Ethical Investigations and Integrity Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9859 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9859

   To require the Secretary of Labor to enter into adverse interest 
agreements if the Secretary shares information with an individual that 
    is related to a potential civil action, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2026

 Mr. Messmer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To require the Secretary of Labor to enter into adverse interest 
agreements if the Secretary shares information with an individual that 
    is related to a potential civil action, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ethical Investigations and Integrity 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ADVERSE INTEREST AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) In General.--In the event that the Secretary of Labor provides 
adverse assistance to an individual, prior to providing the adverse 
assistance, the Secretary shall--
            (1) enter into a written agreement with the individual that 
        details the nature and scope of such assistance; and
            (2) provide a copy of such agreement to any employer or 
        contractor that may be directly and adversely impacted by such 
        assistance.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and by December 31 of each year that 
        begins after such date, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
        a report containing information on all agreements to provide 
        adverse assistance in effect for the preceding fiscal year, 
        including, in relation to each such agreement--
                    (A) a copy of the agreement, with any information 
                described in subparagraph (2)(B) redacted;
                    (B) the date the agreement was entered into; and
                    (C) a detailed description of the nature and scope 
                of the assistance provided during the fiscal year, 
                including--
                            (i) the information shared, including the 
                        source, type, and amount of the information, 
                        and the date on which such information was 
                        shared;
                            (ii) a log of verbal communications, 
                        including--
                                    (I) the date of each communication;
                                    (II) the parties engaged in such 
                                communication;
                                    (III) the mode of communication; 
                                and
                                    (IV) the nature of any information 
                                shared; and
                            (iii) a log of meetings, including--
                                    (I) the date of each meeting;
                                    (II) the parties present at the 
                                meeting;
                                    (III) mode of the meeting; and
                                    (IV) the purpose of such meeting 
                                and the nature of any information 
                                shared.
            (2) Identifying information.--The report described under 
        paragraph (2)--
                    (A) shall identify the parties to each agreement; 
                and
                    (B) may not include any information that may be 
                used to identify any other person (including an 
                employer, contractor, or any other potential 
                defendant).
    (c) Existing Arrangements.--For the purposes of subsection (a), if, 
not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Labor takes the actions required in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
of such subsection in relation to an existing arrangement to provide 
adverse assistance, the Secretary shall be deemed to have taken such 
actions prior to providing such adverse assistance.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Adverse assistance.--The term ``adverse assistance'' 
        means assistance or advice, including the disclosure of 
        information, that is directed specifically toward an attorney 
        for potential use in a civil action under any covered law.
            (2) Covered law.--The term ``covered law'' means any 
        provision of law that is enforced by the Wage and Hour Division 
        of the Department of Labor as of the date of enactment of this 
        Act.
            (3) Employer.--The term ``employer'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 3 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 
        (29 U.S.C. 203).
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