H.R. 4646, Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025

April 13, 2026

Cost Estimate

As ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on December 17, 2025

H.R. 4646, Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025 As ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on December 17, 2025
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars		2026	2026-2031	2026-2036
Direct Spending (Outlays)		0	0	0
Revenues		0	0	0
Increase or Decrease (-) in the Deficit		0	0	0
Spending Subject to Appropriation (Outlays)		*	*	not estimated
Increases net direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037?	No	Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply?		No
	No	Mandate Effects
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037?	No	Contains intergovernmental mandate?		No
	No	Contains private-sector mandate?		No
* = between zero and $500,000.

H.R. 4646 would specify that existing whistleblower protections apply to all contracts, including subcontracts and personal services contractors, funded by appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), even if those contracts were executed before the whistleblower protections were enacted. Those protections shield whistleblowers from retaliation when they report wrongdoing, such as fraud, waste, and abuse.

CBO estimates that the administrative costs for HUD to implement H.R. 4646 would be insignificant over the 2026-2031 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Zunara Naeem. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

Phillip L. Swagel Director, Congressional Budget Office

Phillip L. Swagel

Director, Congressional Budget Office