COVID–19 Whistleblower Protection Act
Latest action · Feb 4, 2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 4, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
COVID-19 Whistleblower Protection Act
This bill establishes whistleblower protections for government contractors and private sector workers who may witness waste, fraud, or abuse or be victims of misconduct with respect to a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic-related program, project, or activity. Specifically, employers may not discharge, demote, or otherwise discriminate against such protected individuals who disclose information concerning fraud, misuse, or other misconduct related to COVID-19 program funds. A protected individual may submit to the Department of Labor a complaint alleging a violation of these protections and Labor may adjudicate such complaints and award relief in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service whistleblower procedures.
Cosponsors 25
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 4, 2021 to Sep 3, 2021; 21 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-FL | Alcee L. Hastings | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-IN | André Carson | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-AZ | Ann Kirkpatrick | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-MS | Bennie G. Thompson | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-IL | Danny K. Davis | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-MN | Dean Phillips | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-CT | Jahana Hayes | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-MD | Jamie Raskin | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-OH | Joyce Beatty | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-NY | Kathleen M. Rice | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-CA | Mark DeSaulnier | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-NY | Mondaire Jones | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-WA | Pramila Jayapal | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-MI | Rashida Tlaib | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-TX | Sheila Jackson Lee | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-MA | Stephen F. Lynch | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-TN | Steve Cohen | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-FL | Val Butler Demings | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-WI | Mark Pocan | Feb 11, 2021 | |
| D-PA | Mary Gay Scanlon | Feb 18, 2021 | |
| D-IN | Frank J. Mrvan | Mar 17, 2021 | |
| D-CO | Joe Neguse | Sep 3, 2021 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Education and Workforce Committee | Referred Feb 4, 2021 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 4, 2021Introduced in House
- Feb 4, 2021Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 21, February 4, 2021, page H388.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 268 | COVID–19 Whistleblower Protection Act | Identical bill | Feb 4, 2021 |
| HR 7227 | COVID–19 Whistleblower Protection Act | Reintroduction of | Jun 15, 2020 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To protect certain whistleblowers seeking to ensure accountability and oversight of the Nation's COVID-19 pandemic response, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- COVID–19 Whistleblower Protection Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Labor and Employment.
- Administrative remedies
- Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Civil actions and liability
- Congressional oversight
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Evidence and witnesses
- Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
- Government information and archives
- Government studies and investigations
- Health programs administration and funding
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Labor and Employment
- Public contracts and procurement
- Right of privacy
- State and local government operations
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 4, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
