The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill that would overhaul decades-old rules for reporting and punishing sexual harassment and other workplace violations.
The bill would require lawmakers, not the federal government, pay harassment settlements.
A similar measure passed the House in February, but the two bills are not identical, so a compromise will have to be reached and passed again through both chambers.
One change that could be introduced before a final measure clears Congress is the addition of language holding lawmakers accountable for paying back the Treasury even after they leave Congress.
The House Ethics Committee issued a rare statement Thursday calling for Congress to make that change, and noting that ex-Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, has decided not to reimburse the federal government for a harassment claim it settled with Farenthold’s former employee. Farenthold said he would reimburse taxpayers for the $84,000 settlement, but never did.
“We believe any proposal … should include provisions to ensure that members remain personally liable for their own conduct with respect to discrimination and retaliation and that they remain liable even if they leave Congress,” a statement from the Ethics panel said.
Like the House-passed bill, the Senate measure passed Thursday revises the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act, which governs how Capitol Hill responds to workplace complaints ranging from racial discrimination to sexual harassment.
“This is a big step in the right direction towards transparency and accountability,” Sen Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said after the measure passed.
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., co-authored the measure with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
Blunt said the bill would, among other things, eliminate the lengthy waiting period — up to 90 days for mandatory counseling and arbitration — that now prevents a victim of harassment from quickly taking someone to court.
He said the bill would also ensure that lawmakers “have personal liability” for harassment settlements, although he did not specify the details.
Under current law, taxpayers often foot the bill when lawmakers are found liable for harassment and a payout is provided to a victim. The House and Senate combined have paid millions to victims of sexual harassment and other workplace complaints.
