Title 49 — TransportationRelease 119-73
§42121 Protection of employees providing air safety information
Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART A— - AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › Subpart subpart ii— - economic regulation › Chapter CHAPTER 421— - LABOR-MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION PROGRAM › § 42121
Summary
Protects workers who report or help with aviation safety problems from being fired or treated unfairly. If you work for an airline certificate holder, or for its contractor, subcontractor, or supplier, you cannot be fired or punished for giving safety information to your employer or the Federal Government, for starting or taking part in a safety complaint or hearing, or for testifying or helping in such a case. If you believe you were fired or punished for these reasons, you must file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor within 90 days. The Secretary will tell the employer and the FAA about the complaint, give the employer a chance to respond, and try to finish an investigation within 60 days. If the Secretary finds there is reasonable cause, the Secretary will issue a preliminary order requiring the employer to stop the violation, put the worker back with pay and benefits (including back pay), and pay damages. Either side can ask for a hearing within 30 days. The Secretary must issue a final order within 120 days after a hearing ends. The complaint will be dismissed at the start unless the worker shows their protected action was a contributing factor in the bad job action. The employer can avoid liability if it proves by clear and convincing evidence it would have taken the same action anyway. If a complaint is frivolous or in bad faith, the employer may get up to $1,000 in attorney fees. Either side can ask a U.S. Court of Appeals to review a final order within 60 days. If an employer does not follow a Labor Department order, the Secretary can sue in federal district court to enforce it, and the FAA may assess a civil penalty. A worker can also go to court to force compliance and may get attorney and expert fees. A worker loses protection if they, on their own and without direction, deliberately cause a safety violation. Contractor means a person who does safety-sensitive work for an air carrier or does design/production work for a certificate holder.
Full Legal Text
Title 49, §42121
Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A holder of a certificate under section 44704 or 44705 of this title, or a contractor, subcontractor, or supplier of such holder, may not discharge an employee or otherwise discriminate against an employee with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because the employee (or any person acting pursuant to a request of the employee)—
(1)provided, caused to be provided, or is about to provide (with any knowledge of the employer) or cause to be provided to the employer or Federal Government information relating to any violation or alleged violation of any order, regulation, or standard of the Federal Aviation Administration or any other provision of Federal law relating to aviation safety under this subtitle or any other law of the United States;
(2)has filed, caused to be filed, or is about to file (with any knowledge of the employer) or cause to be filed a proceeding relating to any violation or alleged violation of any order, regulation, or standard of the Federal Aviation Administration or any other provision of Federal law relating to aviation safety under this subtitle or any other law of the United States;
(3)testified or is about to testify in such a proceeding; or
(4)assisted or participated or is about to assist or participate in such a proceeding.
(b)(1)A person who believes that he or she has been discharged or otherwise discriminated against by any person in violation of subsection (a) may, not later than 90 days after the date on which such violation occurs, file (or have any person file on his or her behalf) a complaint with the Secretary of Labor alleging such discharge or discrimination. Upon receipt of such a complaint, the Secretary of Labor shall notify, in writing, the person named in the complaint and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration of the filing of the complaint, of the allegations contained in the complaint, of the substance of evidence supporting the complaint, and of the opportunities that will be afforded to such person under paragraph (2).
(2)(A)Not later than 60 days after the date of receipt of a complaint filed under paragraph (1) and after affording the person named in the complaint an opportunity to submit to the Secretary of Labor a written response to the complaint and an opportunity to meet with a representative of the Secretary to present statements from witnesses, the Secretary of Labor shall conduct an investigation and determine whether there is reasonable cause to believe that the complaint has merit and notify, in writing, the complainant and the person alleged to have committed a violation of subsection (a) of the Secretary’s findings. If the Secretary of Labor concludes that there is a reasonable cause to believe that a violation of subsection (a) has occurred, the Secretary shall accompany the Secretary’s findings with a preliminary order providing the relief prescribed by paragraph (3)(B). Not later than 30 days after the date of notification of findings under this paragraph, either the person alleged to have committed the violation or the complainant may file objections to the findings or preliminary order, or both, and request a hearing on the record. The filing of such objections shall not operate to stay any reinstatement remedy contained in the preliminary order. Such hearings shall be conducted expeditiously. If a hearing is not requested in such 30-day period, the preliminary order shall be deemed a final order that is not subject to judicial review.
(B)(i)The Secretary of Labor shall dismiss a complaint filed under this subsection and shall not conduct an investigation otherwise required under subparagraph (A) unless the complainant makes a prima facie showing that any behavior described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) was a contributing factor in the unfavorable personnel action alleged in the complaint.
(ii)Notwithstanding a finding by the Secretary that the complainant has made the showing required under clause (i), no investigation otherwise required under subparagraph (A) shall be conducted if the employer demonstrates, by clear and convincing evidence, that the employer would have taken the same unfavorable personnel action in the absence of that behavior.
(iii)The Secretary may determine that a violation of subsection (a) has occurred only if the complainant demonstrates that any behavior described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) was a contributing factor in the unfavorable personnel action alleged in the complaint.
(iv)Relief may not be ordered under subparagraph (A) if the employer demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the employer would have taken the same unfavorable personnel action in the absence of that behavior.
(3)(A)Not later than 120 days after the date of conclusion of a hearing under paragraph (2), the Secretary of Labor shall issue a final order providing the relief prescribed by this paragraph or denying the complaint. At any time before issuance of a final order, a proceeding under this subsection may be terminated on the basis of a settlement agreement entered into by the Secretary of Labor, the complainant, and the person alleged to have committed the violation.
(B)If, in response to a complaint filed under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Labor determines that a violation of subsection (a) has occurred, the Secretary of Labor shall order the person who committed such violation to—
(i)take affirmative action to abate the violation;
(ii)reinstate the complainant to his or her former position together with the compensation (including back pay) and restore the terms, conditions, and privileges associated with his or her employment; and
(iii)provide compensatory damages to the complainant.
(C)If the Secretary of Labor finds that a complaint under paragraph (1) is frivolous or has been brought in bad faith, the Secretary of Labor may award to the prevailing employer a reasonable attorney’s fee not exceeding $1,000.
(4)(A)Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an order issued under paragraph (3) may obtain review of the order in the United States Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the violation, with respect to which the order was issued, allegedly occurred or the circuit in which the complainant resided on the date of such violation. The petition for review must be filed not later than 60 days after the date of the issuance of the final order of the Secretary of Labor. Review shall conform to chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code. The commencement of proceedings under this subparagraph shall not, unless ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the order.
(B)An order of the Secretary of Labor with respect to which review could have been obtained under subparagraph (A) shall not be subject to judicial review in any criminal or other civil proceeding.
(5)Whenever any person has failed to comply with an order issued under paragraph (3), the Secretary of Labor and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall consult with each other to determine the most appropriate action to be taken, in which—
(A)the Secretary of Labor may file a civil action in the United States district court for the district in which the violation was found to occur to enforce such order, for which, in actions brought under this paragraph, the district courts shall have jurisdiction to grant all appropriate relief including, injunctive relief and compensatory damages; and
(B)the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may assess a civil penalty pursuant to section 46301.
(6)(A)A person on whose behalf an order was issued under paragraph (3) may commence a civil action against the person to whom such order was issued to require compliance with such order. The appropriate United States district court shall have jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in controversy or the citizenship of the parties, to enforce such order.
(B)The court, in issuing any final order under this paragraph, may award costs of litigation (including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees) to any party whenever the court determines such award is appropriate.
(c)Any nondiscretionary duty imposed by this section shall be enforceable in a mandamus proceeding brought under section 1361 of title 28, United States Code.
(d)Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to an employee of a holder of a certificate issued under section 44704 or 44705, or a contractor or subcontractor thereof, who, acting without direction from such certificate-holder, contractor, or subcontractor (or such person’s agent), deliberately causes a violation of any requirement relating to aviation safety under this subtitle or any other law of the United States.
(e)In this section, the term “contractor” means—
(1)a person that performs safety-sensitive functions by contract for an air carrier or commercial operator; or
(2)a person that performs safety-sensitive functions related to the design or production of an aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component thereof by contract for a holder of a certificate issued under section 44704.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2024—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 118–63, § 370(1), substituted “Department of Labor and Federal Aviation Administration Complaint Procedure” for “Department of Labor Complaint Procedure” in heading. Text quoted in directory language of amendment was editorially conformed to the heading style used in this section. Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 118–63, § 370(2), added par. (5) and struck out former par. (5). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Whenever any person has failed to comply with an order issued under paragraph (3), the Secretary of Labor may file a civil action in the United States district court for the district in which the violation was found to occur to enforce such order. In actions brought under this paragraph, the district courts shall have jurisdiction to grant all appropriate relief including, but not limited to, injunctive relief and compensatory damages.” 2020—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–260, § 118(1), added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which related to discrimination against airline employees. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–260, § 118(2), added subsec. (d) and struck out former subsec. (d). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to an employee of an air carrier, contractor, or subcontractor who, acting without direction from such air carrier, contractor, or subcontractor (or such person’s agent), deliberately causes a violation of any requirement relating to air carrier safety under this subtitle or any other law of the United States.” Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 116–260, § 118(3), added subsec. (e) and struck out former subsec. (e) which defined the term “contractor” as a company that performs safety-sensitive functions by contract for an air carrier.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Subchapter applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1999, see section 3 of Pub. L. 106–181, set out as an
Effective Date
of 2000
Amendments
note under section 106 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
49 U.S.C. § 42121
Title 49 — Transportation
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73