FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Chuck Grassley
Introduced
Summary
Strengthens whistleblower protections for FBI employees by banning retaliation from officials who take or influence personnel actions and by clarifying how protected disclosures can be shared. It also adds conflict-of-interest checks for investigations and tightens appeal rules for reprisal claims.
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- FBI employees gain explicit protection against retaliation for reporting or cooperating with inspectors general, the Special Counsel, Congress, or a designated FBI recipient. The bill also bars enforcing certain nondisclosure policies and protects refusals to engage in political activity.
- The Attorney General and Department of Justice components must prevent prohibited personnel practices, provide clear information about whistleblower rights and remedies to staff, and post protections on the FBI public website or employee portals and give new hires notice within 180 days of appointment.
- Investigative and adjudicative processes get new conflict-of-interest safeguards by amending IRTPA Section 3001 and requiring uniform policies within 180 days. The bill also clarifies the FBI whistleblower appeal path and applies the burdens of proof described in section 1221(e).
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Attorney General duties for FBI employees
If enacted, the Attorney General would have to try to prevent prohibited personnel practices at the FBI and ensure civil service compliance. New FBI hires would need to receive clear information on whistleblower rights within 180 days of appointment and that information would be posted on the FBI public website and any employee portal. Agencies would also have to adopt uniform conflict-of-interest rules for reprisal investigations and hearings within 180 days after enactment.
FBI appeals and personnel-action rules
If enacted, more FBI decisions would be appealable and appeals would follow the legal burdens of proof that govern whistleblower cases. The bill would make ‘‘investigating offices’’ (not the Bureau itself) handle certain determinations. It would also say what counts as a "personnel action" for FBI employees and applicants, using the listed clauses in current law while excluding high-level confidential or policymaking jobs.
Stronger FBI whistleblower protections
If enacted, the FBI would be barred from using certain nondisclosure policies or forms. If you work at or apply to the FBI, officials with personnel power would not be able to punish you for filing appeals, testifying, or cooperating with Inspectors General or the Special Counsel. Your disclosures could still be protected even if you told a supervisor involved, spoke off duty, spoke orally, or reported after a delay. The bill would also ban forcing employees to do political activity or punishing them for refusing.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Chuck Grassley
IA • R
Cosponsors
Gary Peters
MI • D
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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