H.R. 2988 would create new protections for federal employees who report fraud or other improprieties, expand and clarify existing protections, and establish new procedures to ensure that employees receive timely relief if their claims of retaliation are affirmed. The bill also would extend whistleblower protections to noncareer appointees in the Senior Executive Service, Public Health Service officers or applicants, and members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s commissioned officer corps.
Specifically, the bill would:
Prohibit federal employees from disclosing a whistleblower’s identity,
Grant whistleblowers the right to furnish information to the Congress,
Permit whistleblowers to seek a review in district court if a retaliation claim is not adjudicated within 180 days,
Require federal agencies to pay attorneys’ fees for employees or former employees who prevail in proceedings before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and
Establish protections for federal employees who disclose censorship of research or technical information.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 800 (general government).
