As the nation's leading whistleblower advocacy organization, GAP is committed to working with members of Congress, and other relevant government agencies, to enact stronger whistleblower protections. Currently, numerous federal employee whistleblower protections are subpar, and must be improved. GAP has a long and storied history of helping to pass major pieces of whistleblower legislation over the past 30 years.
Legislation Highlights
Recent Landmark Legislative Victories
The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) is a landmark good government law that overhauls the defunct Whistleblower Protection Act and provides millions of federal workers with the rights they need to report government corruption and wrongdoing safely. The WPEA reflects an unequivocal bipartisan consensus, having received the vote of every member in the 112th Congress, passing both the Senate and House of Representatives by unanimous consent in the 112th Congress. The text of the bill can be read here. Among other key reforms, federal employees now are protected (in addition to already-existing scenarios) from reprisal if they: are not the first person to disclose misconduct; disclose misconduct to coworkers or supervisors; disclose the consequences of a policy decision; or blow the whistle while carrying out their job duties. More information about the WPEA can be read here.
Best practice whistleblower protections were included for federal government contractors in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2013. This tremendous expansion of whistleblower rights will help to safeguard approximately id="mce_marker".9 trillion worth of government contracts, grants and reimbursements annually, and protect some 12 million federal contractor whistleblowers when they expose corruption, wrongdoing, waste, fraud, abuse, or threats to the public. More information about these rights can be read here.
GAP is working on several pieces of proposed legislation currently, and is constantly meeting with legislators to educate them on the absolute, undeniable need for these laws. Click here to read about current legislation that GAP is working on.
Click here to read about recent legislative victories that GAP was instrumental in crafting language for, and getting passed.
In our efforts, GAP often leads and spearheads coalitions, in order to enact broad support for these vitally important pieces of legisation. Click here to learn about coalitions that GAP is involved with.
GAP's Legislation Campaign Coordinator is Shanna Devine
