United States 119th Congress Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 1 D · 1 R cosponsors

S 874 — Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025

Last action — Held at the desk.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced March 05, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 46% · moderate confidence

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025This bill expands whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and grant recipients to include the act of refusing to obey an unlawful order and to apply these protections to members of the intelligence community and other governmental employees.Current law protects employees of federal contractors or grant recipients from a reprisal (i.e., discharge, demotion, or discrimination) for disclosing evidence to Congress or another appropriate official of certain misconduct involving federal contracts, grants, or funds. The bill expands these protections to include an employee's refusal to obey an order that would require the employee to violate a law, rule, or regulation related to any contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant. The bill also specifies that these protections apply to employees of federal contractors or grant recipients who are current or former members of the intelligence community or employees of state, local, or tribal governments. Further, the bill specifies that these protections may not be waived in a predispute arbitration agreement and renders any such agreement unenforceable.The bill specifies that an executive branch official may not request a federal contractor or grant recipient to engage in a reprisal against a protected employee, and it authorizes federal agencies to propose disciplinary action against officials that do so.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

8 added · 307 removed

Plain-language change summary

The changes in the bill S 874 involve the removal of the short title and specific sections related to whistleblower protections for defense contractor employees, which were included in an earlier version. This means that the bill no longer specifies its title or outlines protections for these employees against reprisals for disclosing certain information. As a result, the focus of the bill is now directed elsewhere, potentially altering its intended scope and implications for whistleblower protections in defense contracting.

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874 Reported in Senate (RS)] <DOC> Calendar No.
874 Engrossed in Senate (ES)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S.
289 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
874 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a reprisal, and for other purposes.
874 To ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a reprisal, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.
_______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 5, 2025 Mr.
Peters (for himself and Mr.
Grassley) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs December 9, 2025 Reported by Mr.
Paul, with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a reprisal, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <DELETED>SECTION 1.
SHORT TITLE.</DELETED> <DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025''.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.
2.
DEFENSE CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES:
PROTECTION FROM REPRISAL FOR DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION.</DELETED> <DELETED> Section 4701 of title 10, United States Code, is amended-- </DELETED> <DELETED> (1) in subsection (a)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) in paragraph (1)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (I) by striking ``An employee'' and all that follows through ``services contractor'' and inserting ``A protected individual'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (II) by striking ``disclosing'' and all that follows through ``evidence of'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (ii) by striking subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) and inserting the following subparagraphs:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(A) Refusing to obey an order that would require the protected individual to violate a law, rule, or regulation related to any contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) Disclosing to a person or body described in paragraph (2) information that the protected individual reasonably believes is evidence of the following:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) Gross mismanagement of any Department of Defense contract or grant, any gross waste of Department funds, any abuse of authority relating to any Department contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant, or any violation of law, rule, or regulation related to any Department contract or subcontract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract or subcontract) or grant or subgrant.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) Gross mismanagement of any National Aeronautics and Space Administration contract or grant, any gross waste of Administration funds, any abuse of authority relating to an Administration contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant, or any violation of law, rule, or regulation related to any Administration contract or subcontract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract or subcontract) or grant or subgrant.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(iii) A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) in paragraph (3)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``an employee'' and inserting ``a protected individual'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following subparagraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) it shall not be within the authority of an executive branch official to request that a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee engage in a reprisal prohibited by paragraph (1).'';</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) in subsection (c)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following subparagraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(E) Propose appropriate disciplinary action against any executive branch official for any request made of a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee that subjected the complainant to a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a).'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following paragraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(7) Clarification for Scope of Waiver Restrictions.--(A) The rights, forum, and remedies provided for in this section may not be waived by any public or private agreement, policy, form, or condition of employment, including by any predispute arbitration agreement.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) No provision of the predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of a dispute arising under this section.'';</DELETED> <DELETED> (3) by striking subsection (e) and redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections (e) and (f), respectively;</DELETED> <DELETED> (4) in subsection (e), as so redesignated-- </DELETED> <DELETED> (A) by striking ``an employee'' and inserting ``a protected individual'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) by striking ``the employee'' and inserting ``the protected individual'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (5) in subsection (f), as so redesignated, by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(8) The term `protected individual' means-- </DELETED> <DELETED> ``(A) a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee of the Department of Defense or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, including--</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) the government of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory or possession of the United States;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) the government of any political subdivision of, agency of, or instrumentality of, a government listed in clause (i);
and</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(iii) an element of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003)) within the Department of Defense;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) an employee of a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee of the Department of Defense or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or a former employee of such contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee whose protected disclosure or engagement in any activity protected against reprisal under this section occurred prior to termination, including an employee of-- </DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) the government of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory or possession of the United States;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) the government of any political subdivision of, agency of, or instrumentality of, a government listed in clause (i);
and</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(iii) an element of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003)) within the Department of Defense;
or</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(C) a person performing personal services for the Department of Defense or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration pursuant to a contractual agreement for the performance of personal services, including a personal services contract or personal services agreement, and who engages in an activity for which any reprisal is prohibited under subsection (a), including a person performing personal services pursuant such a contractual agreement for-- </DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) the government of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory or possession of the United States;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) the government of any political subdivision of, agency of, or instrumentality of, a government listed in clause (i);
and</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(iii) an element of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003)) within the Department of Defense.''.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.
3.
ENHANCEMENT OF NON-DEFENSE CONTRACTOR PROTECTION FROM REPRISAL FOR DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION.</DELETED> <DELETED> Section 4712 of title 41, United States Code, is amended-- </DELETED> <DELETED> (1) in subsection (a)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following paragraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(1) In general.--A protected individual may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for the following:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(A) Refusing to obey an order that would require the protected individual to violate a law, rule, or regulation related to any contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) Disclosing to a person or body described in paragraph (2) information that the protected individual reasonably believes is evidence of the following:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) Gross mismanagement of any Federal contract or grant, any gross waste of Federal funds, any abuse of authority relating to any Federal contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant, or any violation of law, rule, or regulation related to any Federal contract or subcontract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract or subcontract) or grant or subgrant.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) in paragraph (3)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``an employee'' and inserting ``a protected individual'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following subparagraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) it shall not be within the authority of an executive branch official to request that a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee engage in a reprisal prohibited by paragraph (1).'';</DELETED> <DELETED> (2) in subsection (c)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(E) Propose appropriate disciplinary action against any executive branch official for any request made of a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee that subjected the complainant to a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a).'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following paragraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(7) Rights, forum, and remedies not waivable.-- </DELETED> <DELETED> ``(A) In general.--The rights, forum, and remedies provided for in this section may not be waived by any public or private agreement, policy, form, or condition of employment, including by any predispute arbitration agreement.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) Validity.--No provision of the predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of a dispute arising under this section.'';</DELETED> <DELETED> (3) in subsection (e)--</DELETED> <DELETED> (A) by striking ``an employee'' and inserting ``a protected individual'';
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (B) by striking ``the employee'' and inserting ``the protected individual'';</DELETED> <DELETED> (4) by striking subsection (f) and redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> (5) in subsection (f), as so redesignated, by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraph:</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(3) The term `protected individual' means-- </DELETED> <DELETED> ``(A) a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee of the Federal Government, including--</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) the government of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory or possession of the United States;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) the government of any political subdivision of, agency of, or instrumentality of, a government listed in clause (i);
and</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(iii) an element of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003));</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(B) an employee of a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee of the Federal Government or a former employee of such contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee whose protected disclosure or engagement in any activity protected against reprisal under this section occurred prior to termination, including an employee of--</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) the government of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory or possession of the United States;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) the government of any political subdivision of, agency of, or instrumentality of, a government listed in clause (i);
and</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(iii) an element of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003));
or</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(C) a person performing personal services for the Federal Government pursuant to a contractual agreement for the performance of personal services, including a personal services contract or personal services agreement, including a person performing personal services pursuant to such a contractual agreement for--</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(i) the government of each of the several States, the District of Columbia, an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory or possession of the United States;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(ii) the government of any political subdivision of, agency of, or instrumentality of, a government listed in clause (i);
and</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(iii) an element of the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
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3003)).''.</DELETED> SECTION 1.
Calendar No.
Passed the Senate April 29, 2026.
289 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
Attest:
874 _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a reprisal, and for other purposes.
Secretary.
_______________________________________________________________________ December 9, 2025 Reported with an amendment
119th CONGRESS 2d Session S.
874 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a reprisal, and for other purposes.
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Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

  3. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  4. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  5. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  6. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 289.

  7. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

  8. Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2100-2102; text: CR S2100-2101)

  9. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  10. Received in the House.

  11. Held at the desk.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 545 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (545)

545 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 545 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights labor
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Frequently asked questions

What does S 874 do?
Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025This bill expands whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and grant recipients to include the act of refusing to obey an unlawful order and to apply these protections to members of the intelligence community and other governmental employees.Current law protects employees of federal contractors or grant recipients from a reprisal (i.e., discharge, demotion, or discrimination) for disclosing evidence to Congress or another appropriate official of certain misconduct involving federal contracts, grants, or funds. The bill expands these protections to include an employee's refusal to obey an order that would require the employee to violate a law, rule, or regulation related to any contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant. The bill also specifies that these protections apply to employees of federal contractors or grant recipients who are current or former members of the intelligence community or employees of state, local, or tribal governments. Further, the bill specifies that these protections may not be waived in a predispute arbitration agreement and renders any such agreement unenforceable.The bill specifies that an executive branch official may not request a federal contractor or grant recipient to engage in a reprisal against a protected employee, and it authorizes federal agencies to propose disciplinary action against officials that do so.
Who sponsors S 874?
S 874 is sponsored by Peters, Gary C. (Democratic) and Grassley, Chuck (Republican).
What is the current status of S 874?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced March 05, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track S 874?
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