Washington, D.C. - February 10, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) joined his colleagues in supporting two pieces of legislation to overhaul Congressional sexual harassment policies and change the process of reporting sexual harassment claims under the Congressional Accountability Act. The bill, H.R. 4924, and resolution, H.Res. 724, both passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a voice vote.
The resolution would establish an office of Employee Advocacy that would provide resources to House employees regarding harassment procedures. It also requires every House office to adopt an anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy. Congressman Latta’s office already has established anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies in place.
H.R. 4924 requires any payments of discrimination and harassment settlements to be paid from the personal funds of the Member for Congress, not from taxpayer money. Previously, members would be able to pay settlements using House legal settlement funds or the Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA). It also ends the requirement that accusers go through mandatory counseling and mediation to bring forward a case.
“The cases of bad behavior in Congressional offices highlighted over the past few months show just how inadequate Capitol Hill policies are when it comes to discrimination and harassment,” said Latta. “As many in the private sector come to grips with employee harassment, Congress can’t keep its head buried in the sand and keep rules in place that put victims at a distinct disadvantage. The pieces of legislation passed today will overhaul the reporting system, and put in place strong protections for employees.”
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