,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gjcb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #e1         
#bjah,mr4 ,gohmert introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,oversight and        
,government ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend the ,intelligence ,reform and     
,terrorism ,prevention ,act of #bjjd to 
enhance protections for individuals who 
hold a security clearance and who are   
subject to whistleblower retaliation1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,adam ,s4 ,lovinger ,whistleblower      
,reprisal ,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,findings 
,the ,congress finds the following3     
7#a7 ,united ,states ,government        
employees and contractors who properly  
and lawfully report gross mismanagement2
 gross waste of public funds2 violation 
of law1 rule1 or regulation2 abuses of  
authority2 or substantial and specific  
dangers to public health or safety      
further the interests of good governance

 and provide a valuable service to the  
,american public4  7#b7 ,despite efforts
 in recent years to protect             
whistleblowers--specifically1           
,presidential ,policy ,directive #ai and
 the codification of certain provisions 
of the ,directive at section #cjja7;j7  
of the ,intelligence ,reform and        
,terrorism ,prevention ,act of          
#bjjd--retaliatory denial1 suspension1  
or revocation of security clearance     
remains a very real threat for          
whistleblowers4 ,government officials   
can wield this threat with impunity due 
to the lack of defined penalties for    
misusing the security clearance system4 
7#c7 ,because those found to have       
engaged in unlawful whistleblower       
reprisal are often senior agency        
officials1 and because punishment for   
such misconduct is1 under current law1  
both undefined and exclusively within   
the discretion of agency management     
officials1 the retaliator often goes    
unpunished while the whistleblower is   

left to pick up the pieces of his or her
 career1 livelihood1 and reputation1    
often after months or years without a   
paycheck4  7#d7 ,defining penalties for 
unlawful whistleblower reprisal in the  
form of suspension1 denial1 or          
revocation of a security clearance1 or  
the recommendation1 threat1 or          
furtherance of the same1 places those   
contemplating misusing the security     
clearance system on notice that such    
behavior will not be tolerated1 serves  
as a strong deterrent to unlawful       
retaliation1 and ensures appropriate    
consequences are implemented when       
necessary4 ,the ,whistleblower          
,protection ,act of #aihi1 which covers 
all reprisal except that pertaining to  
security clearances1 has for many years 
done precisely that4 ,the lack of       
penalty congruence between the          
,whistleblower ,protection ,act and     
section #cjja7;j7 of the ,intelligence  
,reform and ,terrorism ,prevention ,act 
of #bjjd1 is inexplicable1 unwarranted1 

and remedied by this ,act4  7#e7 ,this  
,act recognizes that the suspension1    
denial1 or revocation of security       
clearance often has an even more        
insidious impact on a whistleblower than
 other forms of retaliation due to the  
inherent stigma of national security    
risk it carries4  #c4 ,penalties for    
retaliatory action against whistleblower
 who hold a security clearance  7a7 ,in 
general ,section #cjja7;j77#d7 of the   
,intelligence ,reform and ,terrorism    
,prevention ,act of #bjjd 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4
 #ccda7;j77#d77 is amended by adding at 
the end the following3  7,d7 ,penalties 
for reprisals  7i7 ,upon a finding by an
 inspector general of an agency or the  
,inspector ,general of the ,intelligence
 ,community that an officer or employee 
of an agency directed1 recommended1 or  
materially furthered a reprisal         
prohibited by paragraph 7#a71 the       
officer or employee shall be subject to 
one or more of the following adverse    
actions1 as determined by the head of   

the employing agency3  7,i7 ,a          
suspension from duty without pay for a  
period of at least #ad days4  7,,ii7 ,a 
reduction in grade4  7,,iii7 ,revocation
 of security clearance4  7,,iv7 ,removal
 from the ,federal service4  7,v7       
,referral to the ,office of ,personnel  
,management for debarment from the      
,federal service for a period not to    
exceed #aj years4  7ii7 ,for purposes of
 carrying out clause 7i71 an officer or 
employee materially furthered a reprisal
 if the officer or employee knew1 or    
reasonably should have known1 that the  
action was a reprisal prohibited by     
paragraph 7#a74  4  7b7 ,effective date 
,the amendment made by subsection 7a7   
shall take effect on the date that is   
#cj days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act4