To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the use of public funds to make payments of awards and settlements in connection with violations of such Act which are committed by employing offices of the House of Representatives and Senate, and for other purposes.

Bill: 115-hr-4481
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lance, Leonard [R-NJ-7]
Introduced: 2017-11-29
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Appropriations

Civil actions and liability

Congressional officers and employees

Congressional operations and organization

Congressional oversight

Crime victims

Employment discrimination and employee rights

Government ethics and transparency, public corruption

Government information and archives

Members of Congress

Racial and ethnic relations

Right of privacy

Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2017-11-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-11-29
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to prohibit the use of public funds for payments of awards or settlements in connection with certain CAA violations of employees' rights and protections by employing offices of the House of Representatives or of the Senate.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4481 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 29, 2017 Mr. Lance 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 make payments of awards and settlements in connection with violations of such Act which are committed by employing offices of the House of Representatives and Senate, and for other purposes.

1. Prohibiting use of public funds to pay settlements and awards for claims under Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 involving employing offices of House and Senate (a) Prohibition (1) In general Section 415 of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1415 ) is amended— (A) in subsection (a), by striking subsection (c) and inserting subsections (c) and (d) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d) No use of public funds for payments of awards and settlements involving employing offices of House or Senate 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)(1) by an employing office of the House of Representatives or an employing office of the Senate. . (2) Effective date The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to settlements and awards paid on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Report on amounts previously paid (1) Report Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Office of Compliance shall submit to Congress and make available to the public on the Office’s public website a report on all payments made with public funds prior to the date of the enactment of this Act for awards and settlements in connection with violations of section 201(a)(1) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 by employing offices of the House of Representatives and employing offices of the Senate, and shall include in the report the following information: (A) The amount paid for each such award or settlement. (B) The source of the public funds used for the award or settlement, without regard to whether the funds were paid from the account described in section 415(a) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 1415(a) ), an account of the House of Representatives or Senate, or any other account of the Federal Government. (C) The identification of the employing office involved and any individual who committed the violation involved. (2) Protection of identity of individuals receiving awards and settlements In preparing and submitting the report required under this subsection, the Office of Compliance shall ensure that the identity of any individual who received an award or settlement, or who made an allegation of a violation against an employing office, is not disclosed.