HR 4484 — Victims' Voice and Transparency Act

(a) Filing and review of claims Except as otherwise provided, the procedure for consideration of an alleged violation of part A of subchapter II consists of— (1) the filing of a claim by the covered employee alleging the violation, as provided in section 1402 of this title; (2) the preliminary review of the claim, to be conducted by a hearing officer as provided in section 1402a of this title; (3) mediation as provided in section 1403 of this title, if requested and agreed to by the parties under that section; and (4) a formal hearing as provided in section 1405 of this title, subject to Board review as provided in section 1406 of this title and judicial review in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit as provided in section 1407 of this title. (b) Right of employee to file civil action (1) Civil action Only a covered employee who has filed a claim timely as provided in section 1402 of this title and who has not submitted a request for a hearing on the claim pursuant to section 1405(a) of this title may, during the period described in paragraph (3), file a civil action in a District Court of the United States with respect to the violation alleged in the claim, as provided in section 1408 of this title. (2) Effect of filing civil action Notwithstanding paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (a), if the covered employee files such a civil action— (A) the preliminary review of the claim by the hearing officer as provided in section 1402a of this title shall terminate upon the filing of the action by the covered employee; and (B) the procedure for consideration of the alleged violation shall not include any further review of the claim by the hearing officer as provided in section 1402a of this title. (3) Period for filing civil action The period described in this paragraph with respect to a claim is the 70-day period which begins on the date the covered employee files the claim under section 1402 of this title. (4) Special rule for employees who fail to state a claim for which relief may be granted Notwithstanding paragraph (3), if a covered employee receives a written notice from the hearing officer under section 1402a(d)(2) of this title that the employee has the right to file a civil action with respect to the claim in accordance with section 1408 of this title, the covered employee may file the civil action not later than 90 days after receiving such written notice. (c) Special rule for Architect of the Capitol and Capitol Police In the case of an employee of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol or of the Capitol Police, the Office, after receiving a claim filed under section 1402 of this title, may recommend that the employee use the grievance procedures of the Architect of the Capitol or the Capitol Police for resolution of the employee’s grievance for a specific period of time. Any deadline in this chapter relating to a claim for which the employee is using the grievance procedures, that has not already passed by the first day of that specific period, shall be stayed during that specific period. (d) Election of remedies for Library of Congress (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Direct Act The term “direct Act” means an Act (other than this Act), or provision of the Revised Statutes, that is specified in section 1311, 1312, or 1313 of this title. (B) Direct provision The term “direct provision” means a provision (including a definitional provision) of a direct Act that applies the rights or protections of a direct Act (including rights and protections relating to nonretaliation or noncoercion) to a Library claimant. (C) Library claimant The term “Library claimant” means, with respect to a direct provision, an employee of the Library of Congress who is covered by that direct provision. (2) Election after proceedings initially brought under this chapter A Library claimant who initially files a claim for an alleged violation as provided in section 1402 of this title may, at any time before th...