Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act

To enhance whistleblower protection for contractor and grantee employees. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act 2. Enhancement of whistleblower protection for contractor and grantee employees (a) Protection for employees of grantees and subgrantees (1) Defense grants Section 2409(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting or personal services contractor subgrantee (2) Civilian grants Section 4712(a)(1) of title 41, United States Code, is amended by striking or grantee grantee, or subgrantee or personal services contractor (3) Permanent extension of pilot program for enhancement of contractor protection from reprisal for disclosure of certain information (A) In general Section 4712 of title 41, United States Code, is amended— (i) in the section heading by striking Pilot program for enhancement Enhancement (ii) by striking subsection (i). (B) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 47 4712. Enhancement of contractor protection from reprisal for disclosure of certain information. . (b) Prohibition on reimbursement for legal fees accrued in defense against reprisal claims (1) Defense contracts Section 2324(k) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (A) by inserting or subcontractor, or personal services contractor contractor (B) by inserting , subcontract, or personal services contract contract (C) in paragraph (1), by inserting or to any other activity described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of section 2409(a)(1) of this title statute or regulation (2) Civilian contracts (A) In general Section 4310 of title 41, United States Code, is amended— (i) by inserting , subcontractor, or personal services contractor contractor (ii) by inserting , subcontract, or personal services contract contract (iii) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting or to any other activity described in section 4712(a)(1) of this title statute or regulation (B) Conforming amendment Section 4304(a)(15) of title 41, United States Code, is amended by inserting or subcontractor, or personal service contractor contractor (c) Inclusion of contract clause in contracts awarded before effective date At the time of any major modification to a contract that was awarded before the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of the contracting agency shall make best efforts to include in the contract a contract clause providing for the applicability of the amendments made by this section and section 827 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 ( Public Law 112–239 November 29, 2016 Reported from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform November 29, 2016 The Committee on Armed Services

Summary: Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act (Sec. 2) This bill extends federal contractor whistle-blower protections to employees of: (1) personal services contractors working on defense contracts (currently, the protections apply to employees of defense contractors, subcontractors, grantees, or subgrantees); and (2) personal services contractors or subgrantees working on federal civilian contracts (currently, the protections apply to employees of civilian contractors, subcontractors, or grantees). The civilian contractor protections, which are currently in effect as a pilot program, are made permanent. The bill extends the prohibition against reimbursement of legal fees incurred in defending against reprisal claims brought by whistle-blowers to defense and civilian subcontractors and personal services contractors.