119th Congress Government Operations and Politics
S. 874: Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025
Passed Senate
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed Senate (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill expands whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and grant recipients to include the act of refusing to obey an unlawful order and to apply these protections to members of the intelligence community and other governmental employees.
Current law protects employees of federal contractors or grant recipients from a reprisal (i.e., discharge, demotion, or discrimination) for disclosing evidence to Congress or another appropriate official of certain misconduct involving federal contracts, grants, or funds. The bill expands these protections to include an employee's refusal to obey an order that would require the employee to violate a law, rule, or regulation related to any contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant. The bill also specifies that these protections apply to employees of federal contractors or grant recipients who are current or former members of the intelligence community or employees of state, local, or tribal governments.
Further, the bill specifies that these protections may not be waived in a predispute arbitration agreement and renders any such agreement unenforceable.
Read the full summary
The bill specifies that an executive branch official may not request a federal contractor or grant recipient to engage in a reprisal against a protected employee, and it authorizes federal agencies to propose disciplinary action against officials that do so.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Charles Grassley R-IA
Who scored on this bill
- 1Gary Peters SponsorIntroduced, drew cross-party cosponsors, reported, passed Senate4 events+56
- 2Charles GrassleyCosponsored; cosponsored bill passed2 events+4
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Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
Other bills by Gary Peters
History
- Passed the Senate with an amendment by unanimous consent.
- Introduced in the Senate by Gary Peters.
Show the full action history (10 actions)
- Received in the House.
- Held at the desk.
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2100-2102; text: CR S2100-2101)
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 289.
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Introduced in Senate
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.