Whistleblower Bill Proposed by Senator Susan Collins Gets Singed into a Law by President Obama

The bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) was signed into a law by President Obama at an official ceremony.

The landmark legislation, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (S. 743) aims at protecting federal employees who report wrongdoing.

‘The whistleblowers’ law will help give federal workers the peace of mind that if they speak out, they will be protected,’ Collins said.

Under the new law, the whistleblowers will be protected in a number of ways:

• requiring each agency to educate workers about whistleblower rights;
• protecting whistleblowers whose managers censor their work.
• protecting whistleblowers who make reports to the Special Counsel;
• giving the U.S. Office of Special Counsel the tools needed to enforce the law including the ability to file amicus briefs in the appeals process;

‘Whistleblower protections will also help ensure that Congress has access to the information necessary to conduct proper oversight.’

As the lead writer of the bill, Senator Collins was invited to the White House to witness President Obama sign the bill into a law.