‘‘(ii) the government of any political 
subdivision of, agency of, or instrumen-
tality of, a government listed in clause (i); 
and 
‘‘(iii) an element of the intelligence 
community (as defined in section 3 of the 
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3003)) within the Department of De-
fense.’’. 
SEC. 3. ENHANCEMENT OF NON-DEFENSE CONTRACTOR 
PROTECTION FROM REPRISAL FOR DISCLO-
SURE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. 
Section 4712 of title 41, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and insert-
ing the following paragraph: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A protected individual may 
not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise discrimi-
nated against as a reprisal for the following: 
‘‘(A) Refusing to obey an order that would 
require the protected individual to violate a law, 
rule, or regulation related to any contract, sub-
contract, grant, or subgrant. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Oct 01, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5578.IH
H5578
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(B) Disclosing to a person or body de-
scribed in paragraph (2) information that the 
protected individual reasonably believes is evi-
dence of the following: 
‘‘(i) Gross mismanagement of any 
Federal contract or grant, any gross waste 
of Federal funds, any abuse of authority 
relating to any Federal contract, sub-
contract, grant, or subgrant, or any viola-
tion of law, rule, or regulation related to 
any Federal contract or subcontract (in-
cluding the competition for or negotiation 
of a contract or subcontract) or grant or 
subgrant. 
‘‘(ii) A substantial and specific danger 
to public health or safety.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘an employee’’ and inserting ‘‘a protected 
individual’’; and 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
inserting the following subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) it shall not be within the authority of 
an executive branch official to request that a 
contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or sub-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Oct 01, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5578.IH
H5578
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
grantee engage in a reprisal prohibited by para-
graph (1).’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) Propose appropriate disciplinary ac-
tion against any executive branch official for 
any request made of a contractor, subcon-
tractor, grantee, or subgrantee that subjected 
the complainant to a reprisal prohibited by sub-
section (a).’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraph (7) and insert-
ing the following paragraph: 
‘‘(7) RIGHTS, FORUM, AND
REMEDIES
NOT 
WAIVABLE.—The rights, forum, and remedies pro-
vided for in this section may not be waived by any 
public or private agreement, policy, form, or condi-
tion of employment, including by any predispute ar-
bitration agreement.’’; 
(3) in subsection (e)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘an employee’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘a protected individual’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘the employee’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘the protected individual’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Oct 01, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5578.IH
H5578
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(4) by striking subsection (f) and redesignating 
subsections (g) and (h) as subsections (f) and (g), 
respectively; and 
(5) in subsection (f), as so redesignated, by in-
serting after paragraph (2) the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(3) The term ‘protected individual’ means— 
‘‘(A) a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, 
or subgrantee of the Federal Government, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(i) the government of each of the 
several States, the District of Columbia, an 
Indian tribe or authorized tribal organiza-
tion, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Is-
lands, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, or any other territory or 
possession of the United States; 
‘‘(ii) the government of any political 
subdivision of, agency of, or instrumen-
tality of, a government listed in clause (i); 
and 
‘‘(iii) an element of the intelligence 
community (as defined in section 3 of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Oct 01, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5578.IH
H5578
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3003)); 
‘‘(B) an employee of a contractor, subcon-
tractor, grantee, or subgrantee of the Federal 
Government or a former employee of such con-
tractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee 
whose protected disclosure or engagement in 
any activity protected against reprisal under 
this section occurred prior to termination, in-
cluding an employee of— 
‘‘(i) the government of each of the 
several States, the District of Columbia, an 
Indian tribe or authorized tribal organiza-
tion, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Is-
lands, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, or any other territory or 
possession of the United States; 
‘‘(ii) the government of any political 
subdivision of, agency of, or instrumen-
tality of, a government listed in clause (i); 
and 
‘‘(iii) an element of the intelligence 
community (as defined in section 3 of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Oct 01, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5578.IH
H5578
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3003)); or 
‘‘(C) a person performing personal services 
for the Federal Government pursuant to a con-
tractual agreement for the performance of per-
sonal services, including a personal services con-
tract or personal services agreement, including 
a person performing personal services pursuant 
to such a contractual agreement for— 
‘‘(i) the government of each of the 
several States, the District of Columbia, an 
Indian tribe or authorized tribal organiza-
tion, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Is-
lands, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, or any other territory or 
possession of the United States; 
‘‘(ii) the government of any political 
subdivision of, agency of, or instrumen-
tality of, a government listed in clause (i); 
and 
‘‘(iii) an element of the intelligence 
community (as defined in section 3 of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:40 Oct 01, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5578.IH
H5578
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB