Whistleblower Protection, Improper Payments Legislation Advances
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has approved S. 372, the "Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009." Among other things, the Committee-approved bill would: clarify that federal employees are protected for disclosure of waste, fraud, or abuse made as part of an employee's job duties; clarify that whistleblowers may disclose evidence of censorship of scientific or technical information under the same standards that apply to other disclosures; and create a “Whistleblower Ombudsman” in every Inspector General office. The panel also approved S.1508, the "Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act,” which would strengthen requirements for federal agencies to report and correct overpayment errors. The bills now await consideration by the full Senate.
