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U.S. Department of Education

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The Whistleblower  Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (WPEA) was signed into law by President  Obama on November 27, 2012. The law strengthens the protections for federal  employees who disclose evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse. The WPEA also  requires that any non-disclosure policy, form, or agreement (NDA) include the  statement copied below, and provides that NDAs executed without the language  may be enforced as long as agencies give employees notice of the statement. 

Any NDA executed without  the below language should be read as if the following language were incorporated into the NDA: 
| These provisions are consistent with and do not  supersede, conflict with, or otherwise alter the employee obligations, rights,  or liabilities created by existing statute or Executive order relating to (1)  classified information, (2) communications to Congress, (3) the reporting to an  Inspector General of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or  mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority,  or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or (4) any  other whistleblower protection. The definitions, requirements, obligations,  rights, sanctions, and liabilities created by controlling Executive orders and  statutory provisions are incorporated into this agreement and are controlling. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

### Controlling authorities:

                -  Whistleblower Protection Act of  1989, Pub. L. No. 101-12, as amended by Whistleblower Protection Enhancement  Act of 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-199, *codified  at* 5 U.S.C. 2301 *et seq.* 
                -  Notification and Federal Employee  Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-174, *codified at* 5 U.S.C. 2301 note 
                -  The Inspector General Act of 1978,  Pub. L. No. 95-452, as amended, *codified  at*5 U.S.C. app. 3 
                -  Section 7211 of Title 5, United  States Code (governing disclosures to Congress) 
                -  Section 1034 of Title 10, United  States Code, as amended by the Military Whistleblower Protection Act (governing  disclosure to Congress by members of the military) 
                -  Intelligence Identities Protection  of Act of 1982, *codified at*50 U.S.C.  421 *et seq*. (governing disclosures  that could expose confidential Government agents)      The criminal statutes of Title 18  protecting against disclosures that may compromise national security,  specifically, sections 641, 793, 794, 798 and 952 
                -  Section 4(b) of the Subversive  Activities Act of 1950, *codified at* 50 U.S.C. 783(b) 
                -  Executive Order No. 13526, *Classified National Security Information* 
                -  Executive Order No. 12968, *Access to Classified Information* 
                -  Education Administrative  Communication Systems (ACS) Directive OIG:     1-102, *Cooperation with and Reporting to the Office of Inspector General* 
                -  Education Administrative  Communication Systems (ACS) Directive OIG:     1-102, *Procedures for Handling Office of Inspector General Hotline Referrals* 
                -  Education Department Handbook  OM-01: *Handbook for Classified National  Security Information* 
                - For more information regarding  whistleblower complaints please refer to the  Office of Inspector General (OIG) .

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