H.R. 9967: Congress Leads by Example Act of 2026

This bill would change workplace rights and complaint procedures for employees covered by the Congressional Accountability Act, which applies to the legislative branch. In general, it would expand protections for congressional and related legislative branch employees, strengthen enforcement tools, and update how certain disputes are handled.

Workplace safety enforcement

The bill would give the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights stronger tools to enforce occupational safety and health rules in the legislative branch. It would:

• Expand subpoena power so the Office can enforce more parts of the Occupational Safety and Health Act as applied to legislative branch workplaces.
• Require employing offices to keep certain safety and health records that employers must keep under federal OSHA recordkeeping rules.
• Prohibit retaliation against employees who ask the General Counsel to take action on workplace safety issues or who participate in related proceedings.

These changes would take effect after the Office adopts implementing regulations, with interim rules used in the meantime.

New or expanded employee protections

The bill would add several protections for covered legislative branch employees, including employees of the Government Accountability Office and the Library of Congress in some cases.

• Whistleblower protections: It would bar employers from taking adverse action against employees or applicants who disclose information they reasonably believe shows a violation of law, gross mismanagement, gross waste, abuse of authority, or a substantial danger to public health or safety.
• Garnishment protection: It would prohibit an employee from being fired because their wages were garnished for one debt.
• Bankruptcy protection: It would prohibit discrimination in hiring, firing, or other employment decisions solely because someone is or was in bankruptcy, was insolvent, or did not pay a dischargeable debt.
• Parental bereavement leave: It would extend existing federal parental bereavement leave rights to covered legislative branch employees.

The bill also directs the Office to write regulations for these protections, generally using the same standards that apply in the executive branch unless the Office makes a justified change.

Broader coverage under existing anti-discrimination laws

The bill would require legislative branch employing offices to retain records needed to administer certain anti-discrimination laws, including laws covering race, sex, age, and disability discrimination. This recordkeeping requirement would apply to records generated 60 days after enactment.

It would also make several existing federal labor and employment protections apply more clearly to legislative branch employees, including:

• certain whistleblower rules,
• protections against discharge for wage garnishment,
• bankruptcy-related employment protections, and
• parental bereavement leave rights.

Jury service protections

The bill would extend protections against employment discrimination for jury service to more legislative branch workers. It would treat employees of Congress-related offices, the Government Accountability Office, the Government Publishing Office, and the Library of Congress as covered for this purpose.

Labor dispute and legal process changes

The bill would give the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights authority to seek temporary relief in certain unfair labor practice cases.

It would also make hearings and internal deliberations public in certain ADA public accommodations cases and labor-management relation cases, while still keeping deliberations themselves subject to the rule change described in the bill.

Mediation changes

Under the bill, mediation of a workplace claim would be required if either:

• the employing office asks for mediation and the employee agrees, or
• the employee asks for mediation.

This is a change from the current process and is intended to make mediation available when requested by the covered employee, not only when both sides agree under the current setup. These changes would apply to claims filed on or after enactment.

Relevant Companies

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