For the full text of the CAA, click here: 2 U.S.C. §§ 1301 et seq.
The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), Pub. L. 104-1, passed on January 23, 1995, was the first bill signed into law by the 104th Congress. The CAA requires Congress to apply to itself many of the same employment laws that apply to the private sector and the executive branch of the federal government. The CAA established the Office of Compliance (OOC) to enforce the provisions of the CAA. The OOC opened its doors one year later, on January 23, 1996.
On December 21, 2018, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act (CAA Reform Act), Pub. L. 115-397. The CAA Reform Act changed the name of the office from the OOC to the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), expanded certain protections to unpaid staff, mandated a biennial survey of the legislative branch workplace environment, and significantly reformed the process to resolve claims alleging violations of workplace rights under the CAA.
As a result of the CAA Reform Act:
- A Confidential Advisor is available to consult with covered employees and inform them of their rights under the CAA and the OCWR procedures to assert those rights. The Confidential Advisor may also assist an employee in drafting a claim alleging a violation of the CAA.
- A revised administrative dispute resolution process is in place and a secure, online e-filing system is available to covered employees who wish to file a claim under the CAA.
- Workplace protections prohibiting discrimination and harassment extend to unpaid employees, including interns and fellows (see the Covered Community page for more details).
- Employing offices are required to post the OCWR’s congressional workplace rights poster to inform staff of their workplace protections.
- Once each Congress, the OCWR conducts a survey of the workplace environment in the offices of the legislative branch.
Today, the CAA applies a wide range of laws that protect more than 30,000 employees of the legislative branch who work nationwide and prohibit barriers to access for people with disabilities. The OCWR administers and ensures the integrity of the CAA through its programs of education, dispute resolution, safety and health, public accessibility, and labor-management relations.
Questions? Please contact the OCWR at (202) 724-9250.