Notice of Whistleblower Protections under ARRA

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

http://www.recovery.gov/Contact/ReportFraud/Pages/WhistleBlowerInformation.aspx