H.R. 652 – Congressional Intern Protection Act of 2017

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 11:51 AM UTC

The Congressional Intern Protection Act of 2017 would expand the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 so that unpaid interns working in the legislative branch receive the same workplace harassment and discrimination protections that employees have. It applies to current, former, and prospective interns and defines who qualifies as an intern.

Key Provisions

Amends the existing law to add a new subsection that extends the Act’s anti‑harassment and anti‑discrimination rules to unpaid interns.
Specifies that the same protections that apply to employees (subsections (a) and (b) of the original law) also apply to interns, including applicants and former interns.
Defines an “intern” as a person who provides unpaid, voluntary service for a congressional office to earn academic credit or to learn a trade or occupation.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 24, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 24, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

January 24, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 24, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 652

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 24, 2017

Mr. Cummings (for himself, Ms. Meng, Mr. Scott of Virginia, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to protect unpaid interns in the legislative branch from workplace harassment and discrimination, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Congressional Intern Protection Act of 2017.

2.

Extension to unpaid interns of rights and protections against employment discrimination under Congressional Accountability Act of 1995

Section 201 of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1311) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection:

(d)

Application to Unpaid Interns

(1)

In general

Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply with respect to an intern, including an applicant for an internship and a former intern, in the same manner and to the same extent as such subsections apply with respect to an employee.

(2)

Intern defined

The term intern means an individual who performs uncompensated voluntary service for an employing office to earn credit awarded by an educational institution or to learn a trade or occupation.

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