WASHINGTON (AP)Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is introducing new legislation to address the issue of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill.
“Congress should never be above the law or play by their own set of rules,” Gillibrand said in a statement, per Politico “The current process has little accountability and even less sensitivity to victims of sexual harassment.”
Sexual harassment prevention training isn’t mandatory for lawmakers and those who allege misconduct against their coworkers are required to take a 30-day “meditation” period before filing formal complaints.
Gillibrand’s proposed bill would go beyond simply requiring mandatory sexual harassment prevention training for members; it would also include a complete overhaul of the office that manages workplace misconduct on the Hill, the Office of Compliance.
It would also grant interns on the Hill to file harassment complaints in the same way as full-time employees, as well as require every congressional office to publicly post information about employees’ rights.