Title: Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of 2017
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of 2017
This bill permanently extends the requirement for inspectors general (IGs) to designate a Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman to educate agency employees about prohibitions on retaliation, and the rights and remedies against retaliation, for protected disclosures.
The bill renames the Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman as the Whistleblower Protection Coordinator. It also expands the responsibilities of a Whistleblower Protection Coordinator to include the following:
A Whistleblower Protection Coordinator must have direct access to the IG to accomplish such responsibilities.
The bill also expands the responsibilities of the Council on the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to include the following:
Finally, the bill adds reporting requirements for semiannual reports. Specifically, with respect to instances of whistle-blower retaliation by an official, an Office of Inspector General must report on (1) the actual consequences imposed on the official who engaged in retaliation, and (2) whether a settlement agreement was entered with that official.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4043 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4043

     To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to reauthorize the 
       whistleblower protection program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 12, 2017

Mr. Blum (for himself and Mr. Cummings) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to reauthorize the 
       whistleblower protection program, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Whistleblower Protection Extension 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 3(d) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 
(5 U.S.C. App.) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(C)--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as 
                subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and adjusting 
                the margins accordingly;
                    (B) by striking ``Ombudsman who shall educate 
                agency employees--'' and inserting the following: 
                ``Coordinator who shall--
                    ``(i) educate agency employees--'';
                    (C) in subclause (I), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``on retaliation'' and inserting ``against 
                retaliation'';
                    (D) in subclause (II), as so redesignated, by 
                striking the period at the end and inserting the 
                following: ``, including--
                                    ``(aa) the means by which employees 
                                may seek review of any allegation of 
                                reprisal, including the roles of the 
                                Office of the Inspector General, the 
                                Office of Special Counsel, the Merit 
                                Systems Protection Board, and any other 
                                relevant entities; and
                                    ``(bb) general information about 
                                the timeliness of such cases, the 
                                availability of any alternative dispute 
                                mechanisms, and avenues for potential 
                                relief.''; and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(ii) assist the Inspector General in promoting 
                the timely and appropriate handling and consideration 
                of protected disclosures and allegations of reprisal, 
                to the extent practicable, by the Inspector General; 
                and
                    ``(iii) assist the Inspector General in 
                facilitating communication and coordination with the 
                Special Counsel, the Council of the Inspectors General 
                on Integrity and Efficiency, the agency, Congress, and 
                any other relevant entity regarding the timely and 
                appropriate handling and consideration of protected 
                disclosures, allegations of reprisal, and general 
                matters regarding the implementation and administration 
                of whistleblower protection laws, rules, and 
                regulations.'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Ombudsman'' and 
        inserting ``Coordinator'';
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
    ``(3) The Whistleblower Protection Coordinator shall have direct 
access to the Inspector General as needed to accomplish the 
requirements of this subsection.''.
    (b) Responsibilities of CIGIE.--Section 11(c) of the Inspector 
General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(5) Additional responsibilities relating to whistleblower 
        protection.--The Council shall--
                    ``(A) facilitate the work of the Whistleblower 
                Protection Coordinators designated under section 
                3(d)(C); and
                    ``(B) in consultation with the Office of Special 
                Counsel and Whistleblower Protection Coordinators from 
                the member offices of the Inspector General, develop 
                best practices for coordination and communication in 
                promoting the timely and appropriate handling and 
                consideration of protected disclosures, allegations of 
                reprisal, and general matters regarding the 
                implementation and administration of whistleblower 
                protection laws, in accordance with Federal law.''.
    (c) Reporting.--Section 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
U.S.C. App.) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by amending paragraph (20) to read 
        as follows:
            ``(20)(A) a detailed description of any instance of 
        whistleblower retaliation, including information about the 
        official found to have engaged in retaliation; and
            ``(B) what, if any, consequences the establishment actually 
        imposed to hold the official described in subparagraph (A) 
        accountable;''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)(D), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
                (5); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) whether the establishment entered into a settlement 
        agreement with the official described in subsection (a)(20)(A), 
        which shall be reported regardless of any confidentiality 
        agreement relating to the settlement agreement; and''.
    (d) Repeal of Sunset.--Subsection (c) of section 117 of the 
Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-199; 
126 Stat. 1475) is repealed.
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