Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025
Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025 would broaden and strengthen protections against retaliation for individuals who report misconduct related to federal contracts. The bill extends existing whistleblower protections to a wider set of actors, including DoD and NASA contractors, subcontractors, grantees, subgrantees, and certain personal-services contractors, as well as former employees under specific circumstances. It prohibits federal employees from ordering reprisals against these covered individuals for disclosing information they reasonably believe shows mismanagement, waste, abuses of authority, legal violations related to contracts or grants, or substantial danger to public health or safety. The measure also requires accountability by authorizing disciplinary action against executive branch officials who request such reprisals, and it prohibits waivers of these rights through private or public agreements, including predispute arbitration agreements. In addition to defense-related contracts, the bill expands parallel protections to non-defense federal contracting under the Federal Acquisition Regulation framework. In short, the bill aims to create stronger, non-waivable protections for contractors and related personnel who report misconduct or safety concerns, and to deter and address retaliatory actions ordered by federal officials.
Key Points
- 1Expanded protection scope for defense contractors and NASAs contracts: defines “protected individual” and prescribes protected disclosures (mismanagement, waste, abuse of authority, violations, and substantial public health or safety risks) and protections against reprisals when a federal employee orders such reprisals.
- 2Accountability for reprisals: adds authority to propose disciplinary action against executive branch officials who solicit or impose reprisals on contractors or their personnel.
- 3Broad, non-waivable rights: codifies that whistleblower rights, forums, and remedies cannot be waived by any public or private agreement, including predispute arbitration agreements.
- 4Parallel expansion for non-defense procurement: updates 41 U.S.C. 4712 to mirror the defense provisions, extending protections to contractors, subcontractors, grantees, and personal-services contractors beyond DoD/NASA.
- 5Comprehensive definitions of protected individuals: includes contractors, subcontractors, grantees, subgrantees (and their employees and former employees meeting criteria), and certain personnel within the intelligence community tied to DoD, plus those performing personal services under federal contracts.