARISE FROM ACTS COMMITTED PERSONALLY BY 
              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 subsection:
    ``(d) No Use of Public Funds for Payments of Awards and Settlements 
in Connection With Acts Committed Personally by Members of Congress.--
            ``(1) In general.--No funds of the Treasury of the United 
        States, including the account described in subsection (a), an 
        account of the House of Representatives or Senate, or any other 
        account of the Federal Government, may be used for the payment 
        of an award or settlement in connection with a violation of 
        section 201(a) if the violation consists of an act committed 
        personally by a Member of the House of Representatives or a 
        Senator.
            ``(2) Personal liability of members and senators.--A Member 
        of the House of Representatives or Senator shall be personally 
        liable for the payment of an award or settlement described in 
        paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Prohibiting Use of Campaign Funds for Payments.--Section 313(b) 
of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30114(b)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Prohibiting use to pay awards or settlements in 
        claims brought against members of congress.--Notwithstanding 
        paragraph (2), a contribution or donation shall be considered 
        to be converted to personal use if it is used to pay an award 
        or settlement in connection with a violation of section 201(a) 
        of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 which consists 
        of an act committed personally by a Member of the House of 
        Representatives or a Senator.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to settlements and awards paid on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST USE OF MEMBERS' REPRESENTATIONAL ALLOWANCE 
              FOR PAYMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH ALLEGATIONS OF VIOLATIONS 
              OF CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995.

    The Members' Representational Allowance of a Member of the House of 
Representatives may not be used to pay awards, settlements, or other 
compensation in connection with allegations of any violation of section 
201(a) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 which consists 
of an act committed personally by the Member.
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