The Judiciary Accountability Act of 2024 outlines its contents with a structure divided into five titles. These titles cover general definitions and applications of laws; rights and protections against employment discrimination, including those for veterans; the establishment and operation of the Office of Judicial Integrity; procedures for resolving disputes; and various miscellaneous provisions related to judicial conduct, courts, and confidentiality.

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.

In Section 202, the bill outlines the employment and reemployment rights of veterans who serve in the uniformed services, making it illegal for employers to discriminate or deny them certain job benefits and protections. The section also specifies the remedies for violations, requires the creation of regulations for implementation, and sets the provisions to take effect one year after the bill'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.

This section outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Judicial Integrity Officer and related positions such as Deputy Judicial Integrity Officers, General Counsel, and others in the Office. It specifies appointment procedures, qualifications, terms, and duties for each role, including their involvement in workplace misconduct prevention and employee dispute resolution, and also describes the appointment of confidential advisors and other staff.

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.

For the expenses of the Office, the bill authorizes necessary funding for the current and future fiscal years, allowing temporary use of court funds until then. It also permits the Judicial Integrity Officer to order goods and services across government branches and specifies that witnesses in certain hearings get the same fees as court witnesses, while certain employees can claim travel expenses.

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.

A covered employee who believes their legal rights have been violated must file a written claim with the Office according to specific procedures, including a 180-day deadline for filing. The Office will notify relevant parties and provide a secure electronic system to track proceedings, ensuring all parties have access and helping assess the effectiveness of these procedures over time.

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.

SEC. 416 ensures confidentiality in mediation, hearings, and deliberations related to judicial procedures, allowing records to be public for judicial review if necessary. It outlines conditions under which claims involving judges are referred to judicial councils, protects personal information, and allows access to records by judicial bodies and Congress, while permitting parties involved in claims to disclose factual information about their cases.

The proposed changes to the judicial conduct and disability complaints process seek to classify discrimination and retaliation as judicial misconduct, ensure complaints are thoroughly processed even if a judge leaves their position, and expand protections for judicial employees. It also aims to improve transparency by increasing reporting to Congress and allows complainants to disclose information about their complaints, with provisions for reimbursing reasonable expenses incurred by them during investigations.

This part of the bill states that the same laws that apply to the federal court system will also apply to the courts in Washington, D.C. It allows the D.C. Council to make necessary laws to implement this, but it cannot change rules about the terms and removal of judges.

The United States Tax Court is subject to laws applicable to the Federal Government's judicial branch, defines what constitutes a covered employee and an employing unit under this Act, and grants the court powers similar to those of a judicial council. Additionally, the court must update its rules to align with the changes made by this Act.

The section of the bill applies laws relevant to the judicial branch to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, defines its employees and their rights, and details powers related to judicial councils, requiring the court to adjust its regulations in accordance with recent legal amendments.

This section of the bill expands certain rules and powers to include the District Court of Guam, ensuring its judges and employees are subject to the same judicial conduct and accountability standards as the rest of the Federal judicial branch. It clarifies how judicial misconduct and disability cases will be managed, specifically involving the Ninth Circuit, and ensures that federal laws covering employee rights are applicable to the court’s staff.

The section extends the application of judicial conduct and accountability rules, as well as specific provisions from the Judiciary Accountability Act, to the judges and employees of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. It specifies how complaints and disciplinary procedures are managed and aligns the court's employees under federal judicial branch laws.

The section outlines new rules for judicial conduct and accountability in the District Court of the Virgin Islands. It ensures the same rules for conduct and discipline that apply to other federal judges are also applied to judges of this court, while also making sure that laws applicable to federal judicial employees cover the court's staff.

The section explains the transition rules for Employment Dispute Resolution Plans that are in place when a new act is enacted. Current plans will stay active for one year after the act passes, with special instructions about how claims should be handled before and after the act's effective date. It also details how current employees involved in dispute resolution should continue their roles until new appointees take over or until one year has passed since the act's enactment.

If any part of this law or its amendments is found to be unconstitutional, the rest of the law and its amendments will still remain in effect and continue to be applied.