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The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) (
Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States)104–1 (text)(PDF)), the first piece of legislation passed by the
104th United States Congress, applied several
civil rights,
labor, and
workplace safety and health laws to the U.S. Congress and its associated agencies, requiring them to follow many of the same employment and workplace safety laws applied to businesses and the
federal government. Previously, agencies in the
legislative branch had been exempt from these laws. The act also established a dispute resolution procedure as an alternative to filing claims in federal court. The act is administered and enforced by the
Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.[1]
The Congressional Accountability Act[2][3] was passed by vote of 98–1 in the Senate and 390–0 in the House.[4] The law was the first plank in the
Contract with America, the Republican Party agenda for the 1994 Congressional elections.
The act was amended by the passage of the Office of Compliance Administrative and Technical Corrections Act of 2015.(
H.R. 1213,
Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States)114–6 (text)(PDF))
Specific laws applied
The CAA applies twelve specific laws to the U.S. Congress and its associated agencies, giving various rights to the 30,000 employees in the legislative branch.[5][6]
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Offices in the legislative branch must make their public services, programs, activities, and places of public accommodation accessible to members of the public who have a disability.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Employees cannot be discriminated against in personnel actions because of a disability, and offices may be required to accommodate the special needs of a person with a disability.
Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employees cannot be harassed or discriminated against in personnel actions because of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Employees must get paid at least the current minimum wage, and certain employees are entitled to overtime pay.
Veterans' employment and reemployment rights in Chapter 43 of
Title 38 of the United States Code, and amended in 1998 to include portions of the
Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998. Employees cannot be discriminated against for past or present duty in the
uniformed services, and those who leave work to perform uniformed service are entitled to be reemployed in their old job after a service obligation ends.
Criticism
Due to revelations related to
Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual offenses and
other sexual victims, the Congress has been criticized for lack of regular civil rights protections for its workers against sexual harassment by
Members.[7][8] Many have advocated for changes in the Congressional Accountability Act in light of these scandals.[9]
^Ye Hee Lee, Michelle and Viebeck, Elise. (27 October 2017). "How Congress plays by different rules on sexual harassment and misconduct".
Washington Post website Retrieved 20 November 2017.