Whistleblower Protection Coordination Act
Public Law 115-192 · S. 1869 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jun 25, 2018 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Cosponsors (4): Sen. Ron Johnson, Sen. Ron Wyden,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Whistleblower Protection Coordination Act
(Sec. 2) This bill permanently extends the requirement for inspectors general (IGs) to designate a Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman to educate agency employees about prohibitions on retaliation, and the rights and remedies against retaliation, for protected disclosures.
The bill renames the Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman as the Whistleblower Protection Coordinator. It also expands the responsibilities of a Whistleblower Protection Coordinator to include the following:
• educating employees about specific rights and remedies (e.g., the means by which an employee may seek review of an allegation of reprisal);
• assisting the IG in promoting the timely and appropriate handling and consideration of protected disclosures and allegations of reprisal; and
• assisting the IG in facilitating communication and coordination with other relevant persons and entities regarding timely and appropriate handling and consideration of protected disclosures, allegations of reprisal, and other general matters.
A Whistleblower Protection Coordinator must have direct access to the IG to accomplish such responsibilities.
The bill also expands the responsibilities of the Council on the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to include the following:
• facilitating the work of the Whistleblower Protection Coordinators; and
• developing best practices for promoting the timely and appropriate handling and consideration of protected disclosures, allegations of reprisal, and other matters.
Finally, the bill adds reporting requirements for semiannual reports. Specifically, with respect to instances of whistle-blower retaliation by an official, an Office of Inspector General must report on (1) the actual consequences imposed on the official who engaged in retaliation, and (2) whether a settlement agreement was entered with that official.
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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 4043Related bill
Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of 2017
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. 17 actions.
- Jun 25, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-192.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 14, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jun 7, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Blum asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Mar 15, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Dec 14, 2017CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 286.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment. With written report No. 115-196.
- Oct 4, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Sep 27, 2017CommitteeCommittee · 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
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2211SenateSen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA· offered Mar 15, 2018Agreed to
To modify the repeal of sunset provision.
Mar 15, 2018: Amendment SA 2211 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.