Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025
Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Summary of the Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025 **What it would do:** This bill would strengthen legal protections for employees who work for federal contractors and grant recipients. Currently, these workers are protected from retaliation if they report misconduct to Congress or officials. The bill would expand these protections to also cover employees who simply *refuse to follow* an illegal or unlawful order—even if they don't report it.
It would also extend these same protections to intelligence community employees and other government workers, who currently lack these safeguards. **Who it affects:** Federal contractors and their employees (companies hired to work on government projects), organizations that receive federal grants, and intelligence community members. These protections would apply across multiple agencies including the Department of Defense and NASA. **Current status:** The bill was introduced by Senator Gary Peters (D-Michigan) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. The bill has not been enacted into law.
CRS Official Summary
Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025This bill expands whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and grant recipients to include the act of refusing to obey an unlawful order and to apply these protections to members of the intelligence community and other governmental employees.Current law protects employees of federal contractors or grant recipients from a reprisal (i.e., discharge, demotion, or discrimination) for disclosing evidence to Congress or another appropriate official of certain misconduct involving federal contracts, grants, or funds. The bill expands these protections to include an employee's refusal to obey an order that would require the employee to violate a law, rule, or regulation related to any contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant. The bill also specifies that these protections apply to employees of federal contractors or grant recipients who are current or former members of the intelligence community or employees of state, local, or tribal governments. Further, the bill specifies that these protections may not be waived in a predispute arbitration agreement and renders any such agreement unenforceable.The bill specifies that an executive branch official may not request a federal contractor or grant recipient to engage in a reprisal against a protected employee, and it authorizes federal agencies to propose disciplinary action against officials that do so.
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 289.