Walberg, Braun introduce legislation to increase transparency and accountability in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-05) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Transparency and Accountability Act. The bill would require EEOC Commissioners to decide, by majority vote, to commence or intervene in litigation for certain cases. The legislation would also require that the Commission publicly post online information related to litigation, including each Commissioner’s vote on deciding whether to commence legislation. 

“The public is best served when federal agencies operate in an open and transparent manner,” said Rep. Walberg. “Our legislation will help better shine a light on the actions of the EEOC and make information more readily available to the public.” 

“The agency tasked with protection against workplace discrimination must ensure fairness and transparency. This bill would promote openness and accessibility to the EEOC’s decisions which affect all working Americans,” said Sen. Braun.

Background:
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency tasked with enforcing federal laws that protect individuals from employment discrimination, including the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 1995, the Commission delegated a large portion of its litigation authority to the General Counsel’s Office. During the Trump Administration, the Commission voted to reclaim their authority and increase accountability by requiring Commission approval for certain cases. Under the Biden Administration, the EEOC is widely expected to reverse these changes and give more power back to the general counsel, reducing transparency and accountability.