The Office of Compliance (OOC) is the independent, non-partisan, Legislative Branch agency that administers the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) of 1995. 2 U.S.C. §1301, et seq. The mission of the OOC is simple – to provide a safe and accessible Legislative Branch that is free from unlawful discrimination.
The OOC accomplishes its mission by:
- operating its Administrative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system to resolve employee workplace and discrimination complaints arising under the CAA;
- carrying out an education and training program on the rights and responsibilities under the CAA;
- inspecting for safety and health and public access, and enforcing labor laws as applied in the CAA;
- advising Congress on needed changes and amendments to the CAA.
Federal Workplace Laws of the CAA of 1995
- Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970;
- Federal Labor Relations Act;
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
- Americans with Disabilities Act;
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
- Family and Medical Leave Act;
- Fair Labor Standards Act;
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act;
- Worker Readjustment and Retraining Act;
- Employee Polygraph Protection Act;
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act;
- Veterans Employment Opportunities Act;
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
Short History
Before Congress enacted the CAA, there were some administrative procedures in place for Legislative Branch employees to contest allegations of workplace discrimination, but there were no laws actually protecting these employees from discrimination. Additionally, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) protections did not apply to the Legislative Branch, and, unlike allegations of discrimination, there were no internal controls to ensure the application of the OSH Act. Prior to the enactment of the CAA, the Legislative Branch was not required to be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities
