H.R. 4043 · 115th Congress
Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of 2017
Key: what the circles and colors mean
Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:
Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.
Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.
Passed the House without a recorded vote, then expired. It passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, which don't record how each member voted, but didn't become law before the 115th Congress ended.
R
BlumSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 D
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
- House Introduced Oct 12, 2017
- House Passed Mar 6, 2018
This bill permanently extends the requirement for inspectors general (IGs) to designate a Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman to educate agency employees about prohibitions on retaliation, and the rights and remedies against retaliation, for protected disclosures.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Oct 12, 2017
Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of 2017
This bill permanently extends the requirement for inspectors general (IGs) to designate a Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman to educate agency employees about prohibitions on retaliation, and the rights and remedies against retaliation, for protected disclosures.
The bill renames the Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman as the Whistleblower Protection Coordinator. It also expands the responsibilities of a Whistleblower Protection Coordinator to include the following:
- educating employees about specific rights and remedies (e.g., the means by which an employee may seek review of an allegation of reprisal);
- assisting the IG in promoting the timely and appropriate handling and consideration of protected disclosures and allegations of reprisal; and
- assisting the IG in facilitating communication and coordination with other relevant persons and entities regarding timely and appropriate handling and consideration of protected disclosures, allegations of reprisal, and other general matters.
A Whistleblower Protection Coordinator must have direct access to the IG to accomplish such responsibilities.
The bill also expands the responsibilities of the Council on the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to include the following:
- facilitating the work of the Whistleblower Protection Coordinators; and
- developing best practices for promoting the timely and appropriate handling and consideration of protected disclosures, allegations of reprisal, and other matters.
Finally, the bill adds reporting requirements for semiannual reports. Specifically, with respect to instances of whistle-blower retaliation by an official, an Office of Inspector General must report on (1) the actual consequences imposed on the official who engaged in retaliation, and (2) whether a settlement agreement was entered with that official.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of 2017
Latest action (Mar 7, 2018): Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 340.
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics · Origin: House · Introduced: Oct 12, 2017
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
- House Introduced Oct 12, 2017
- House Passed Mar 6, 2018
No recorded floor vote found.