,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgih  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #f1  
#bjai,mr4 ,paul introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,homeland         
,security and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a
 ,,bill  ,to ensure whistleblowers who  
are ,government employees or contractors
 receive adequate protection4  #a4      
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,whistleblower ,protection ,act of  
#bjai4  #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act--
 7#a7 the term ,federal contractor means
 a contractor or subcontractor 7at any  
tier7 of the ,united ,states            
,government2 and  7#b7 the term         
personnel action-- 7,a7 has the meaning 
given that term in section #bcjb of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2 and    
7,b7 includes other disciplinary or     
corrective action and performance       
evaluations by an employer4  #c4        
,whistleblower protections for          
contractors  7a7 ,prohibited personnel  

practices ,an employee of a ,federal    
contractor who has authority to take1   
direct others to take1 recommend1 or    
approve any personnel action1 shall not1
 with respect to such authority--  7#a7 
take or fail to take1 or threaten to    
take or fail to take1 a personnel action
 with respect to any employee of the    
,federal contractor or applicant for    
employment by the ,federal contractor   
because of--  7,a7 any disclosure of    
information by the employee of the      
,federal contractor or applicant for    
employment by the ,federal contractor   
which the employee of the ,federal      
contractor or applicant for employment  
by the ,federal contractor reasonably   
believes evidences--  7i7 any violation 
of any law1 rule1 or regulation2 or     
7ii7 gross mismanagement1 a gross waste 
of funds1 an abuse of authority1 or a   
substantial and specific danger to      
public health or safety1  if such       
disclosure is not specifically          
prohibited by law and if such           

information is not specifically required
 by ,executive order to be kept secret  
in the interest of national defense or  
the conduct of foreign affairs2 or  7,b7
 any disclosure to the ,special         
,counsel1 or to the ,inspector ,general 
of an agency or another employee        
designated by the head of the agency to 
receive such disclosures1 of information
 which the employee of the ,federal     
contractor or applicant for employment  
by the ,federal contractor reasonably   
believes evidences--  7i7 any violation 
7other than a violation of this section7
 of any law1 rule1 or regulation2 or    
7ii7 gross mismanagement1 a gross waste 
of funds1 an abuse of authority1 or a   
substantial and specific danger to      
public health or safety2 or  7#b7 take  
or fail to take1 or threaten to take or 
fail to take1 any personnel action      
against any employee of the ,federal    
contractor or applicant for employment  
by the ,federal contractor for          
employment because of--  7,a7 the       

exercise of any appeal1 complaint1 or   
grievance right granted by any law1     
rule1 or regulation-- 7i7 with regard to
 remedying a violation of paragraph     
7#a72 or  7ii7 other than with regard to
 remedying a violation of paragraph     
7#a72  7,b7 testifying for or otherwise 
lawfully assisting any individual in the
 exercise of any right referred to in   
subparagraph 7,a77i7 or 7ii72  7,c7     
cooperating with or disclosing          
information to the ,inspector ,general  
7or any other component responsible for 
internal investigation or review7 of an 
agency1 or the ,special ,counsel1 in    
accordance with applicable provisions of
 law2 or  7,d7 refusing to obey an order
 that would require the individual to   
violate a law1 rule1 or regulation4  7b7
 ,agency action ,a ,federal agency may  
not pressure a ,federal contractor to   
take1 fail to take1 or threaten to take 
or fail to take any personnel action    
relating to an employee of the ,federal 
contractor based on a disclosure or     

action described in paragraph 7#a7 or   
7#b7 of subsection 7a74  7c7            
,retroactive effect ,this section shall 
apply to a personnel action taken or    
failed to be taken1 or threatened to be 
taken or failed to be taken before1 on1 
or after the date of enactment of this  
,act4  #d4 ,no termination or           
prosecution of whistleblowers ,congress 
reaffirms that no ,federal employee or  
employee of a ,federal contractor should
 be terminated or prosecuted for making 
protected disclosures or any other      
disclosures as a whistleblower4  #e4    
,ensuring ,sixth ,amendment protections 
,congress reaffirms that1 in the case of
 criminal prosecutions and impeachments 
arising from the disclosures of         
whistleblowers1 the accused has the     
right to confront his or her accuser in 
such proceedings and that right is not  
superseded by the whistleblower         
protections4