Introduction to the Congressional Accountability Act and the Office of Compliance
The Congressional Accountability Act (CAA), enacted in 1995, was one of the first pieces of legislation passed by the 104th Congress. The CAA requires Congress and Legislative Branch entities to follow many of the same employment and workplace safety laws applied to private business and the Federal government. The CAA also established a dispute resolution procedure for the Legislative Branch that emphasizes counseling and mediation for the early resolution of disputes.
The CAA applies twelve civil rights, labor, and workplace safety laws to the U.S. Congress. These include the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988; the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Veterans’ employment and reemployment rights at Chapter 43 of Title 38 of the U.S. Code; and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The CAA was amended in 1998 to include certain provisions of the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act.
The CAA applies twelve civil rights, labor, and workplace safety laws to the U.S. Congress. These include the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988; the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Veterans’ employment and reemployment rights at Chapter 43 of Title 38 of the U.S. Code; and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The CAA was amended in 1998 to include certain provisions of the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act.
