The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee has approved legislation designed to strengthen
whistleblower protections for federal employees.
Introduced by Senators Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Susan
Collins, R-Maine, and approved by voice vote, the Federal
Employee Protection of Disclosures Act seeks to clarify
the scope of protections for whistleblowers and allow for
independent determination as to whether a whistleblower
was retaliated against by having security clearance revoked.
“This should give federal workers the piece of mind that
if they speak out, they will be protected,” said Collins.
“Full whistleblower protections will also help ensure that
Congress and our committee have access to the information
necessary to conduct proper oversight.”
The bill would give whistleblowers the right to appeal
Merit Systems Protection Board decisions in regional
courts of appeals and others — rather than just the
Federal Circuit court of appeals – for a five-year
period, and grant the Office of Special Counsel the
authority to file amicus briefs with federal courts on
behalf of whistleblowers.
The National Treasury Employees Union praised the bill
for “important reforms” protecting employees that notify
Congress when false statements have been made to them,
or that disclose classified information to Congress or
others that are authorized to receive it.
The union also praised the bill — S-494 — for permanently
blocking the government from requiring federal employees
to sign non-disclosure agreements that do not guarantee
free speech rights and waive certain rights under the
Whistleblower Protection Act.
