,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edfd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ag1       
#bjai,ms4 ,speier 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,byrne1 ,ms4 ,underwood1 ,mr4           
,fitzpatrick1 and ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new  
,hampshire7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,house ,administration  ,a
 ,,bill  ,to amend the ,congressional   
,accountability ,act of #aiie 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 ,members1 to require the ,general   
,counsel of the ,office of              
,congressional ,workplace ,rights to    
conduct an investigation of all         
workplace discrimination claims filed by
 covered employees under such ,act1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,congressional ,accountability ,act     

,enhancement ,act4  #b4 ,requiring      
,members of ,congress to reimburse      
,treasury for amounts paid as           
settlements and awards under            
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie in all cases of employment        
discrimination acts by ,members  7a7    
,requiring reimbursement ,clause 7i7 of 
section #dae7;d77#a77;,c7 of the        
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #adae7;d77#a77;,c771
 as amended by section #aaa7;a7 of the  
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie ,reform ,act 7,public ,law        
#aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4 #ecjf7 is amended 
to read as follows3  7i7 a violation of 
section #bja7;a7 or section #bjf7;a72 or
  4  7b7 ,conforming amendment relating 
to notification of possibility of       
reimbursement ,clause 7i7 of section    
#djb7;b77#b77;,b7 of the ,congressional 
,accountability ,act of #aiie 7#b       
,u4,s4,c4 #adjb7;b77#b77;,b771 as       
amended by section #ajb7;a7 of the      
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  

#aiie ,reform ,act 7,public ,law        
#aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4 #ecja71 is amended
 to read as follows3  7i7 a violation of
 section #bja7;a7 or section #bjf7;a72  
or  4  7c7 ,effective date ,the         
amendments made by this section shall   
apply with respect to claims under the  
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie which are made on or after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act4  #c4
 ,requiring investigation by ,general   
,counsel of ,office of ,congressional   
,workplace ,rights of all claims filed  
by covered employees under              
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie  7a7 ,requiring investigation of  
claims ,section #djc of the             
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #adjc71 as amended  
by section #ajc7;a7 of the              
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie ,reform ,act 7,public ,law        
#aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4 #ecjc71 is amended
 to read as follows3  #djc4             
,investigation of claims  7a7           

,investigation ,upon the completion of  
the initial processing of a claim under 
section #djb7;b71 the ,general ,counsel 
shall conduct an investigation of the   
claim involved4  7b7 ,subpoenas ,to     
carry out an investigation under this   
section1 the ,general ,counsel may issue
 subpoenas in the same manner1 and      
subject to the same terms and           
conditions1 as a hearing officer may    
issue subpoenas to carry out discovery  
with respect to a hearing under section 
#dje1 except that the ,general ,counsel 
may issue such a subpoena on the        
,general ,counsel's own initiative1     
without regard to whether or not a party
 requests that the ,general ,counsel    
issue the subpoena4 ,it is the sense of 
,congress that the ,general ,counsel    
should issue subpoenas under this       
subsection only to the extent that other
 methods of obtaining information with  
respect to an investigation are         
insufficient to enable the ,general     
,counsel to conclude the investigation  

within the deadline described in        
subsection 7e74  7c7 ,report2 findings  
7#a7 ,report ,upon concluding an        
investigation of a claim under this     
section1 the ,general ,counsel shall    
transmit a written report on the results
 of the investigation to the covered    
employee and the employing office       
involved4  7#b7 ,inclusion of findings  
,the ,general ,counsel shall include in 
the report transmitted under paragraph  
7#a7 one of the following findings3     
7,a7 ,a finding that there is reasonable
 cause to believe that the employing    
office committed a violation of part ,a 
of title ,,ii1 as alleged in the covered
 employee's claim4  7,b7 ,a finding that
 there is no reasonable cause to believe
 that the employing office committed a  
violation of part ,a of title ,,ii1 as  
alleged in the covered employee's claim4
  7,c7 ,a finding that the ,general     
,counsel cannot determine whether or not
 there is reasonable cause to believe   
that the employing office committed a   

violation of part ,a of title ,,ii1 as  
alleged in the covered employee's claim4
  7#c7 ,notice of right to file civil   
action ,if the ,general ,counsel        
transmits a finding under subparagraph  
7,b7 of paragraph 7#b71 the ,general    
,counsel shall also transmit to the     
covered employee a written notice that  
the employee has the right to file a    
civil action with respect to the claim  
under section #djh4  7#d7 ,transmission 
to ,executive ,director ,if the ,general
 ,counsel transmits a finding under     
subparagraph 7,a7 or subparagraph 7,c7  
of paragraph 7#b71 the ,general ,counsel
 shall also transmit the report to the  
,executive ,director4  7#e7             
,transmission of report on investigation
 of certain claims to ,congressional    
ethics committees ,in the case of a     
report transmitted by the ,general      
,counsel under paragraph 7#a7 on the    
results of an investigation of a claim  
alleging a violation described in       
section #dae7;d77#a77;,a71 the ,general 

,counsel shall transmit the report to-- 
7,a7 the ,committee on ,ethics of the   
,house of ,representatives1 in the case 
of a violation involving a ,member of   
the ,house 7including a ,delegate or    
,resident ,commissioner to the          
,congress72 or  7,b7 the ,select        
,committee on ,ethics of the ,senate1 in
 the case of a violation involving a    
,senator4  7d7 ,recommendation of       
mediation ,at any time during the       
investigation of a claim under this     
section1 the ,general ,counsel may make 
a recommendation that the covered       
employee and the employing office pursue
 mediation under section #djd with      
respect to the claim4  7e7 ,deadline for
 concluding investigation ,the ,general 
,counsel shall conclude the             
investigation of a claim under this     
subsection1 and transmit the report on  
the results of the investigation1 not   
later than #ij days after the claim is  
filed under section #djb1 except that   
the ,general ,counsel may 7upon notice  

to the parties to the investigation7 use
 an additional period of not to exceed  
#cj days to conclude the investigation4 
4  7b7 ,conforming amendments relating  
to description of procedures available  
for consideration of alleged violations 
7#a7 ,in general ,section #dja7;a77#b7  
of such ,act 7#b ,u4,s4,c4              
#adja7;a77#b771 as amended by section   
#aja7;a7 of the ,congressional          
,accountability ,act of #aiie ,reform   
,act 7,public ,law #aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4
 #ebih71 is amended to read as follows3 
7#b7 an investigation of the claim1 to  
be conducted by the ,general ,counsel as
 provided in section #djc2 and  4  7#b7 
,conditions for availability of formal  
hearing ,section #dja7;a77#d7 of such   
,act 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #adja7;a77#d771 as   
amended by section #aja7;a7 of the      
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie ,reform ,act 7,public ,law        
#aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4 #ebih71 is amended
 to read as follows3  7#d7 a formal     
hearing as provided in section #dje1    

subject to ,board review as provided in 
section #djf1 and judicial review in the
 ,united ,states ,court of ,appeals for 
the ,federal ,circuit as provided in    
section #djg1 but only if1 pursuant to  
an investigation conducted by the       
,general ,counsel as provided in section
 #djc1 the ,general ,counsel finds      
either--  7,a7 that there is reasonable 
cause to believe that the employing     
office involved committed a violation of
 part ,a of title ,,ii as alleged in the
 covered employee's claim2 or  7,b7 that
 the ,general ,counsel cannot determine 
whether or not there is reasonable cause
 to believe that the employing office   
committed a violation of part ,a of     
title ,,ii as alleged in the covered    
employee's claim4  4  7#c7 ,right of    
employee to file civil action ,section  
#dja7;b7 of such ,act 7#b ,u4,s4,c4     
#adja7;b771 as amended by section       
#aja7;a7 of the ,congressional          
,accountability ,act of #aiie ,reform   
,act 7,public ,law #aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4

 #ebih71 is amended to read as follows3 
7b7 ,right of employee ,to file civil   
action  7#a7 ,civil action ,a covered   
employee who has filed a timely claim as
 provided in section #djb may1 during   
the period described in paragraph 7#c71 
file a civil action in a ,district      
,court of the ,united ,states with      
respect to the violation alleged in the 
claim1 as provided in section #djh4     
7#b7 ,effect of filing civil action     
,notwithstanding paragraph 7#b7 or      
paragraph 7#d7 of subsection 7a71 if the
 covered employee files such a civil    
action--  7,a7 the investigation of the 
claim by the ,general ,counsel as       
provided in section #djc1 or any        
subsequent formal hearing as provided in
 section #dje1 shall terminate upon the 
filing of the action by the covered     
employee2 and  7,b7 the procedure for   
consideration of the alleged violation  
shall not include any further           
investigation of the claim by the       
,general ,counsel as provided in section

 #djc or any subsequent formal hearing  
as provided in section #dje4  7#c7      
,period for filing civil action ,the    
period described in this paragraph with 
respect to a claim is the #gj-;day      
period which begins on the date the     
covered employee files the claim under  
section #djb4  7#d7 ,special rule for   
employees receiving finding of no       
reasonable cause under investigation by 
,general ,counsel ,notwithstanding      
paragraph 7#c71 if a covered employee   
receives a written notice from the      
,general ,counsel under section         
#djc7;c77#c7 that the employee has the  
right to file a civil action with       
respect to the claim in accordance with 
section #djh1 the covered employee may  
file the civil action not later than #ij
 days after receiving such written      
notice4  4  7#d7 ,special rules for     
,library of ,congress claimants ,section
 #dja7;d77#b7 of such ,act 7#b ,u4,s4,c4
 #adja7;d77#b771 as amended by section  
#aja7;a7 of the ,congressional          

,accountability ,act of #aiie ,reform   
,act 7,public ,law #aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4
 #ebih71 is amended by striking at any  
time before the date that is #aj days   
after a hearing officer submits the     
report on the preliminary review of the 
claim under section #djc7;c71 and       
inserting at any time prior to the      
expiration of the #aj-;day period which 
begins on the date the ,general ,counsel
 transmits the written report on the    
results of the investigation of the     
claim under section #djc7;c714  7c7     
,conforming amendments relating to      
hearings conducted after investigation  
7#a7 ,availability of hearing conducted 
by ,office of ,congressional ,workplace 
,rights ,section #dje7;a7 of such ,act  
7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #adje7;a771 as amended by 
section #ajc7;a7 of the ,congressional  
,accountability ,act of #aiie ,reform   
,act 7,public ,law #aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4
 #ecjc71 is amended to read as follows3 
7a7 ,requirement for hearings conducted 
by ,office  7#a7 ,result of certain     

findings by ,general ,counsel  7,a7 ,in 
general ,if the ,general ,counsel       
transmits a written report on the       
investigation of a covered employee's   
claim under section #djc which includes 
a finding described in subparagraph     
7,b71 and if the covered employee       
submits a request for a hearing to the  
,executive ,director prior to the       
expiration of the #aj-;day period which 
begins on the date the ,general ,counsel
 transmits such a written report1 the   
,office shall conduct a hearing to      
consider the claim and render a         
decision4  7,b7 ,findings described ,a  
finding described in this subparagraph  
is-- 7i7 a finding under section        
#djc7;c77#b77;,a7 that there is         
reasonable cause to believe that an     
employing office committed a violation  
of part ,a of title ,,ii1 as alleged in 
a claim filed by a covered employee2 or 
7ii7 a finding under section            
#djc7;c77#b77;,c7 that the ,general     
,counsel cannot determine whether or not

 there is reasonable cause to believe   
that the employing office committed a   
violation of part ,a of title ,,ii1 as  
alleged in the covered employee's claim4
  7#b7 ,exception ,paragraph 7#a7 does  
not apply with respect to a claim if the
 covered employee files a civil action  
as provided in section #djh with respect
 to the claim4  4  7#b7 ,deadline for   
commencement of hearing ,section        
#dje7;d77#b7 of such ,act 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 
#adje7;d77#b771 as amended by section   
#ajc7;d7 of the ,congressional          
,accountability ,act of #aiie ,reform   
,act 7,public ,law #aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4
 #ecjd71 is amended by striking no later
 than #ij days after the ,executive     
,director receives the covered          
employee's request for the hearing under
 subsection 7a7 and inserting no later  
than #ij days after the ,executive      
,director receives the ,general         
,counsel's report on the investigation  
of the claim4  7#c7 ,other conforming   
amendments ,section #dje7;c7 of such    

,act 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #adje7;c771 as       
amended by section #ajc7;d7 of the      
,congressional ,accountability ,act of  
#aiie ,reform ,act 7,public ,law        
#aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4 #ecjd71 is        
amended--  7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by   
striking the filing of a request for a  
hearing under subsection 7a7 and        
inserting the transmission by the       
,general ,counsel of a report under     
subsection 7a77#a72 and  7,b7 by        
striking paragraph 7#c74  7d7           
,conforming amendment relating to       
availability of mediation during process
 ,section #djd7;a77#c7 of such ,act 7#b 
,u4,s4,c4 #adjc7;a77#c771 as amended by 
section #ajd7;a7 of the ,congressional  
,accountability ,act of #aiie ,reform   
,act 7,public ,law #aae-cig2 #acb ,stat4
 #ecje71 is amended by striking         
including a preliminary review of the   
claim under section #djc and inserting  
including the investigation of the claim
 under section #djc4  7e7 ,clerical     
amendment ,the table of contents of such

 ,act is amended by amending the item   
relating to section #djc to read as     
follows3  ,sec4 #djc4 ,investigation of 
claims4  4