HOUSE OF REPS/PAUL RYAN: “Members of the U.S. House of Representatives could no longer use public funds for awards or settlements in sexual harassment cases under bipartisan legislation unveiled on Thursday [1-18-18] that updates a 20-year law governing the rights of congressional employees.
Leaders from both parties, including Speaker Paul Ryan, the most powerful lawmaker in the chamber, support the bill, indicating it should pass quickly and easily in a Congress frequently frozen by partisan standoffs…
When that wave swept through Capitol Hill, the congressional Office of Compliance revealed it had paid out more than $160,000 in the last decade to settle sexual harassment or discrimination claims against lawmakers, sparking outrage that public money may have been used as a ‘hush fund.’ Lawmakers and activists also began to say that protections for congressional employees passed in 1995 were woefully out-of-date…
The bill also requires the compliance office to report and publish information on awards every six months with details on the claims and to survey employees about their work environment every two years. It beefs up employee protections, such as providing an advocate to assist workers in proceedings conducted by the office or the Ethics Committee, as well.”
-Reuters Staff, “U.S. lawmakers may soon be liable for sexual harassment payouts,” Reuters, Jan. 18, 2018 12:09pm