Senate Version of the American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009; Official Final Full Text, Bill Number H.R.1 for the 111th Congress

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Where Leading Minds Meet. Note: Senate struck much of it; Act as amended begins on Page 725.
I
FEBRUARY 10, 2009
Ordered to be printed with the amendment of the Senate
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in
italic]
creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and
science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal
stabilization, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and
for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Recovery
5 and Reinvestment Act of 2009’’.
6 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
7The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
DIVISION A—APPROPRIATION PROVISIONS
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TITLE I—GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE III—COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND SCIENCE TITLE IV—DEFENSE
TITLE V—ENERGY AND WATER
TITLE VI—FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT TITLE
VII—HOMELAND SECURITY TITLE VIII—INTERIOR AND
ENVIRONMENT TITLE IX—LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
AND EDUCATION TITLE X—MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND
VETERANS AFFAIRS TITLE XI—DEPARTMENT OF STATE TITLE
XII—TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
TITLE XIII—STATE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND
DIVISION B—OTHER PROVISIONS
TITLE I—TAX PROVISIONS
GLING FAMILIES
PLOYED
TITLE V—MEDICAID PROVISIONS
TITLE VI—BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS
(a) STATEMENT OF PURPOSES.—The purposes of this
Act include the following:
economic recovery.
sion.
economic efficiency by spurring technological ad-
vances in science and health.
(4) To invest in transportation, environmental
protection, and other infrastructure that will provide
long-term economic benefits.
Gayle E. Slaughter,
Small Voice: The
Vatican, the USA,
Dr. Michael Savage
The Vatican, the USA,
and Israel in Bible
The Vatican, the USA,
and Israel in Bible
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(5) To stabilize State and local government
budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in
essential services and counterproductive state and
local tax increases.
FUNDS.—The President and the heads of Federal depart-
ments and agencies shall manage and expend the funds
made available in this Act so as to achieve the purposes
specified in subsection (a), including commencing expendi-
tures and activities as quickly as possible consistent with
prudent management.
Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference
to ‘‘this Act’’ contained in any division of this Act shall be
treated as referring only to the provisions of that division.
SEC. 5. EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.
(a) I N GENERAL.—Each amount in this Act is des-
ignated as an emergency requirement and necessary to meet
emergency needs pursuant to section 204(a) of S. Con. Res.
21 (110th Congress) and section 301(b)(2) of
S. Con. Res. 70 (110th Congress), the concurrent resolu-
tions on the budget for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.
(b) PAY-AS-YOU-GO.—All applicable provisions in this

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Act are designated as an emergency for purposes of
pay-as-you-go principles.
The following sums in this Act are appropriated, out of
any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other
purposes.
SEC. 1101. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER APPROPRIATIONS.
Each amount appropriated or made available in this
Act is in addition to amounts otherwise appropriated for the
fiscal year involved. Enactment of this Act shall have no
effect on the availability of amounts under the Continuing
Appropriations Resolution, 2009 (division A of Public Law
110–329).
In using funds made available in this Act for infra-
structure investment, recipients shall give preference to
activities that can be started and completed expeditiously,

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activities that can be initiated not later than 120 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act. Recipients shall also

(a) FORMULA GRANTS.—Formula grants using funds
made available in this Act shall be awarded not later than
30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act (or, in
the case of appropriations not available upon enactment, not
later than 30 days after the appropriation becomes available
for obligation), unless expressly provided otherwise in this
Act.
(b) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—Competitive grants using
funds made available in this Act shall be awarded not later
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act (or,
in the case of appropriations not available upon enactment,
not later than 90 days after the appropriation becomes
available for obligation), unless expressly provided
otherwise in this Act.
limits specified in subsections (a) and (b) may each be
extended by up to 30 days in the case of grants for which
funding was not provided in fiscal year 2008.

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SEC. 1104. USE IT OR LOSE IT REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT
EES.
(a) DEADLINE FOR BINDING COMMITMENTS.—Each
recipient of a grant made using amounts made available in this
Act in any account listed in subsection (c) shall enter into
contracts or other binding commitments not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act (or not later than 9
months after the grant is awarded, if later) to make use of 50
percent of the funds awarded, and shall enter into contracts or
other binding commitments not later than 2 years after the date
of the enactment of this Act (or not later than 21 months after
the grant is awarded, if later) to make use of the remaining
funds. In the case of activities to be carried out directly by a
grant recipient (rather than by contracts, subgrants, or other
arrangements with third parties), a certification by the
recipient specifying the amounts, planned timing, and purpose
of such expenditures shall be deemed a binding commitment
for purposes of this section.
(b) R EDISTRIBUTION OF U NCOMMITTED FUNDS.— The
head of the Federal department or agency involved shall
recover or deobligate any grant funds not committed in
accordance with subsection (a), and redistribute such funds to

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make use of such funds in a timely manner (including binding
commitments within 120 days after the reallocation).
(c) APPROPRIATIONS TO WHICH THIS SECTION AP-
PLIES.—This section shall apply to grants made using
amounts appropriated in any of the following accounts
within this Act:
and Tribal Assistance Grants’’.
Intercity Passenger Rail Service’’.
(4) ‘‘Department of Transportation—Federal
Transit Administration—Capital I n v e s t m e n t
Grants’’.
Investment’’.
(7) ‘‘Department of Housing and Urban Devel-

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opment—Public and Indian Housing—Public Housing
Capital Fund’’.
Housing Block Grants’’.
velopment—Community Planning and D eve lo p-
ment—HOME Investment Partnerships Program’’.
(11) ‘‘Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment—Community Planning and D evelo p-
ment—Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Op-
portunity Program’’.
(a) I N GENERAL.—All funds appropriated in this Act
shall remain available for obligation until September 30,
2010, unless expressly provided otherwise in this Act.
(b) R EOBLIGATION.—Amounts that are not needed or
cannot be used under title X of this Act for the activity for
which originally obligated may be deobligated and, not-
withstanding the limitation on availability specified in sub-

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section (a), reobligated for other activities that have re-
ceived funding from the same account or appropriation in
such title.
SEC. 1106. SET-ASIDE FOR MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT.

amount appropriated in this Act may be used for the expenses
of management and oversight of the programs, grants, and
activities funded by such appropriation, and may be
transferred by the head of the Federal department or agency
involved to any other appropriate account within the
department or agency for that purpose. Funds set aside under
this section shall remain available for obligation until
September 30, 2012.
In addition to funds otherwise made available in this
Act, there are hereby appropriated the following sums to
the specified Offices of Inspector General, to remain avail-
able until September 30, 2013, for oversight and audit of
programs, grants, and projects funded under this Act:
(1) ‘‘Department of Agriculture—Office of In-
spector General’’, $22,500,000.

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Management—Office of the Inspector General’’,
$14,000,000.
General’’, $15,000,000.
ices—Office of the Secretary—Office of Inspector
General’’, $19,000,000.
of Inspector General’’, $2,000,000.
opment—Management and Administration—Office of
Inspector General’’, $15,000,000.
General’’, $2,000,000.
$6,000,000.
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(12) ‘‘Department of Transportation—Office of
of Inspector General’’, $20,000,000.
Activities—Office of Inspector
ABILITY OFFICE.
for ‘‘Government Accountability Office—Salaries and Ex-

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penses’’ $25,000,000, for oversight activities relating to
this Act.
None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available in this Act may be used for any casino or other
gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or
swimming pool.
(a) I N GENERAL.—None of the funds appropriated or

project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair
of a public building or public work unless all of the iron and
steel used in the project is produced in the United States.
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply in any
case in which the head of the Federal department or agency
involved finds that—
with the public interest;
(2) iron and steel are not produced in the United
States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities
and of a satisfactory quality; or
(3) inclusion of iron and steel produced in the

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by more than 25 percent.
(c) WRITTEN JUSTIFICATION FOR WAIVER .—If the head of
a Federal department or agency determines that it is necessary
to waive the application of subsection (a) based on a finding
under subsection (b), the head of the department or agency
shall publish in the Federal Register a detailed written
justification as to why the provision is being waived.
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘public
building’’ and ‘‘public work’’ have the meanings given such

railroads, multiline mass transit systems, roads, tunnels,
harbors, and piers.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law and in a
manner consistent with other provisions in this Act, all
laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and sub-
contractors on projects funded directly by or assisted in
whole or in part by and through the Federal Government
pursuant to this Act shall be paid wages at rates not less

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United States Code. With respect to the labor standards
specified in this section, the Secretary of Labor shall have
the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan
Numbered 14 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1267; 5 U.S.C. App.) and
section 3145 of title 40, United States Code.
SEC. 1112. ADDITIONAL ASSURANCE OF APPROPRIATE USE
OF FUNDS.
None of the funds provided by this Act may be made
available to the State of Illinois, or any agency of the State,
unless: (1) the use of such funds by the State is approved in
legislation enacted by the State after the date of the enactment

office of Governor of the State of Illi nois. The preceding
sentence shall not apply to any funds provided directly to a
unit of local government: (1) by a Federal department or
agency; or (2) by an established formula from the State.
SEC. 1113. PERSISTENT POVERTY COUNTIES.
(a) ALLOCATION R EQUIREMENT.—Of the amount ap-
propriated in this Act for ‘‘Department of Agriculture—
Rural Development Programs—Rural Community Ad-
vancement Program’’, at least 10 percent shall be allocated
for assistance in persistent poverty counties.
(b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the

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term ‘‘persistent poverty counties’’ means any county that
has had 20 percent or more of its population living in pov-
erty over the past 30 years, as measured by the 1980, 1990,
and 2000 decennial censuses.
GRAM.
None of the funds made available in this Act may be
used to enter into a contract with an entity that does not
participate in the E-verify program described in section
401(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note).
SEC. 1115. ADDITIONAL FUNDING DISTRIBUTION AND AS
SURANCE OF APPROPRIATE USE OF FUNDS.
(a) CERTIFICATION BY GOVERNOR .—Not later than
45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, for funds
provided to any State or agency thereof, the Governor of the
State shall certify that the State will request and use funds
provided by this Act.
(b) ACCEPTANCE BY STATE LEGISLATURE.—If funds
provided to any State in any division of this Act are not

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(c) DISTRIBUTION.—After the adoption of a State
legislature’s concurrent resolution, funding to the State will
be for distribution to local governments, councils of
government, public entities, and public-private entities
within the State either by formula or at the State’s discre-
tion.
REQUIREMENTS
Federal agency shall publish on the website Recov ery.gov
(as established under section 1226 of this subtitle)—
(1) a plan for using funds made available in this
Act to the agency; and
(2) all announcements for grant competitions,
allocations of formula grants, and awards of com-
petitive grants using those funds.
(b) R EQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.—

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ING.—With respect to funds made available under this
Act for infrastructure investments to Federal, State, or
local government agencies, the following requirements
apply:
of funds obligated to particular infrastructure
investments by posting the notification on the
website Recovery.gov.
investment funded.
investment.
investment.
funding the infrastructure investment with
funds made available under this Act.
(v) The name of the person to contact
at the agency if there are concerns with the
infrastructure investment and, with respect to
Federal agencies, an email address for the

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Federal official in the agency whom the
public can contact.
cies, a certification from the Governor,
mayor, or other chief executive, as appro-
priate, that the infrastructure investment has
received the full review and vetting required
by law and that the chief executive accepts
responsibility that the infrastructure
dollars. A State or local agency may not
receive infrastructure investment funding
this certification is made.

ernment agencies or other organizations, the agency or
organization shall publish on the website Recovery.gov
a description of the intended use of the funds,
including the number of jobs sustained or created.
(c) AVAILABILITY ON I NTERNET OF CONTRACTS AND
GRANTS.—Each contract awarded or grant issued using

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funds made available in this Act shall be posted on the
Internet and linked to the website Recovery.gov. Proprietary
data that is required to be kept confidential under
applicable Federal or State law or regulation shall be re-
dacted before posting.
(a) R EVIEWS.—Any inspector general of a Federal
department or executive agency shall review, as appro-
priate, any concerns raised by the public about specific
investments using funds made available in this Act. Any
findings of an inspector general resulting from such a review
shall be relayed immediately to the head of each department
and agency. In addition, the findings of such reviews, along
with any audits conducted by any inspector general of
funds made available in this Act, shall be posted on the
Internet and linked to the website Recovery.gov.
(b) EXAMINATION OF R ECORDS.—The Inspector General
of the agency concerned may examine any records related to
obligations of funds made available in this Act.
SEC. 1203. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE RE
VIEWS AND REPORTS.

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prepare reports on such reviews on the use by selected
States and localities of funds made available in this Act.
Such reports, along with any audits conducted by the
Comptroller General of such funds, shall be posted on the
Internet and linked to the website Recovery.gov.
(b) EXAMINATION OF R ECORDS.—The Comptroller
General may examine any records related to obligations of
funds made available in this Act.
SEC. 1204. COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS REPORTS.
The Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers,
in consultation with the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall
submit quarterly reports to Congress detailing the estimated
impact of programs under this Act on employment,
economic growth, and other key economic indicators.
SEC. 1205. SPECIAL CONTRACTING PROVISIONS.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall apply to
contracts awarded with funds made available in this Act.

petitive procedures. Existing contracts so awarded may be
utilized in order to obligate such funds expeditiously. Any

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not awarded using competitive procedures shall be posted
in a special section of the website Recovery.gov.
PART 2—ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
BOARD
TRANSPARENCY BOARD.
There is established a board to be known as the ‘‘Re-
covery Act Accountability and Transparency Board’’
(hereafter in this subtitle referred to as the ‘‘Board’’) to
coordinate and conduct oversight of Federal spending under
this Act to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
SEC. 1222. COMPOSITION OF BOARD.
(a) MEMBERSHIP.—The Board shall be composed of
seven members as follows:
dent, who shall chair the Board.
(2) Six members designated by the President from
the inspectors general and deputy secretaries of the
Departments of Education, Energy, Health and Human

and agencies to which funds are made available in this
Act.

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for a term to be determined by the President.
SEC. 1223. FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD.
(a) OVERSIGHT.—The Board shall coordinate and
conduct oversight of spending under this Act to prevent
waste, fraud, and abuse. In addition to responsibilities set
forth in this subtitle, the responsibilities of the Board shall
include the following:
regarding contract and grants under this Act meets
applicable standards and specifies the purpose of the
contract or grant and measures of performance.
(2) Verifying that competition requirements ap-
plicable to contracts and grants under this Act and
other applicable Federal law have been satisfied.
(3) Investigating spending under this Act to de-
termine whether wasteful spending, poor contract or
grant management, or other abuses are occurring.
(4) Reviewing whether there are sufficient qualified
acquisition and grant personnel overseeing spending
under this Act.
personnel receive adequate training and whether there

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collaboration.
submit to Congress reports, to be known as ‘‘flash
reports’’, on potential management and funding
problems that require immediate attention. The Board
also shall submit to Congress such other reports as the
Board considers appropriate on the use and benefits of
funds made available in this Act.
(2) QUARTERLY.—The Board shall submit to the
President and Congress quarterly reports summarizing
its findings and the findings of agency inspectors
general and may issue additional reports as
appropriate.
shall prepare a consolidated report on the use of funds
under this Act. All reports shall be publicly available
and shall be posted on the Internet website
Recovery.gov, except that portions of reports may be
redacted if the portions would disclose information
that is protected from public disclosure under section
552 of title 5, United States Code (popularly known as
the Freedom of Information Act).

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(c) R ECOMMENDATIONS TO AGENCIES.—The Board
shall make recommendations to Federal agencies on meas-
ures to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. A Federal agency
shall, within 30 days after receipt of any such rec-
ommendation, submit to the Board, the President, and the
congressional committees of jurisdiction a report on
whether the agency agrees or disagrees with the rec-
ommendations and what steps, if any, the agency plans to
take to implement the recommendations.
SEC. 1224. POWERS OF THE BOARD.
(a) COORDINATION OF AUDITS AND I NVESTIGATIONS BY
AGENCY I NSPECTORS GENERAL.—The Board shall coordinate
the audits and investigations of spending under this Act by
agency inspectors general.
(b) CONDUCT OF R EVIEWS BY BOARD.—The Board may
conduct reviews of spending under this Act and may
collaborate on such reviews with any inspector general.
(c) MEETINGS.—The Board may, for the purpose of
carrying out its duties under this Act, hold public meetings,
sit and act at times and places, and receive information as
the Board considers appropriate. The Board shall meet at
least once a month.

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information necessary to enable it to carry out its duties under
this Act. Upon request of the Chairman of the Board, the head
of that department or agency shall furnish that information to
the Board.
(e) CONTRACTS.—The Board may enter into contracts
to enable the Board to discharge its duties under this Act.
SEC. 1225. STAFFING.
Board may appoint and fix the compensation of an execu-
tive director and other personnel as may be required to
carry out the functions of the Board. The Director shall be
paid at the rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive
Schedule.
the Board, the head of any Federal department or agency
may detail any Federal official or employee, including
officials and employees of offices of inspector general, to
the Board without reimbursement from the Board, and such
detailed staff shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of
his or her regular employment without interruption.
(c) OFFICE SPACE.—Office space shall be provided to
the Board within the Executive Office of the President.

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SEC. 1226. RECOVERY.GOV.
(a) R EQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH WEBSITE.—The Board
shall establish and maintain a website on the Internet to be
named Recovery.gov, to foster greater accountability and
transparency in the use of funds made available in this Act.
(b) PURPOSE.—Recovery.gov shall be a portal or
gateway to key information related to this Act and provide
a window to other Government websites with related infor-
mation.
what this Act means for citizens. The materials shall
be easy to understand and regularly updated.
(2) The website shall provide accountability in-
formation, including a database of findings from audits,
inspectors general, and the Government Accountability
Office.
economic, financial, grant, and contract information in
user-friendly visual presentations to enhance public
awareness of the use funds made available in this Act.
(4) The website shall provide detailed data on

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contracts awarded by the Government for purposes of
carrying out this Act, including information about the
competitiveness of the contracting process, notification
of solicitations for contracts to be awarded, and
information about the process that was used for the
award of contracts.
funds made available in this Act obligated by month to
each State and congressional district.
(6) The website shall provide a means for the
public to give feedback on the performance of con-
tracts awarded for purposes of carrying out this Act.
(7) The website shall be enhanced and updated as
necessary to carry out the purposes of this subtitle.
(8) The website shall provide, by location, links
to and information on how to access job opportunities
created at or by entities receiving funding under this
Act, including, if possible, links to or information about
local employment agencies; state, local and other
public agencies receiving funding; and private firms
contracted to perform work funded by this Act.
SEC. 1227. PRESERVATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF IN
SPECTORS GENERAL.
HR 1 PP
Inspectors general shall retain independent authority to
determine whether to conduct an audit or investigation of
spending under this Act. If the Board requests that an
inspector general conduct or refrain from conducting an
audit or investigation and the inspector general rejects the
request in whole or in part, the inspector general shall,
within 30 days after receipt of the request, submit to the
Board, the agency head, and the congressional committees
of jurisdiction a report explaining why the inspector general
has rejected the request in whole or in part.
SEC. 1228. COORDINATION WITH THE COMPTROLLER GEN
ERAL AND STATE AUDITORS.
the Comptroller General of the United States and State
auditor generals.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a panel to
be known as the ‘‘Independent Advisory Panel’’ to advise
the Board.
five members appointed by the President from among indi-
viduals with expertise in economics, public finance, con-
tracting, accounting, or other relevant fields.

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(c) FUNCTIONS.—The Panel shall make rec-
ommendations to the Board on actions the Board could take
to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal spending
under this Act.
subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 1230. FUNDING.
e Board $14,000,000 to carry out this subtitle.
SEC. 1231. BOARD TERMINATION.
of the funds made available under this Act have been
expended, as determined by the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget.
TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS
COMPETITIVE CONTRACTS.
303(c)(2) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services

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Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 253(c)(2)) that is for an amount
greater than the simplified acquisition threshold (as defined in
section 4(11) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act
(41 U.S.C. (4)(11))—
(A) to meet the unusual and compelling re-
quirements of the work to be performed under the
contract; and
through the use of competitive procedures; and
(2) may exceed one year unless the head of the
executive agency entering into such contract deter-
mines that exceptional circumstances apply.
SEC. 1242. ACCESS OF GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OF
FICE AND OFFICES OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
TO CERTAIN EMPLOYEES.
made available in this Act shall provide that the Comptroller
General and his representatives, and any representatives of
an appropriate inspector general appointed under section 3
or 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C.
App.), are authorized—
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(1) to examine any records of the contractor or

subcontract; and
such transactions.
(b) R ELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING AUTHORITY.— Nothing
in this section shall be interpreted to limit or restrict in any
way any existing authority of the Comptroller General or an
Inspector General.
AND CONTRACTOR WHISTLEBLOWERS.
non-Federal employer receiving funds made available in this
Act may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise
discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing to the Board,
an inspector general, the Comptroller General, a member of
Congress, or a Federal agency head, or their representatives,
information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence
of—
contract or grant;
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(2) a gross waste of executive agency funds;
(3) a substantial and specific danger to public
health or safety; or
agency contract (including the competition for or ne-
gotiation of a contract) or grant awarded or issued to
carry out this Act.
(1) A person who believes that the person has
been subjected to a reprisal prohibited by subsection
(a) may submit a complaint to the inspector general of
the executive agency that awarded the contract or
issued the grant. Unless the inspector general deter-
mines that the complaint is frivolous, the inspector
general shall investigate the complaint and, upon
completion of such investigation, submit a report of
the findings of the investigation to the person, the
person’s employer, the head of the Federal agency that
awarded the contract or issued the grant, and the
Board.
(B), the inspector general shall make a determination

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that a complaint is frivolous or submit a report under
paragraph (1) within 180 days after receiving the
complaint.

(A) and the person submitting the complaint agrees to
an extension of time, the inspector general shall submit
a report under paragraph (1) within such additional
period of time as shall be agreed upon between the
inspector general and the person submitting the
complaint.
(1) Not later than 30 days after receiving an
inspector general report pursuant to subsection (b), the
head of the agency concerned shall determine whether
there is sufficient basis to conclude that the non-Federal
employer has subjected the complainant to a reprisal
prohibited by subsection (a) and shall either issue an
order denying relief or shall take one or more of the
following actions:
action to abate the reprisal.

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(B) Order the employer to reinstate the
person to the position that the person held before
the reprisal, together with the compensation
(including back pay), employment benefits, and
other terms and conditions of employment that
would apply to the person in that position if the
reprisal had not been taken.
(C) Order the employer to pay the com-
plainant an amount equal to the aggregate amount
of all costs and expenses (including attorneys’
fees and expert witnesses’ fees) that were
reasonably incurred by the complainant for, or in
connection with, bringing the complaint regarding
the reprisal, as determined by the head of the
agency.
(2) If the head of an executive agency issues an
order denying relief under paragraph (1) or has not
issued an order within 210 days after the submission
of a complaint under subsection (b), or in the case of
an extension of time under paragraph (b)(2)(B), not
later than 30 days after the expiration of the extension

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to the bad faith of the complainant, the complainant
shall be deemed to have exhausted all administrative
remedies with respect to the complaint, and the
complainant may bring a de novo action at law or
equity against the employer to seek compensatory
damages and other relief available under this section in
the appropriate district court of the United States,
which shall have jurisdiction over such an action
without regard to the amount in controversy. Such an

action shall, at the request of either party to the action,
be tried by the court with a jury.
(3) An inspector general determination and an
agency head order denying relief under paragraph
(2) shall be admissible in evidence in any de novo
action at law or equity brought pursuant to this sub-
section.
(4) Whenever a person fails to comply with an
order issued under paragraph (1), the head of the
agency shall file an action for enforcement of such
order in the United States district court for a district in
which the reprisal was found to have occurred. In any
action brought under this paragraph, the court may

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grant appropriate relief, including injunctive relief and
compensatory and exemplary damages.
by an order issued under paragraph (1) may obtain
review of the order’s conformance with this subsection,
and any regulations issued to carry out this section, in
the United States court of appeals for a circuit in
which the reprisal is alleged in the order to have
occurred. No petition seeking such review may be
filed more than 60 days after issuance of the order by
the head of the agency. Review shall conform to
chapter 7 of title 5.
(d) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section may be
construed to authorize the discharge of, demotion of, or
discrimination against an employee for a disclosure other than
a disclosure protected by subsection (a) or to modify or
derogate from a right or remedy otherwise available to the
employee.
‘‘non-Federal employer receiving funds made
available in this Act’’ means—

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(A) with respect to a Federal contract
awarded or Federal grant issued to carry out this
Act, the contractor or grantee, as the case may be,
if the contractor or grantee is an employer; or
(B) a State or local government, if the State or
local government has received funds made available
in this Act.
(2) EXECUTIVE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘executive
agency’’ has the meaning given that term in section 4 of
the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C.

‘‘State or local government’’ means—
(A) the government of each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa,
the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands,
or any other territory or possession of the United
States; or
(A).
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PART 4—FURTHER ACCOUNTABILITY AND
TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This part may be cited as the
‘‘Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
this part is as follows:
PART 4—FURTHER ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS
Sec. 1261. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 1262. Clarification of disclosures covered.
Sec. 1263. Definitional amendments. Sec.
1264. Rebuttable presumption.
Sec. 1266. Exclusion of agencies by the President. Sec.
1267. Disciplinary action.
Sec. 1268. Government Accountability Office study on revocation of security
clearances.
Sec. 1271. Enhancement of contractor employee whistleblower protections.
Sec. 1272. Prohibited personnel practices affecting the Transportation Security
Administration.
Sec. 1273. Clarification of whistleblower rights relating to scientific and other
research. Sec. 1274. Effective date.
SEC. 1262. CLARIFICATION OF DISCLOSURES COVERED.
(a) I N GENERAL.—Section 2302(b)(8) of title 5, United
States Code, is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A)—
plicant reasonably believes evidences’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, without restriction as to time, place,
form, motive, context, forum, or prior disclosure

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made to any person by an employee or applicant,
including a disclosure made in the ordinary course
of an employee’s duties, that the employee or
applicant reasonably believes is evidence of’’; and
(B) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘a violation’’
and inserting ‘‘any violation’’; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)—
plicant reasonably believes evidences’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, without restriction as to time, place,
form, motive, context, forum, or prior disclosure
made to any person by an employee or applicant,
including a disclosure made in the ordinary course

of an employee’s duties, of informa tion that the
employee or applicant reasonably believes is
evidence of’’; and
of this section)’’.
2302(b)(9).—Title 5, United States Code, is amended in
subsections (a)(3), (b)(4)(A), and (b)(4)(B)(i) of section

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1214 and in subsections (a) and (e)(1) of section 1221 by
inserting ‘‘or 2302(b)(9)(B)–(D)’’ after ‘‘section
2302(b)(8)’’ each place it appears.
SEC. 1263. DEFINITIONAL AMENDMENTS.
States Code, is amended—
the end;
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(D) ‘disclosure’ means a formal or informal
communication, but does not include a communication
concerning policy decisions that lawfully exercise
discretionary authority unless the employee or
applicant providing the disclosure reasonably believes
that the disclosure evidences—
lation; or
funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and
specific danger to public health or safety.’’.

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(b) CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE.—Sections
1214(b)(4)(B)(ii) and 1221(e)(2) of title 5, United States
Code, are amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘For purposes of the preceding sentence, ‘clear and con-
vincing evidence’ means evidence indicating that the matter
to be proved is highly probable or reasonably certain.’’.
SEC. 1264. REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION.
amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘For purposes
of paragraph (8), any presumption relating to the
performance of a duty by an employee who has authority to
take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any
personnel action may be rebutted by substantial evidence.
For purposes of paragraph (8), a determination as to
whether an employee or applicant reasonably believes that
such employee or applicant has disclosed information that
evidences any violation of law, rule, regulation, gross mis-

safety shall be made by determining whether a disin terested
observer with knowledge of the essential facts known to or
readily ascertainable by the employee or applicant could
reasonably conclude that the actions of the Government

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evidence such violations, mismanagement, waste, abuse, or
danger.’’.
MENTS.
title 5, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in clause (x), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end;
(2) by redesignating clause (xi) as clause (xii);
and
‘‘(xi) the implementation or enforcement of
any nondisclosure policy, form, or agreement;
and’’.
2302(b) of title 5, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the
end;
(14); and
‘‘(12) implement or enforce any nondisclosure
policy, form, or agreement, if such policy, form, or

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agreement does not contain the following statement:
‘These provisions are consistent with and do not su-
persede, conflict with, or otherwise alter the employee
obligations, rights, or liabilities created by Executive
Order No. 12958; section 7211 of title 5, United
States Code (governing disclosures to Congress);
section 1034 of title 10, United States Code
(governing disclosures to Congress by members of the
military); section 2302(b)(8) of title 5, United States
Code (governing disclosures of illegality, waste, fraud,
abuse, or public health or safety threats); the
Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 (50
U.S.C. 421 and following) (governing disclosures that
could expose confidential Government agents); and the
statutes which protect against disclosures that could
compromise national security, including sections 641,
793, 794, 798, and 952 of title 18, United States Code,
and section 4(b) of the Subversive Activities Control
Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 783(b)). The definitions,
requirements, obligations, rights, sanctions, and
liabilities created by such Executive order and such
statutory provisions are incorporated into this

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agreement and are controlling.’;
vestigation, other than any ministerial or nondis-
cretionary factfinding activities necessary for the
agency to perform its mission, of an employee or ap-
plicant for employment because of any activity pro-
tected under this section; or’’.
SEC. 1266. EXCLUSION OF AGENCIES BY THE PRESIDENT.
Section 2302(a)(2)(C) of title 5, United States Code,
is amended by striking clause (ii) and inserting the fol-
lowing:
Intelligence Agency, the National
Security Agency; or
function of which is the conduct of foreign in-
telligence or counterintelligence activities, if the
determination (as that determination relates to a
personnel action) is made before that personnel
action; or’’.
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SEC. 1267. DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
amended to read as follows:
‘‘

‘‘(i) disciplinary action consisting of removal,
reduction in grade, debarment from Federal employ-
ment for a period not to exceed 5 years, suspension, or
reprimand;
‘‘(ii) an assessment of a civil penalty not to ex-
ceed $1,000; or
described under clause (i) and an assessment described
under clause (ii).
‘‘(B) In any case in which the Board finds that an
employee has committed a prohibited personnel practice
under paragraph (8) or (9) of section 2302(b), the Board
shall impose disciplinary action if the Board finds that the
activity protected under such paragraph (8) or (9) (as the
case may be) was the primary motivating factor, unless that
employee demonstrates, by a preponderance of the
evidence, that the employee would have taken, failed to

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action, in the absence of such protected activity.’’.
SEC. 1268. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY
ON REVOCATION OF SECURITY CLEARANCES.
(a) R EQUIREMENT.—The Comptroller General shall
conduct a study of security clearance revocations, taking

under chapter 12 of title 5, United States Code, in connection
therewith. The study shall consist of an examination of the
number of such clearances revoked, the number restored, and
the relationship, if any, between the resolution of claims filed
under such chapter and the restoration of such clearances.
(b) R EPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall
submit to the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
Senate a report on the results of the study required by
subsection (a).
(a) I N GENERAL.—Section 1221 of title 5, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

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ployee, or applicant for employment who seeks corrective
action (or on behalf of whom corrective action is sought)
from the Merit Systems Protection Board based on an al-
leged prohibited personnel practice described in section
2302(b)(8) or 2302(b)(9)(B)–(D), no final order or decision

which a request for such corrective action has been duly
submitted (or, in the event that a final order or decision is
issued by the Board, whether within that 180-day period or
thereafter, then, within 90 days after such final order or
decision is issued, and so long as such employee, former
employee, or applicant has not filed a petition for judicial
review of such order or decision under subsection (h))—
‘‘(A) such employee, former employee, or applicant may,
after providing written notice to the Board, bring an action
at law or equity for de novo review in the appropriate
United States district court, which shall have jurisdiction
over such action without regard to the amount in
controversy, and which action shall, at the request of either
party to such action, be tried by the court with a jury; and
‘‘(B) in any such action, the court—
‘‘(i) shall apply the standards set forth in

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subsection (e); and
considers appropriate, including any relief de-
scribed in subsection (g).
An appeal from a final decision of a district court in an action
under this paragraph may, at the election of the appellant, be
taken to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (which
shall have jurisdiction of such appeal), in lieu of the United
States court of appeals for the circuit embracing the district in
which the action was brought.
‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘appro-
priate United States district court’, as used with respect to
an alleged prohibited personnel practice, means the United
States district court for the district in which the prohibited
personnel practice is alleged to have been committed, the
judicial district in which the employment records relevant
to such practice are maintained and administered, or the
judicial district in which resides the employee, former
employee, or applicant for employment allegedly affected
by such practice.

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submitted to the Board, whether pursuant to section
1214(b)(2), the preceding provisions of this section, section
7513(d), or any otherwise applicable provisions of law,
rule, or regulation.’’.
such title 5 is amended—
(1) in the first sentence of paragraph (1), by striking
‘‘the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit’’ and inserting ‘‘the appropriate United States
court of appeals’’; and
‘‘(3) For purposes of the first sentence of paragraph (1),
the term ‘appropriate United States court of appeals’ means
the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit,
except that in the case of a prohibited personnel practice
described in section 2302(b)(8) o r
2302(b)(9)(B)–(D) (other than a case that, disregarding this
paragraph, would otherwise be subject to paragraph (2)), such
term means the United States Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit and any United States court of appeals having
jurisdiction over appeals from any United States district court
which, under section 1221(k)(2), would be an appropriate
United States district court for purposes of such prohibited

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personnel practice.’’.
1221(g)(1)(A)(ii) of such title 5 is amended by striking all
after ‘‘travel expenses,’’ and inserting ‘‘any other rea-
sonable and foreseeable consequential damages, and com-
pensatory damages (including attorney’s fees, interest,
reasonable expert witness fees, and costs).’’.
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) Section 1221(h) of such title 5 is amended by
adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) Judicial review under this subsection shall not be
available with respect to any decision or order as to which
the employee, former employee, or applicant has filed a
petition for judicial review under subsection (k).’’.
(2) Section 7703(c) of such title 5 is amended by
striking ‘‘court.’’ and inserting ‘‘court, and in the case
of a prohibited personnel practice described in section
2302(b)(8) or 2302(b)(9)(B)–(D) brought under any
provision of law, rule, or regulation described in
section 1221(k)(3), the employee or applicant shall
have the right to de novo review in accordance with
section 1221(k).’’.
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SEC. 1270. NATIONAL SECURITY WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS.
(a) I N GENERAL.—Chapter 23 of title 5, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after section 2303 the
following:
‘‘(1) I N GENERAL.—In addition to any rights
provided in section 2303 of this title, title VII of Public
Law 105–272, or any other provision of law, an
employee or former employee in a covered agency
may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise dis-
criminated against (including by denying, suspending,
or revoking a security clearance, or by otherwise
restricting access to classified or sensitive in formation)
as a reprisal for making a disclosure described in
paragraph (2).
described in this paragraph is any disclosure of covered
information which is made—
covered agency (without restriction as to time,
place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure
made to any person by an employee or former

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employee, including a disclosure made in the course
of an employee’s duties); and
‘‘(B) to an authorized Member of Congress,
an authorized official of an Executive agency, or
the Inspector General of the covered agency in
which such employee or former employee is or
was employed.
or former employee in a covered agency who believes that
such employee or former employee has been subjected to a
reprisal prohibited by subsection (a) may submit a complaint
to the Inspector General and the head of the covered
agency. The Inspector General shall investigate the
complaint and, unless the Inspector General determines that

the investigation within 120 days to the employee or former
employee (as the case may be) and to the head of the
covered agency.
‘‘(1) Within 180 days of the filing of the com-
plaint, the head of the covered agency shall, taking
into consideration the report of the Inspector General
under subsection (b) (if any), determine whether the

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employee or former employee has been subjected to a
reprisal prohibited by subsection (a), and shall either
issue an order denying relief or shall implement
corrective action to return the employee or former
employee, as nearly as possible, to the position he
would have held had the reprisal not occurred,
including voiding any directive or order denying,
suspending, or revoking a security clearance or
otherwise restricting access to classified or sensitive
information that constituted a reprisal, as well as
providing back pay and related benefits, medical costs
incurred, travel expenses, any other reasonable and
foreseeable consequential damages, and compensatory
damages (including attorney’s fees, interest,
reasonable expert witness fees, and costs). If the head
of the covered agency issues an order denying relief,

‘‘(2)(A) If the head of the covered agency, in the
process of implementing corrective action under
paragraph (1), voids a directive or order denying,
suspending, or revoking a security clearance or oth-

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erwise restricting access to classified or sensitive in-
formation that constituted a reprisal, the head of the
covered agency may re-initiate procedures to issue a
directive or order denying, suspending, or revoking a
security clearance or otherwise restricting access to
classified or sensitive information only if those re-
initiated procedures are based exclusively on national
security concerns and are unrelated to the actions
constituting the original reprisal.
‘‘(B) In any case in which the head of a covered
agency re-initiates procedures under subparagraph (A),
the head of the covered agency shall issue an
unclassified report to its Inspector General and to
authorized Members of Congress (with a classified
annex, if necessary), detailing the circumstances of the
agency’s re-initiated procedures and describing the
manner in which those procedures are based ex-
clusively on national security concerns and are unre-
lated to the actions constituting the original reprisal.
The head of the covered agency shall also provide
periodic updates to the Inspector General and au

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actions taken as a result of those procedures, and shall
respond promptly to inquiries from authorized
Members of Congress regarding the status of those
procedures.
‘‘(3) If the head of the covered agency has not
made a determination under paragraph (1) within 180
days of the filing of the complaint (or he has issued an
order denying relief, in whole or in part, whether
within that 180-day period or thereafter, then, within
90 days after such order is issued), the employee or
former employee may bring an action at law or equity
for de novo review to seek any corrective action
described in paragraph (1) in the appropriate United
States district court (as defined by section 1221(k)(2)),
which shall have jurisdiction over such action without
regard to the amount in controversy. An appeal from a
final decision of a district court in an action under this
paragraph may, at the election of the appellant, be
taken to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
(which shall have jurisdiction of such appeal), in lieu
of the United States court of appeals for the circuit
embracing the district in which the action was brought.

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‘‘(4) An employee or former employee adversely
affected or aggrieved by an order issued under para-
graph (1), or who seeks review of any corrective action
determined under paragraph (1), may obtain judicial
review of such order or determination in the United
States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or any
United States court of appeals having jurisdiction over
appeals from any United States district court which,
under section 1221(k)(2), would be an appropriate
United States district court. No petition seeking such
review may be filed more than 60 days after issuance
of the order or the determination to implement
corrective action by the head of the agency. Review
shall conform to chapter 7.
‘‘(5)(A) If, in any action for damages or relief
under paragraph (3) or (4), an Executive agency
moves to withhold information from discovery based
on a claim that disclosure would be inimical to national
security by asserting the privilege commonly referred
to as the ‘state secrets privilege’, and if the assertion
of such privilege prevents the employee or former
employee from establishing an element in support of

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the employee’s or former employee’s claim, the court

of the employee or former em ployee, provided that an
Inspector General investigation under subsection (b)
has resulted in substantial confirmation of that
element, or those elements, of the employee’s or
former employee’s claim.
secrets privilege’, whether or not an Inspector General
has conducted an investigation under subsection (b),
the head of that agency shall, at the same time it
asserts the privilege, issue a report to authorized
Members of Congress , accompanied by a classified
annex if necessary, describing the reasons for the
assertion, explaining why the court hearing the matter
does not have the ability to maintain the protection of
classified information related to the assertion, detailing
the steps the agency has taken to arrive at a mutually
agreeable settlement with the employee or former
employee, setting forth the date on which the classified
information at issue will be declassified, and providing

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all relevant information about the underlying
substantive matter.
employee or former employee in an Executive agency (or

described in subsection (a)(2)) which consists in whole or in
part of classified or sensitive information, be entitled to the
same protections, rights, and remedies under this section as
if that Executive agency (or element or unit thereof) were a
covered agency.
construed—
ployee for a disclosure other than a disclosure pro-
tected by subsection (a) or (d) of this section or to
modify or derogate from a right or remedy otherwise
available to an employee or former employee; or
‘‘(2) to preempt, modify, limit, or derogate any
rights or remedies available to an employee or former
employee under any other provision of law, rule, or

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regulation (including the Lloyd-La Follette Act).
No court or administrative agency may require the ex-
haustion of any right or remedy under this section as a
condition for pursuing any other right or remedy otherwise
available to an employee or former employee under any
other provision of law, rule, or regulation (as referred to in
paragraph (2)).
‘‘

any information (including classified or sensitive
information) which the employee or former employee
reasonably believes evidences—
ulation; or
funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and
specific danger to public health or safety; ‘‘(2) the
term ‘covered agency’ means—
the Office of the Director of National Intelligence,
the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense
Intelligence Agency, the National
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Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Se-
curity Agency, and the National Reconnaissance
Office; and
or unit thereof, determined by the President under
section 2302(a)(2)(C)(ii)(II) to have as its
principal function the conduct of foreign
intelligence or counterintelligence activities;
means—
about sources and methods of the Central Intel-
ligence Agency, the Director of National Intel-
ligence, and the National Intelligence Program (as
defined in section 3(6) of the National Security
Act of 1947), a member of the House Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence, or any other
committees of the House of Representatives or
Senate to which this type of information is
customarily provided;

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specified in section 119 of title 10, an appropriate
member of the Congressional defense committees
(as defined in such section); and
‘‘(C) with respect to other covered informa-
tion, a member of the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence, the House Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform, the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, or any other committees of
the House of Representatives or the
1Senate that have oversight over the program
2which the covered information concerns; and
3‘‘(4) the term ‘authorized official of an Execu
4tive agency’ shall have such meaning as the Office
5of Personnel Management shall by regulation pre
6scribe, except that such term shall, with respect to
7any employee or former employee in an agency, in
8clude the head, the general counsel, and the ombuds
9 man of such agency.’’.
10(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

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12 by inserting after the item relating to section 2303 the
13 following:
14 SEC. 1271. ENHANCEMENT OF CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE
15WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS.
17 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act
18 of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 265(c)) is amended—
19(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘If the head’’
20and all that follows through ‘‘actions:’’ and inserting
21the following: ‘‘Not later than 180 days after sub
22mission of a complaint under subsection (b), the
23head of the executive agency concerned shall deter
24mine whether the contractor concerned has subjected
25the complainant to a reprisal prohibited by sub
section (a) and shall either issue an order denying
relief or shall take one or more of the following ac-
tions:’’; and
paragraph (3):
‘‘(3) If the head of an executive agency has not issued
an order within 180 days after the submission of a complaint

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delay is due to the bad faith of the complainant, the
complainant shall be deemed to have exhausted his admin-
istrative remedies with respect to the complaint, and the
complainant may bring an action at law or equity for de
novo review to seek compensatory damages and other relief
available under this section in the appropriate district court
of the United States, which shall have jurisdiction over
such an action without regard to the amount in controversy,
and which action shall, at the request of either party to such
action, be tried by the court with a jury.’’.
(b) ARMED SERVICES CONTRACTS.—Section 2409(c) of
title 10, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘If the head’’
and all that follows through ‘‘actions:’’ and inserting
the following: ‘‘Not later than 180 days after sub-
mission of a complaint under subsection (b), the head

contractor concerned has subjected the complainant to
a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a) and shall either
issue an order denying relief or shall take one or more
of the following actions:’’; and
(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4)

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and adding after paragraph (2) the following new
paragraph (3):
‘‘(3) If the head of an agency has not issued an order
within 180 days after the submission of a complaint under
subsection (b) and there is no showing that such delay is
due to the bad faith of the complainant, the complainant
shall be deemed to have exhausted his administrative rem-
edies with respect to the complaint, and the complainant
may bring an action at law or equity for de novo review to
seek compensatory damages and other relief available
under this section in the appropriate district court of the
United States, which shall have jurisdiction over such an
action without regard to the amount in controversy, and
which action shall, at the request of either party to such
action, be tried by the court with a jury.’’.

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SEC. 1272. PROHIBITED PERSONNEL PRACTICES AFFECT
ING THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY AD
MINISTRATION.
(a) I N GENERAL.—Chapter 23 of title 5, United States
Code, is amended—
sections 2305 and 2306, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 2303a (as inserted
by section 1270) the following:
‘‘§ 2304. Prohibited personnel practices affecting the
Transportation Security Administration ‘‘(a) I N
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
any individual holding or applying for a position within the
Transportation Security Administration shall be covered
by—
and (9);
2302(b)(1), (8), or (9) by providing any right or
remedy available to an employee or applicant for em-
ployment in the civil service; and
‘‘(3) any rule or regulation prescribed under any

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‘‘(b) R ULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section
shall be construed to affect any rights, apart from
1 those described in subsection (a), to which an individual
2 described in subsection (a) might otherwise be entitled
3 under law.
4‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take ef
5 fect as of the date of the enactment of this section.’’.
6(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
7 for chapter 23 of title 5, United States Code, is amended
8 by striking the items relating to sections 2304 and 2305,
9 respectively, and by inserting the following:
‘‘2304. Prohibited personnel practices affecting the Transportation Security Ad-
ministration.
‘‘2306. Coordination with certain other provisions of law.’’.
10 SEC. 1273. CLARIFICATION OF WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS
11RELATING TO SCIENTIFIC AND OTHER RE
12 SEARCH.
13(a) I N GENERAL.—Section 2302 of title 5, United
14 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol
15 lowing:
16‘‘(f) As used in section 2302(b)(8), the term ‘abuse
17 of authority’ includes—

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20‘‘(2) the dissemination of false or misleading
21scientific, medical, or technical information;
22‘‘(3) any action that restricts or prevents an
23employee or any person performing federally funded

journals or other scientific publications or making oral
presentations at professional society meetings or other
meetings of their peers; and
‘‘(4) any action that discriminates for or against
any employee or applicant for employment on the
basis of religion, as defined by section 1273(b) of the
Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009.’’.
(b) DEFINITION.—As used in section 2302(f)(3) of
title 5, United States Code (as amended by subsection
(a)), the term ‘‘on the basis of religion’’ means—
(1) prohibiting personal religious expression by
Federal employees to the greatest extent possible,
consistent with requirements of law and interests in
workplace efficiency;
ticipation as a condition of employment, or permitting
religious harassment;
of their religion;

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respect and consideration, regardless of their religion (or
lack thereof);
employees in the Federal workplace except where the
employee’s interest in the expression is outweighed by
the government’s interest in the efficient provision of
public services or where the expression intrudes upon
the legitimate rights of other employees or creates the
appearance, to a reasonable observer, of an official
endorsement of religion;
pression on the basis of its content or viewpoint, or
suppressing employees’ private religious speech in the
workplace while leaving unregulated other private
employee speech that has a comparable effect on the
efficiency of the workplace, including ideological
speech on politics and other topics;
(7) failing to exercise their authority in an
evenhanded and restrained manner, and with regard for
the fact that Americans are used to expressions of
disagreement on controversial subjects, including
religious ones;
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(8) failing to permit an employee to engage in
private religious expression in personal work areas not
regularly open to the public to the same extent that they
may engage in nonreligious private expres
sion, subject to reasonable content- and viewpoint-
neutral standards and restrictions;
religious expression with fellow employees, to the same
extent that they may engage in comparable nonreligious
private expression, subject to reasonable and
content-neutral standards and restrictions;
religious expression directed at fellow employees, and
may even attempt to persuade fellow employees of the
correctness of their religious views, to the same extent as
those employees may engage in comparable speech not
involving religion;
league to participate or not to participate in religious
activities to the same extent that, consistent with
concerns of workplace efficiency, they may urge their
colleagues to engage in or refrain from other personal

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endeavors, except that the employee must refrain from
such expression when a fellow employee asks that it
stop or otherwise demonstrates that it is unwelcome;
(12) failing to prohibit expression that is part of a
larger pattern of verbal attacks on fellow em ployees
(or a specific employee) not sharing the faith of the
speaker;
(A) wearing personal religious jewelry absent
special circumstances (such as safety concerns)
that might require a ban on all similar
nonreligious jewelry; or
their personal work areas to the same extent that
they may display other art and literature, so long as
the viewing public would reasonably understand the
religious expression to be that of the employee
acting in her personal capacity, and not that of the
government itself;
private time to discuss religion with willing coworkers
in public spaces to the same extent as they may
discuss other subjects, so long as the public would

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reasonably understand the religious expression to be
that of the employees acting in their personal capac-
ities;
basis of their religion, religious beliefs, or views con-
cerning their religion by promoting, refusing to pro-
mote, hiring, refusing to hire, or otherwise favoring or

because of his or her religion, religious beliefs, or
views concerning religion, or by explicitly or implicitly,
insisting that the employee participate in religious
activities as a condition of continued employment,
promotion, salary increases, preferred job assignments,
or any other incidents of employment or insisting that
an employee refrain from participating in religious
activities outside the workplace except pursuant to
otherwise legal, neutral restrictions that apply to
employees’ off-duty conduct and expression in general
(such as restrictions on political activities prohibited
by the Hatch Act);
(16) prohibiting a supervisor’s religious expres-

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his or her personal view, in the same way and to the
same extent as other constitutionally valued speech;
(17) permitting a hostile environment, or religious
harassment, in the form of religiously discriminatory
intimidation, or pervasive or severe religious ridicule
or insult, whether by supervisors or fellow workers, as
determined by its frequency or repetitiveness, and
severity;
cise of their religion unless such accommodation

would impose an undue hardship on the conduct of the
agency’s operations, based on real rather than
speculative or hypothetical cost and without
disfavoring other, nonreligious accommodations; and
(19) in those cases where an agency’s work rule
imposes a substantial burden on a particular em-
ployee’s exercise of religion, failing to grant the em-
ployee an exemption from that rule, absent a com-
pelling interest in denying the exemption and where
there is no less restrictive means of furthering that
interest.

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shall be construed to create any new right, benefit, or trust
responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law
or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies,
its officers, or any person.
SEC. 1274. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This part shall take eff

Senate Version of the American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009; Official Final Full Text, Bill Number H.R.1 for the 111th Congress

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