II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1869 

To reauthorize and rename the position of Whistleblower Ombudsman to 

be the Whistleblower Protection Coordinator. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. WYDEN, and Mrs. MCCASKILL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To reauthorize and rename the position of Whistleblower 

Ombudsman to be the Whistleblower Protection Coordinator. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Whistleblower Protec5 tion Coordination Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3(d) of the Inspector Gen8 eral Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1)(C)— 


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1 (A) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as 

2 subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and adjust3 ing the margins accordingly; 

4 (B) by striking ‘‘Ombudsman who shall 

5 educate agency employees—’’ and inserting the 

6 following: ‘‘Coordinator who shall— 

7 ‘‘(i) educate agency employees—’’; 

8 (C) in subclause (I), as so redesignated, by 

9 striking ‘‘on retaliation’’ and inserting ‘‘against 

10 retaliation’’; 

11 (D) in subclause (II), as so redesignated, 

12 by striking the period at the end and inserting 

13 the following: ‘‘, including— 

14 ‘‘(aa) the means by which em15 ployees may seek review of any allega16 tion of reprisal, including the roles of 

17 the Office of the Inspector General, 

18 the Office of Special Counsel, the 

19 Merit Systems Protection Board, and 

20 any other relevant entities; and 

21 ‘‘(bb) general information about 

22 the timeliness of such cases, the avail23 ability of any alternative dispute 

24 mechanisms, and avenues for poten25 tial relief.’’; and 


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1 (E) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(ii) assist the Inspector General in pro3 moting the timely and appropriate handling and 

4 consideration of protected disclosures and alle5 gations of reprisal, to the extent practicable, by 

6 the Inspector General; and 

7 ‘‘(iii) assist the Inspector General in facili8 tating communication and coordination with the 

9 Special Counsel, the Council of the Inspectors 

10 General on Integrity and Efficiency, the agency, 

11 Congress, and any other relevant entity regard12 ing the timely and appropriate handling and 

13 consideration of protected disclosures, allega14 tions of reprisal, and general matters regarding 

15 the implementation and administration of whis16 tleblower protection laws, rules, and regula17 tions.’’; 

18 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Ombuds19 man’’ and inserting ‘‘Coordinator’’; 

20 (3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para21 graph (4); and 

22 (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol23 lowing: 

24 ‘‘(3) The Whistleblower Protection Coordinator 

25 shall have direct access to the Inspector General as 


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1 needed to accomplish the requirements of this sub2 section.’’. 

3 (b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF CIGIE.—Section 11(c) of 

4 the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is 

5 amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(5) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES RELATING

7 TO WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION.—The Council 

8 shall— 

9 ‘‘(A) facilitate the work of the Whistle10 blower Protection Coordinators designated 

11 under section 3(d)(C); and 

12 ‘‘(B) in consultation with the Office of 

13 Special Counsel and Whistleblower Protection 

14 Coordinators from the member offices of the In15 spector General, develop best practices for co16 ordination and communication in promoting the 

17 timely and appropriate handling and consider18 ation of protected disclosures, allegations of re19 prisal, and general matters regarding the imple20 mentation and administration of whistleblower 

21 protection laws, in accordance with Federal 

22 law.’’. 

23 (c) REPORTING.—Section 5 of the Inspector General 

24 Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a), by amending paragraph 

2 (20) to read as follows: 

3 ‘‘(20)(A) a detailed description of any instance 

4 of whistleblower retaliation, including information 

5 about the official found to have engaged in retalia6 tion; and 

7 ‘‘(B) what, if any, consequences the establish8 ment actually imposed to hold the official described 

9 in subparagraph (A) accountable;’’; and 

10 (2) in subsection (b)— 

11 (A) in paragraph (3)(D), by striking 

12 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

13 (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as 

14 paragraph (5); and 

15 (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 

16 following: 

17 ‘‘(4) whether the establishment entered into a 

18 settlement agreement with the official described in 

19 subsection (a)(20)(A), which shall be reported re20 gardless of any confidentiality agreement relating to 

21 the settlement agreement; and’’. 

22 (d) REPEAL OF SUNSET.—Subsection (c) of section 

23 117 of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 

24 2012 (Public Law 112–199; 126 Stat. 1475) is repealed. 

Æ 


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