A bill to enhance whistleblower protection for contractor and grantee employees.
Public Law 114-261 · S. 795 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 14, 2016 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Ron Johnson
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Sec. 1) This bill extends federal contractor whistle-blower protections to employees of: (1) personal services contractors working on defense contracts (currently, the protections apply to employees of defense contractors, subcontractors, grantees, or subgrantees); and (2) personal services contractors or subgrantees working on federal civilian contracts (currently, the protections apply to employees of civilian contractors, subcontractors, or grantees). The civilian contractor protections, which are currently in effect as a pilot program, are made permanent.
The bill extends the prohibition against reimbursement of legal fees incurred in defending against reprisal claims brought by whistle-blowers to defense and civilian subcontractors and personal services contractors.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 5920Related bill
Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act
S. 3011Related bill
Bolster Accountability to Drive Government Efficiency and Reform Washington Act of 2016
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Dec 14, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-261.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 7, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 5, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 795.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Chaffetz moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 11, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.
- Jun 28, 2016FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concern…
- Jun 24, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jun 23, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 7, 2016CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 506.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-270.
- Feb 10, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Mar 18, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.