US House Passes Bill to Enhance Protection for FBI Whistleblowers

The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill protecting Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) whistleblowers who release information to their managers and supervisors, US Congressman Jason Chaffetz announced in a press release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, which is currently in force, prohibits supervisory staff at US federal agencies to take retaliatory actions against individuals serving in the intelligence community who report issues.

"It [the legislation] would have far-reaching implications in protecting whistleblowers at the FBI, just as Congress intended in 1978 in the first whistleblower protection law," Chaffetz said introducing the bill on Wednesday.

Chaffetz noted that the US Justice Department still has a long way to go in improving its policies with regard to government employers who inform on illegal activities in their organizations.

The congressman from Utah presented the new legislation last year after multiple reports of failure to provide federal protection for FBI whistleblowers from retaliation.