Mr. Chairman Yoder, Ranking Member Ryan, and Members of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to submit for the record this statement regarding the budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 for the Congressional Office of Compliance (OOC). I want to express our appreciation to this Subcommittee for its continued support of the OOC and its mission of advancing workplace rights, safety, health, and accessibility for employees in the legislative branch and members of the public who visit the nation’s capital.
The OOC was established by the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act (CAA). It is responsible for enforcing the protections of the CAA for the covered community of employing offices and approximately 30,000 employees in the legislative branch. With 23 FTE positions inclusive of a part-time Board of Directors, the OOC serves the same functions as multiple agencies in the executive branch, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority, among others. The OOC administers the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system established by the CAA to resolve workplace disputes; it carries out a program of education respecting the laws made applicable to employing offices of the legislative branch by virtue of the CAA and to inform individuals of their rights under those laws; and it advises Congress on needed changes and amendments to the CAA. Furthermore, the OOC General Counsel (OCGC) is responsible for inspecting all facilities in the legislative branch for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) violations and for inspecting the public areas of all facilities in the legislative branch for compliance with Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The OCGC is also responsible for investigating alleged violations of the OSH Act, the ADA, and the Federal Service Labor Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS), and for filing and prosecuting complaints of OSH, ADA and FSLMRS violations. As a small agency with no redundant staff, the OOC also regularly contracts for the part-time services of other individuals such as mediators, hearing officers, and safety and health inspectors.
