PRIA Logo™
119-hr-10792119th CongressWALLET

FTC Whistleblower Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]

Introduced

Summary

Creates federal whistleblower protections and a monetary award program at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The bill would bar retaliation for internal or external disclosures, allow private suits with strong remedies, and set payouts for tips that lead to major monetary sanctions.

Show full summary
  • Workers and whistleblowers: Covers disclosures to supervisors, the FTC, other federal agencies, and Congress. Private lawsuits could be brought within 6 years, with a hard 10-year outer limit.
  • Employers and covered entities: Bars interference with direct communications to investigators, voids predispute arbitration and restrictive covenants that block whistleblowing, and requires confidentiality of a whistleblower's identity with narrow exceptions.
  • Awards and Fund: Whistleblowers who provide original information that leads to monetary sanctions above $1 million may receive awards of 10 to 30 percent of collected sanctions. Awards would be paid from a new FTC Consumer Protection Fund the FTC would manage and may invest.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Whistleblower award program and fund

If enacted, the bill would create an FTC whistleblower award program paying 10%–30% of collected monetary sanctions when your original information leads to a covered action. A covered action would need more than $1,000,000 in monetary sanctions; restitution would not count. Awards would come from a new FTC Consumer Protection Fund in the Treasury, funded by collected sanctions but capped so deposits do not make the Fund balance exceed $500 million at the time of collection. Awards are discretionary and the FTC could deny payments for listed reasons, such as certain criminal convictions or if the claimant caused the violation. You could submit original information after enactment and still qualify even before full implementing rules are issued.

Stronger whistleblower job protections

If enacted, the bill would bar covered employers from retaliating against people who report or oppose covered violations or who help with investigations. It would make workplace policies and predispute arbitration agreements unenforceable where they try to stop whistleblowing, and it would void certain restrictive covenants that block a whistleblower from their profession. A prevailing whistleblower could get reinstatement with prior seniority, three times owed back pay with interest, compensatory damages, and attorneys' fees. Claims generally must be filed within 6 years, or within 3 years after you knew (but in no event more than 10 years after the violation).

Whistleblower confidentiality and immunity

If enacted, the bill would require the FTC and those it tells not to reveal information that would reasonably identify a whistleblower, with specific exceptions such as disclosures required by law, certain FTC statutory disclosures, law enforcement, or the whistleblower's consent. When disclosure is required by law, the whistleblower would get timely advance notice. The bill would also give civil and criminal immunity for covered disclosures only if the whistleblower can prove they were protected from reprisal; immunity would not cover unrelated criminal activity.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]

IL • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 10/9/2026

  • Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7]

    NJ • R

    Sponsored 10/9/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation