I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3806
To amend title 5, United States Code, to protect those who defend the
United States by exercising their duty as patriots to warn against the
existence of threats to weaknesses created by institutional failures that
should be identified and corrected in a timely manner, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 27, 2002
Mr. ISRAEL (for himself, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. MARKEY, and Mrs. MORELLA) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Government Reform, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned
A BILL
To amend title 5, United States Code, to protect those who
defend the United States by exercising their duty as
patriots to warn against the existence of threats to weak-
nesses created by institutional failures that should be
identified and corrected in a timely manner, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Paul Revere Freedom
to Warn Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) terrorist attacks are a fundamental threat
to America’s freedom;
(2) the Nation’s capacity to be vigilant requires
Congress and law enforcement agencies to be aware
of vulnerability to terrorism from the existence of
threats to weaknesses created by institutional fail-
ures that should be identified and corrected in a
timely manner;
(3) the President has called on all Americans,
as their patriotic duty, to bear witness against ongo-
ing threats to our way of life;
(4) whistleblowers have risked retaliation and
been harassed for making significant contributions
to prevent avoidable tragedies by exercising First
Amendment rights to warn against threats to Amer-
ica’s public safety infrastructure for national de-
fense, civil defense, law enforcement, transportation,
communications, energy, and food;
(5) whistleblowers often face severe harassment
and retaliation for exercising their duty to warn, and
such retaliation for responsibly exercising freedom of
speech itself is a threat to America’s way of life;
(6) since 1912 Federal law has banned retalia-
tion for communicating with Congress because the
free flow of information is a prerequisite for effective
exercise of constitutional checks and balances, and
the prohibition has been extended to protect wit-
nesses testifying to law enforcement agencies;
(7) there are no remedies to enforce these
rights for victims of their violation; and
(8) Paul Revere, who risked his life to warn
that America’s communities were being invaded, was
America’s first whistleblower and personifies the way
in which whistleblowers can make a difference in our
Nation’s survival.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to protect people in either
the public or private sector who defend the United States
by exercising their duty as patriots to warn against the
existence of threats to weaknesses created by institutional
failures that should be identified and corrected in a timely
manner.