A bill to authorize appropriations for the United States Office of Special Counsel, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and for other purposes.
Held at the desk.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Aug 23, 1994
Amends the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (WPA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Makes numerous miscellaneous and technical amendments to various OSC provisions under WPA, including those regarding OSC administration and powers of disclosure, investigation of prohibited personnel practices and individual rights of action in certain reprisal cases, and OSC reports. Amends Federal law to: (1) make an agency decision to order psychiatric testing or examination of an employee a personnel action subject to review in whistleblower cases; (2) extend protection against certain prohibited personnel practices to employees of Government corporations; (3) make agency and Government corporation heads responsible for ensuring that their employees are informed of the rights and remedies available under Federal law for whistleblowers; (4) make compliance with merit systems principles a factor in Senior Executive Service performance appraisals; (5) revise the definition of covered position with respect to prohibited personnel practices; (6) permit reasonable attorney's fees in certain cases; (7) allow Federal employees to use circumstantial evidence in seeking to obtain corrective actions; (8) include discrimination and retaliation as prohibited personnel actions; (9) extend whistleblower protection coverage to certain Department of Veterans Affairs personnel; and (10) allow the Board to order corrective action that will make the employee whole. Requires OSC to: (1) issue a policy statement regarding the implementation of WPA; (2) include in any letter terminating an investigation of a prohibited personnel practice the identification of an OSC employee who can respond to questions on the investigations; and (3) conduct an annual survey of all individuals who contact it for assistance.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Voice Vote.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S13958-13961)
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 599.
Committee on Governmental Affairs. Reported to Senate by Senator Glenn with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 103-358.
Committee on Governmental Affairs. Reported to Senate by Senator Glenn with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 103-358.
Committee on Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3276-3278)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Jan 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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