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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009

Whistleblower Protection

Section 1553 of Division A, Title XV of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5, provides protections for certain individuals who make specific disclosures about uses of Recovery Act funds.

Who is protected?

Employees of non-federal employers receiving Recovery funds, including:

• State and local governments
• Contractors
• Subcontractors
• Grantees
• Professional membership organizations acting in the interest of Recovery fund recipients

What are whistleblowers protected from?

Being discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for making a protected disclosure.

What kinds of disclosures are protected?

To be protected, the disclosure must be made by the employee to one of the following:

• The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
• An Inspector General
• The Comptroller General of the United States
• A member of Congress
• A state or federal regulatory or law enforcement agency
• A person with supervisory authority over the employee
• A court or grand jury
• The head of a federal agency or his/her representatives

What must the disclosure include?

The disclosure must include evidence of one of the following:

• Gross mismanagement of a Recovery contract or grant
• Gross waste of Recovery funds
• A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety as related to the use of Recovery funds
• An abuse of authority related to the use of Recovery funds
• A violation of law, rule, or regulation related to an agency Recovery contract or grant

For more information please use the following link from www.Recovery.gov: http://www.recovery.gov/Contact/ReportFraud/Pages/WhistleBlowerInformation.aspx