The House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution mandating sexual harassment training for members and their staff — which is expected to easily pass, according to a Republican leadership aide.
The resolution — sponsored by House Administration Committee Chairman Gregg Harper, top Democrat Robert Brady and Reps. Barbara Comstock and Jackie Speier — will require members of the House and their staffs to complete anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training during each session of Congress.
The move comes amid a wave of sexual harassment allegations engulfing Capitol Hill and marks the first step the House of Representatives has taken to change rules on the books for sexual harassment for congressional offices.
But it is not legislation. Like a similar Senate measure passed earlier this month — the resolution does not become law and only applies to the lower chamber. It falls short of the many more comprehensive pieces of legislation that have been proposed to focus on broader reforms to the Office of Compliance for reporting complaints and to bring more transparency to settlements.
“This resolution is a good first step,” Harper said in a statement, but “there is more work to do.”
On December 7, the Committee on House Administration will hold their second hearing on sexual harassment, focusing on the reporting and settlement process within the Office of Compliance.
