The Judiciary Accountability Act of 2024 aims to provide clear guidelines and protections related to employment, veterans' rights, and judicial integrity. The Act includes provisions for reporting and notice procedures, the establishment of the Office of Judicial Integrity, and introduces methods for resolving disputes and protecting employee rights through anonymous reporting and advocacy.

This section provides definitions for key terms used throughout the act, such as "Board," referring to the Board of Directors of the Office of Judicial Integrity, and "covered employee," which includes any employee of an employing unit. It specifies what entities are considered "employing units," defines "other abusive conduct" as egregious behavior impacting an employee's work environment, and describes "workplace misconduct" as actions negatively affecting an employee's work.

This section states that several specific laws, including those related to civil rights, disabilities, age discrimination, and veterans' employment, will apply to the judicial branch of the Federal Government, even if other federal laws say otherwise.

The section outlines that all employment decisions must be free from discrimination based on race, age, disability, or genetic information, with remedies specified for each type of discrimination. It also extends these protections to unpaid staff like interns and applies amendments to existing laws, with the changes taking effect one year after the act is passed.

The section outlines the employment and reemployment rights of veterans, making it unlawful for employers to discriminate against eligible employees who are service members. It mandates the provision of reemployment rights and benefits, and specifies the remedies available for violations, with regulations to be issued for implementation, becoming effective one year after the act's enactment.

The section prohibits employers from intimidating, retaliating against, or discriminating against employees who oppose unlawful practices, initiate legal proceedings, or participate in related hearings. It outlines remedies for violations, sets the burden of proof, specifies where lawsuits can be filed, and states that these rules will take effect one year after the law is passed.

The section outlines the remedies and limitations under the Act, including the potential for awarding attorney's fees and interest for delays, but no civil penalties or punitive damages. It specifies that legal proceedings must follow the Act's procedures and rules, with certain exceptions for veterans, and clarifies the application of definitions, exemptions, and size limitations without allowing executive branch enforcement.

The section requires an annual report to be prepared and published by the Office, detailing payments related to specific claims, while ensuring the identity of claimants remains confidential; it also mandates statistical reports on data collected for each employing unit, analyzing trends compared to previous years.

Employing units are required to display a notice in a visible area where employee notices are usually posted. This notice must explain the rights and procedures for employees under this act, especially regarding discrimination and unlawful practices, and must also provide contact information for the Office.

The section establishes the Office of Judicial Integrity as an independent agency within the judicial branch, detailing the structure and functions of a Board of Directors. The Board, appointed by the Chief Justice, is responsible for overseeing a workplace misconduct prevention program, auditing its effectiveness, and maintaining integrity within the judicial system, while being subject to oversight by Congress and the Judicial Conference.

The text outlines the roles and responsibilities of various officials within the judicial integrity system, including the Judicial Integrity Officer, Deputy Judicial Integrity Officers, General Counsel, confidential advisors, directors of workplace relations, and employee dispute resolution coordinators. It specifies their appointment processes, terms, duties, and compensation, ensuring these individuals are qualified and adhere to strict guidelines to maintain judicial integrity and handle workplace misconduct and employee disputes efficiently.

The Judicial Integrity Officer is responsible for creating rules for the procedures of their Office, which must be approved by the Board and published in the Federal Register. The rulemaking process includes publishing a notice and allowing a 30-day public comment period before the rules can be finalized and considered official.

The section outlines how the Board should create, issue, and amend regulations, following specific procedures that include a proposal, a comment period, and publishing the final regulation in the Federal Register. It also allows interested parties to petition for changes and requires consultation with certain officials during the development of these regulations.

In fiscal year 2025 and beyond, the Office's expenses will be covered by appropriations as needed, but initially, for up to 12 months, the costs will come from other court funds until the appropriations begin. The Judicial Integrity Officer can order goods and services with other government branches, and witnesses in proceedings will receive the same fees and travel allowances as court witnesses, although certain employees testifying in their official role will have different travel expense entitlements.

This section describes the process for handling alleged violations of a specific law, including steps like filing a claim, review, mediation, and hearings. It also explains that employees can file a civil lawsuit if certain conditions are met and emphasizes the right to hire a lawyer at any stage, while also establishing standards for honest and legitimate assertions during the proceedings.

The section outlines how a covered employee can start legal proceedings if they believe a law has been violated. They need to file a written claim with the Office within 365 days of the incident, and the Office will handle the initial processing and notify relevant parties. An electronic system is also set up to track the proceedings and evaluate their effectiveness.

In this section, a Preliminary Hearing Officer is assigned to review claims within 7 days of their filing and must assess various criteria to determine if the claimant is eligible for relief. The officer then submits a report within 30 days, which may extend an additional 30 days if needed; if the claim is deemed ineligible, the claimant cannot proceed to a hearing but may file a civil action.

The section outlines the mediation process for resolving disputes involving covered employees and employing units, detailing steps for notification, initiation, and the timeline of mediation, which lasts 30 days and can be extended once. It ensures mediator independence and calls for a master list of qualified mediators, while stating that choosing not to mediate does not impact the treatment of the claim.

In this section, if an employee covered by the rules asks for a hearing about their claim, an independent officer will be appointed to conduct it, unless certain exceptions apply. The hearing should start within 90 days, and the hearing officer can allow discovery and issue subpoenas if needed to gather evidence. The officer will issue a decision on the claim within 90 days of the hearing's conclusion.

Any party unhappy with a decision made by a Merits Hearing Officer can ask the Board to review it within 30 days. The Board will listen to arguments from both sides and can overturn a decision if it's found to be unfair, made improperly, or not supported by enough evidence. The Board's decision will be written and can confirm, change, or send back the case for more review.

This section describes the process for judicial review and enforcement of decisions made by a Board, mainly handled by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, except in specific circumstances involving the court itself. It outlines who can be a respondent or intervene, which laws apply, how judicial review is conducted, and the criteria under which a court can overturn a Board's decision.

This section outlines that U.S. district courts have jurisdiction over civil actions by covered employees, specifies where these cases can be filed, identifies the defendant as the employing unit accused of violations, and allows for a jury trial if it would be available against a private defendant. Additionally, it prohibits informing the jury about potential compensatory damage limits in certain cases.

In Section 409, the court is allowed to evaluate the validity of a regulation related to certain proceedings under this Act, using specific criteria from section 706(2) of title 5 of the U.S. Code. If a regulation is found to be invalid, the court can apply another related regulation to address the issue, while general judicial review of regulations under this Act is not permitted unless specified.

This section states that no court can review actions or compliance matters related to this Act unless specified by certain sections like 401(b), 407, 408, and 409.

If the Board does not issue a required regulation for certain sections, a Preliminary Hearing Officer, Merits Hearing Officer, Board, or court will use the most applicable executive agency regulation to address the issue in the proceeding.

An expedited process allows appeals about the constitutionality of this Act to go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court must accept these appeals, prioritize them on its schedule, and handle them as quickly as possible if it hasn't ruled on the issue before.

The section explains that allowing certain legal actions under specified sections does not mean the government is giving up its sovereign immunity or the judicial independence protected by the Constitution.

Any settlement made by the parties involved in the procedure outlined in section 401 must be in writing and can only be finalized if the Judicial Integrity Officer approves it.

This section explains how payments for awards and settlements related to violations under the Act should be funded, outlining specific conditions for reimbursement when judges personally commit violations. It states the requirements for allocating funds to correct violations and details reimbursement responsibilities for judges, emphasizing that judges can be required to pay back certain amounts if they are found personally responsible for specific unlawful actions.

The section outlines the confidentiality rules for mediation, hearings, and deliberations, emphasizing that these should remain confidential except under certain conditions like judicial review and referrals. It also specifies the process for handling claims of judicial misconduct, including how records can be accessed by judicial councils, the Judicial Conference, and Congress, with provisions to protect personal information and make certain final decisions public.

The Office of Employee Advocacy (OEA) is established as an independent office within the judicial branch to provide legal assistance and representation for employees dealing with workplace discrimination cases, with a Director appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States. The OEA can offer legal help in all jurisdictions but is restricted from assisting employees who have filed their own civil actions, and it cannot accept attorney fees from cases related to violations of this Act.

The section establishes an anonymous reporting system for employees to report workplace misconduct, ensuring that these reports are forwarded to the appropriate officials without revealing the identity of the reporters. Additionally, it outlines specific forwarding procedures for reports involving misconduct by judges or other specified officials and mandates annual reporting of the collected data while protecting the anonymity of the reporters.

The section outlines amendments to the judicial conduct and disability complaints process. It includes rules to address discrimination as misconduct, expands complaint filing methods and definitions of judges, mandates reporting to Congress, supports complainants financially, and allows disclosure of information while protecting personal identities.

The section outlines how certain federal laws will apply to the District of Columbia courts, allowing the D.C. Council to create laws to support this application, except in matters related to judge appointments and removals which are protected from changes. Additionally, these changes will only begin once the D.C. Council enacts the necessary legislation.

The section outlines that the United States Tax Court will follow the same federal judicial branch laws as stated in section 102 of the Act. It also defines who is considered a "covered employee" and what constitutes an "employing unit," including various judges and clerks of the Tax Court. Additionally, the Tax Court is given powers akin to a judicial council, and it is directed to update its rules to align with recent amendments to the U.S. Code.

The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims must follow the same rules as the judicial branch of the federal government, and its employees have the same rights and remedies as other similar federal employees. Additionally, the court has certain powers similar to a judicial council and must update its regulations to comply with recent legal changes.

The section clarifies that the rules for judicial conduct and disability apply to judges in the District Court of Guam, with oversight by the Ninth Circuit Court similar to other U.S. courts. It also states that federal laws related to judicial accountability apply to Guam's court and defines which employees are covered under these laws.

The section addresses the application of judicial conduct rules and the Judiciary Accountability Act to the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. It specifies that judges of this court will be subject to the same conduct rules as other federal judges, gives oversight powers to the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit, and defines that laws applicable to the federal judiciary will also apply to this court, including its employees.

The section outlines that judges and magistrate judges of the District Court of the Virgin Islands are subject to the same judicial conduct and disability rules as other federal judges, granting the Third Circuit Court of Appeals certain oversight powers. Additionally, laws applicable to the federal judiciary, as defined by the Judiciary Accountability Act, also apply to the District Court of the Virgin Islands, including the definition of covered employees.

The section discusses how rules and laws concerning judicial conduct and accountability are applied to the Supreme Court. It specifies that these rules now include the Chief Justice, associate justices, and various employees, ensuring they are all held to the same standards as other courts in the federal judiciary system.

The section describes transition rules for current Employment Dispute Resolution Plans, allowing existing plans to remain valid and handle any ongoing disputes for one year after the law is enacted. It also details how current Directors of Workplace Relations and Coordinators will continue their roles until new appointments are made or one year passes, and defines an Employment Dispute Resolution Plan as one established under the Federal Judiciary Model adopted in 2018.

If any part of this act or its amendments is found to be unconstitutional, the remaining parts will still stand and continue to be in effect.