H.R. 8126

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8126 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8126

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to require 
Members of Congress to reimburse the Treasury for amounts paid as 
settlements and awards under such Act in all cases of employment 
discrimination acts committed personally by Members, to permit 
individuals who file claims under such Act to file an amended claim if 
the preliminary review of the individual's claim by a hearing officer 
includes the determination that the individual filing the claim is not 
a covered employee under such Act or has not stated a claim for which 
relief may be granted under title IV of such Act, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 26, 2026

Ms. Scanlon (for herself and Ms. Underwood) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to require 
Members of Congress to reimburse the Treasury for amounts paid as 
settlements and awards under such Act in all cases of employment 
discrimination acts committed personally by Members, to permit 
individuals who file claims under such Act to file an amended claim if 
the preliminary review of the individual's claim by a hearing officer 
includes the determination that the individual filing the claim is not 
a covered employee under such Act or has not stated a claim for which 
relief may be granted under title IV of such Act, 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. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Congressional Accountability Act 
Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. REVISION OF RULES REQUIRING REIMBURSEMENT FOR AMOUNTS PAID AS 
SETTLEMENTS AND AWARDS UNDER CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY 
ACT OF 1995 IN CASES OF EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION.

(a) Requiring Members of Congress To Reimburse Treasury for Amounts 
Paid as Settlements and Awards in All Cases of Employment 
Discrimination Acts by Members.--
(1) Requiring reimbursement.--Clause (i) of section 
415(d)(1)(C) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 
U.S.C. 1415(d)(1)(C)) is amended to read as follows:
``(i) a violation of section 201(a) or 
section 206(a); or''.
(2) Conforming amendment relating to notification of 
possibility of reimbursement.--Clause (i) of section 
402(b)(2)(B) of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 
U.S.C. 1402(b)(2)(B)) is amended to read as follows:
``(i) a violation of section 201(a) or 
section 206(a); or''.
(b) Requiring Other Employing Offices To Reimburse Treasury for 
Amounts Paid in Claims Involving Retaliation for Filing Employment 
Discrimination Claim.--Section 415(e) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 1415(e)) is 
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``a violation of section 
201(a) or 206(a)'' and inserting ``a violation described in 
paragraph (4)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) Violations described.--A violation described in this 
paragraph is--
``(A) a violation of section 201(a) or 206(a); or
``(B) intimidation, reprisal, or discrimination 
that is unlawful under section 207 and is taken against 
a covered employee because of a claim alleging a 
violation described in subparagraph (A).''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to claims under the Congressional Accountability Act 
of 1995 which are made on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 3. PERMITTING INDIVIDUALS FILING CLAIMS UNDER CONGRESSIONAL 
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995 TO FILE AMENDED CLAIMS IF 
PRELIMINARY REVIEW INCLUDES DETERMINATION OF FAILURE TO 
STATE CLAIM FOR WHICH RELIEF MAY BE GRANTED.

(a) Permitting Filing of Amended Claims.--Section 403(d) of the 
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1402a(d)) is amended 
to read as follows:
``(d) Effect of Determination of Failure To State Claim for Which 
Relief May Be Granted.--
``(1) Permitting filing of amended version of claim.--If 
the hearing officer's report on the preliminary review of a 
claim under subsection (c) includes the determination that the 
individual filing the claim is not a covered employee or has 
not stated a claim for which relief may be granted under this 
title--
``(A) the individual may file an amended version of 
the claim under this section; and
``(B) the amended claim shall be subject to a 
preliminary review under this section in the same 
manner as the original version of the claim.
``(2) Effect of determination.--If the individual does not 
file an amended claim under paragraph (1)(A) prior to the 
expiration of the 10-day period which begins on the date the 
hearing officer submits the report on the preliminary review of 
the individual's original version of the claim under subsection 
(c), or if the hearing officer's report on the amended version 
of the claim includes the determination that the individual 
filing the claim is not a covered employee or has not stated a 
claim for which relief may be granted under this title--
``(A) the individual (including an individual who 
is a Library claimant, as defined in section 401(d)(1)) 
may not obtain a formal hearing with respect to the 
claim as provided under section 405; and
``(B) the hearing officer shall provide the 
individual and the Executive Director with a written 
notice that the individual may file a civil action with 
respect to the claim in accordance with section 408.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to claims under the Congressional Accountability Act 
of 1995 which are made on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 4. PERMITTING OFFICE OF EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO 
COVERED EMPLOYEES IN CONNECTION WITH CIVIL ACTIONS.

(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 724(c) of House Resolution 
724, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, if a covered employee of the House 
of Representatives under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 
files a civil action with respect to an alleged violation of such Act, 
as provided in section 408 of such Act, the Office of Employee Advocacy 
may provide assistance to the employee with respect to investigations 
or proceedings under such Act in connection with such alleged violation 
at any time, including after the employee files such action.
(b) Exercise of Rulemaking Authority.--This section is enacted by 
Congress--
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of 
Representatives, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules 
of the House of Representatives, and it supersedes other rules 
only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 
the House of Representatives to change the rules (so far as 
relating to the procedure of the House) at any time, in the 
same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other 
rule of the House.
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