[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 633 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 633
To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to apply
whistleblower protections available to certain executive branch
employees to legislative branch employees, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 15, 2017
Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mrs. McCaskill, and Mr. Wyden) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to apply
whistleblower protections available to certain executive branch
employees to legislative branch employees, 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. APPLICATION OF WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RULES TO LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH EMPLOYEES.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Congressional
Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017''.
(b) Whistleblower Amendments.--Part A of title II of the
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) in the part heading, by striking ``fair labor
standards,'' and all that follows and inserting ``and other
protections and benefits'';
(2) by redesignating section 207 as section 208; and
(3) by inserting after section 206 the following:
``SEC. 207. RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS UNDER WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION
RULES.
``(a) Rights and Protections Described.--
``(1) In general.--No employing office may take or fail to
take, or threaten to take or fail to take, a personnel action
(within the meaning of chapter 23 of title 5, United States
Code) with respect to any covered employee or applicant for
employment because of--
``(A) any disclosure of information by a covered
employee or applicant which the employee or applicant
reasonably believes evidences--
``(i) a violation of any law, rule, or
regulation; or
``(ii) gross mismanagement, a gross waste
of funds, an abuse of authority, or a
substantial and specific danger to public
health or safety,
if such disclosure is not specifically prohibited by
law and if such information is not specifically
required by Executive order or the rules of the Senate
or the House of Representatives to be kept secret in
the interest of national defense or the conduct of
foreign affairs; or
``(B) any disclosure to the General Counsel, or to
the Inspector General of a legislative or executive
agency or another employee designated by the head of
the legislative or executive agency to receive such
disclosures, of information which the employee or
applicant reasonably believes evidences--
``(i) a violation of any law, rule, or
regulation; or
``(ii) gross mismanagement, a gross waste
of funds, an abuse of authority, or a
substantial and specific danger to public
health or safety.
``(2) Definitions.--For purposes of this section and for
purposes of applying the procedures established under title IV
for the consideration of alleged violations of this section--
``(A) the term `covered employee' includes an
employee of the Government Accountability Office or
Library of Congress; and
``(B) the term `employing office' includes the
Government Accountability Office and the Library of
Congress.
``(b) Remedy.--The remedy for a violation of subsection (a) shall
be such remedy as would be appropriate if awarded under chapter 12 of
title 5, United States Code, with respect to a prohibited personnel
practice described in section 2302(b)(8) of such title.
``(c) Regulations To Implement Section.--
``(1) In general.--The Board shall, pursuant to section
304, issue regulations to implement this section.
``(2) Agency regulations.--The regulations issued under
paragraph (1) shall be the same as the substantive regulations
promulgated by the Merit Systems Protection Board to implement
chapters 12 and 23 of title 5, United States Code, except to
the extent that the Board of Directors of the Office of
Compliance may determine, for good cause shown and stated
together with the regulation, that a modification of such
regulations would be more effective for the implementation of
the rights and protections under this section.''.
(c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Table of contents.--The table of contents for part A of
title II of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 is
amended--
(A) by striking the item relating to part A and
inserting the following:
``Part A--Employment Discrimination, Family and Medical Leave, and
Other Protections and Benefits'';
and
(B) by striking the item relating to section 207
and inserting the following:
``Sec. 207. Rights and protections under whistleblower protection
rules.
``Sec. 208. Prohibition of intimidation or reprisal.''.
(2) Application of laws.--Section 102(a) of the
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1302(a)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(12) Section 2302(b)(8) of title 5, United States
Code.''.
(3) Other conforming amendments.--Section 62(e)(2) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
(A) by striking ``or 207'' and inserting ``207, or
208''; and
(B) by striking ``or 1317'' and inserting ``1317,
or 1318''.
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