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shall impose disciplinary action if the Board finds that the 
activity protected under such paragraph (8) or (9) (as the 
case may be) was the primary motivating factor, unless 
that employee demonstrates, by a preponderance of the 
evidence, that the employee would have taken, failed to 
take, or threatened to take or fail to take the same per-
sonnel action, in the absence of such protected activity.’’. 
SEC. 8. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY ON 
REVOCATION OF SECURITY CLEARANCES. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—The Comptroller General shall 
conduct a study of security clearance revocations, taking 
effect after 1996, with respect to personnel that filed 
claims under chapter 12 of title 5, United States Code, 
in connection therewith. The study shall consist of an ex-
amination of the number of such clearances revoked, the 
number restored, and the relationship, if any, between the 
resolution of claims filed under such chapter and the res-
toration of such clearances. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
submit to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate a report on the results of the study required 
by subsection (a). 
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SEC. 9. ALTERNATIVE RECOURSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1221 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(k)(1) If, in the case of an employee, former em-
ployee, or applicant for employment who seeks corrective 
action (or on behalf of whom corrective action is sought) 
from the Merit Systems Protection Board based on an al-
leged prohibited personnel practice described in section 
2302(b)(8) or 2302(b)(9)(B)–(D), no final order or deci-
sion is issued by the Board within 180 days after the date 
on which a request for such corrective action has been duly 
submitted (or, in the event that a final order or decision 
is issued by the Board, whether within that 180-day period 
or thereafter, then, within 90 days after such final order 
or decision is issued, and so long as such employee, former 
employee, or applicant has not filed a petition for judicial 
review of such order or decision under subsection (h))— 
‘‘(A) such employee, former employee, or appli-
cant may, after providing written notice to the 
Board, bring an action at law or equity for de novo 
review in the appropriate United States district 
court, which shall have jurisdiction over such action 
without regard to the amount in controversy, and 
which action shall, at the request of either party to 
such action, be tried by the court with a jury; and 
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‘‘(B) in any such action, the court— 
‘‘(i) shall apply the standards set forth in 
subsection (e); and 
‘‘(ii) may award any relief which the court 
considers appropriate, including any relief de-
scribed in subsection (g). 
An appeal from a final decision of a district court in an 
action under this paragraph may, at the election of the 
appellant, be taken to the Court of Appeals for the Federal 
Circuit (which shall have jurisdiction of such appeal), in 
lieu of the United States court of appeals for the circuit 
embracing the district in which the action was brought. 
‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘appro-
priate United States district court’, as used with respect 
to an alleged prohibited personnel practice, means the 
United States district court for the district in which the 
prohibited personnel practice is alleged to have been com-
mitted, the judicial district in which the employment 
records relevant to such practice are maintained and ad-
ministered, or the judicial district in which resides the em-
ployee, former employee, or applicant for employment al-
legedly affected by such practice. 
‘‘(3) This subsection applies with respect to any ap-
peal, petition, or other request for corrective action duly 
submitted to the Board, whether pursuant to section 
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1214(b)(2), the preceding provisions of this section, sec-
tion 7513(d), or any otherwise applicable provisions of 
law, rule, or regulation.’’. 
(b) REVIEW OF MSPB DECISIONS.—Section 7703(b) 
of such title 5 is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence of paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘the United States Court of Appeals for the 
Federal Circuit’’ and inserting ‘‘the appropriate 
United States court of appeals’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) For purposes of the first sentence of paragraph 
(1), the term ‘appropriate United States court of appeals’ 
means the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal 
Circuit, except that in the case of a prohibited personnel 
practice 
described 
in 
section 
2302(b)(8) 
or 
2302(b)(9)(B)–(D) (other than a case that, disregarding 
this paragraph, would otherwise be subject to paragraph 
(2)), such term means the United States Court of Appeals 
for the Federal Circuit and any United States court of 
appeals having jurisdiction over appeals from any United 
States district court which, under section 1221(k)(2), 
would be an appropriate United States district court for 
purposes of such prohibited personnel practice.’’. 
(c) 
COMPENSATORY
DAMAGES.—Section 
1221(g)(1)(A)(ii) of such title 5 is amended by striking 
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all after ‘‘travel expenses,’’ and inserting ‘‘any other rea-
sonable and foreseeable consequential damages, and com-
pensatory damages (including attorney’s fees, interest, 
reasonable expert witness fees, and costs).’’. 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 1221(h) of such title 5 is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) Judicial review under this subsection shall not 
be available with respect to any decision or order as to 
which the employee, former employee, or applicant has 
filed a petition for judicial review under subsection (k).’’. 
(2) Section 7703(c) of such title 5 is amended 
by striking ‘‘court.’’ and inserting ‘‘court, and in the 
case of a prohibited personnel practice described in 
section 2302(b)(8) or 2302(b)(9)(B)–(D) brought 
under any provision of law, rule, or regulation de-
scribed in section 1221(k)(3), the employee or appli-
cant shall have the right to de novo review in accord-
ance with section 1221(k).’’. 
SEC. 10. NATIONAL SECURITY WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 23 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2303 
the following: 
‘‘§ 2303a. National security whistleblower rights 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION OF REPRISALS.— 
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