Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act

Bill: 115-s-2952
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2018-05-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Asia
Assault and harassment offenses
China
Civil actions and liability
Computer security and identity theft
Congressional committees
Congressional officers and employees
Congressional operations and organization
Congressional oversight
Debt collection
Disability and health-based discrimination
Employee leave
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Genetics
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
House Committee on Ethics
Human rights
Lawyers and legal services
Library of Congress
Members of Congress
Policy sciences
Right of privacy
Senate Select Committee on Ethics
Sex offenses
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Wages and earnings
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2018-05-24
text: 

Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act

 
This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise administrative and judicial dispute resolution procedures for initiating and resolving claims by employees alleging that employing offices have violated their CAA rights and protections, including protections against sexual harassment.
 
The bill revises CAA provisions, including to:
 
 
eliminate CAA counseling requirements and make mediation an employee's option before filing a claim with the Office of Compliance (OOC) alleging the violation;
 
require current and former Members of Congress to reimburse the Treasury for compensatory damages included in an award or settlement resulting from the Member's alleged act of discrimination or retaliation; 
 
require referral to congressional ethics committees of final disposition of claims alleging CAA violations by Members of Congress and senior staff of employing offices;
 
require non-congressional legislative offices that violate CAA requirements to reimburse the Treasury for resulting award or settlement payments;
 
extend CAA nondiscrimination requirements and remedies to uncompensated legislative branch interns, detailees, and fellows; and
 
provide OOC and CAA resources and services to employees outside of the Washington, DC area.
 
 
The bill applies CAA rights and protections to the China Review Commission, the Congressional-Executive China Commission, the Helsinki Commission, the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, and their employees.
 
Non-congressional CAA employing offices must develop programs to train and educate employees about their CAA rights and protections and available procedures to consider alleged CAA violations.
 
The bill renames the OOC the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-05-29
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2018-05-29
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2018-05-25
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2018-05-24
text: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S2899-2907; text: CR S2899-2906)
action_date: 2018-05-24
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote.(consideration: CR S2899-2907; text: CR S2899-2906)
action_date: 2018-05-24
text: Introduced in Senate