Section 1553 of Division A, Title XV of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5, provides protections for certain individuals who make specific disclosures about uses of Recovery Act funds.
Who is protected?
Employees of non-federal employers receiving Recovery funds, including:
- State and local governments
- Contractors
- Subcontractors
- Grantees
- Professional membership organizations acting in the interest of Recovery fund recipients
What are whistleblowers protected from?
Being discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for making a protected disclosure.
What kinds of disclosures are protected?
To be protected, the disclosure must be made by the employee to one of the following:
- The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
- An Inspector General
- The Comptroller General of the United States
- A member of Congress
- A state or federal regulatory or law enforcement agency
- A person with supervisory authority over the employee
- A court or grand jury
- The head of a federal agency or his/her representatives
What must the disclosure include?
The disclosure must include evidence of one of the following:
- Gross mismanagement of a Recovery contract or grant
- Gross waste of Recovery funds
- A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety as related to the use of Recovery funds
- An abuse of authority related to the use of Recovery funds
- A violation of law, rule, or regulation related to an agency Recovery contract or grant
How do I report a whistleblower reprisal complaint?
If you have a reprisal complaint, please use the complaint form.
All Recovery Act job sites must post signage of Whistleblower protections.
Whistleblower Rights Poster [PDF 96 KB]