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Title 2 — The CongressRelease 119-73

§1408 Civil action

Title 2 › Chapter CHAPTER 24— - CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL DISPUTE-RESOLUTION PROCEDURES › § 1408

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Federal district courts must hear civil lawsuits filed by a covered employee under section 1401 and this law. The defendant in those cases is the employing office accused of the violation or where the problem happened. Either side can ask for a jury when a jury would be allowed under the law that applies. If the claim is under section 1311, the court must not tell the jury the maximum compensatory damages listed in 1311(b)(1) or 1311(b)(3). House Employment Counsel and other lawyers in that Office may appear for House employing offices in state or federal courts without following local court admission rules, but they cannot be admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court that way. "Office of House Employment Counsel of the House of Representatives" means: (A) the Office set up under the Clerk of the House and operating on November 12, 2001; (B) any successor office set up after November 12, 2001; and (C) any person the House Rules allow to give legal help to House employing offices in these cases.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §1408

The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction over any civil action commenced under section 1401 of this title and this section by a covered employee.
(b)The defendant shall be the employing office alleged to have committed the violation, or in which the violation is alleged to have occurred.
(c)Any party may demand a jury trial where a jury trial would be available in an action against a private defendant under the relevant law made applicable by this chapter. In any case in which a violation of section 1311 of this title is alleged, the court shall not inform the jury of the maximum amount of compensatory damages available under section 1311(b)(1) or 1311(b)(3) of this title.
(d)(1)The House Employment Counsel of the House of Representatives and any other counsel in the Office of House Employment Counsel of the House of Representatives, including any counsel specially retained by the Office of House Employment Counsel, shall be entitled, for the purpose of providing legal assistance and representation to employing offices of the House of Representatives under this chapter, to enter an appearance in any proceeding before any court of the United States or of any State or political subdivision thereof without compliance with any requirements for admission to practice before such court, except that the authorization conferred by this paragraph shall not apply with respect to the admission of any such person to practice before the United States Supreme Court.
(2)In this subsection, the term “Office of House Employment Counsel of the House of Representatives” means—
(A)the Office of House Employment Counsel established and operating under the authority of the Clerk of the House of Representatives as of November 12, 2001;
(B)any successor office to the Office of House Employment Counsel which is established after November 12, 2001; and
(C)any other person authorized and directed in accordance with the Rules of the House of Representatives to provide legal assistance and representation to employing offices of the House of Representatives in connection with actions brought under this subchapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (c) and (d)(1), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 104–1, Jan. 23, 1995, 109 Stat. 3, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1301 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–397 substituted “section 1401 of this title” for “section 1404 of this title” and struck out “who has completed counseling under section 1402 of this title and mediation under section 1403 of this title. A civil action may be commenced by a covered employee only to seek redress for a violation for which the employee has completed counseling and mediation” after “covered employee”. 2001—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–68 added subsec. (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–397 effective upon expiration of the 180-day period beginning on Dec. 21, 2018, with provisions for effect on pending proceedings, see section 401 of Pub. L. 115–397, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2001 Amendment Pub. L. 107–68, title I, § 119(b), Nov. 12, 2001, 115 Stat. 574, provided that: “The amendment made by this section [amending this section] shall apply with respect to proceedings occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 12, 2001].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 1408

Title 2 — The Congress

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73