CFTC Whistleblower Protection and Program Improvement Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced
Summary
CFTC whistleblower protections would be expanded and backed by more reliable funding. The bill would create a dedicated account for education and administration, broaden legal protections, require employee training, and set tighter award deadlines.
Show full summary
- Whistleblowers: Would broaden who counts as a whistleblower, expand anti-retaliation coverage, authorize jury trials for related suits, and set faster award timetables tied to a one year deadline with limited 180 day extensions.
- Employers and workplaces: Would require employee notice, website postings, and mandatory whistleblower training under a rule due within 360 days.
- Injured investors and defrauded parties: Would treat bankruptcy distributions as covered results of whistleblower information, widening who can receive recoveries.
- CFTC operations: Would create a separate account inside the Customer Protection Fund for education and administrative expenses, raise the deposit cap from $100 million to $300 million, and prioritize deposits to that account when balances exceed $10 million.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Bigger whistleblower fund and account
This bill would raise the CFTC Customer Protection Fund cap to $300 million. New deposits would go first into a separate account for education and administrative expenses unless that account already exceeded $10 million. Money in that separate account would be available to the Commission without further appropriation or fiscal-year limits. The bill would also make certain whistleblower program amounts available "until expended."
Stronger whistleblower rights and awards
This bill would broaden who counts as a whistleblower and strengthen protections. It would allow one person or two-or-more people acting jointly to be whistleblowers and would treat distributions made in U.S. bankruptcy cases as recoveries tied to whistleblower information. Employers would be barred from firing, demoting, suspending, threatening, blacklisting, harassing, or trying to deny an award to someone who makes a written or documented oral report, including reports made as part of job duties. The bill would also set firm timelines for award claims and require the Commission to issue a final order within one year after a preliminary determination, with limited extensions.
Required whistleblower training for firms
This bill would require the CFTC to issue a final rule within 360 days. The rule would make each registered entity give every employee individualized notice about whistleblower rights, post the information on its website homepage, and provide mandatory training to every employee. The rule would be issued under the normal notice-and-comment process in 5 U.S.C. 553. This would increase compliance and training costs for firms while raising employee awareness of rights.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
IA • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/29/2026
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
ME • R
Sponsored 7/29/2026
Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/29/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov