S 874 United States Senate · 119th Congress

Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025

Summary
Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025 This bill expands whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and grant recipients to include the act of refusing to obey an unlawful order and to apply these protections to members of the intelligence community and other governmental employees. Current law protects employees of federal contractors or grant recipients from a reprisal (i.e., discharge, demotion, or discrimination) for disclosing evidence to Congress or another appropriate official of certain misconduct involving federal contracts, grants, or funds. The bill expands these protections to include an employee's refusal to obey an order that would require the employee to violate a law, rule, or regulation related to any contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant. The bill also specifies that these protections apply to employees of federal contractors or grant recipients who are current or former members of the intelligence community or employees of state, local, or tribal governments.  Further, the bill specifies that these protections may not be waived in a predispute arbitration agreement and renders any such agreement unenforceable. The bill specifies that an executive branch official may not request a federal contractor or grant recipient to engage in a reprisal against a protected employee, and it authorizes federal agencies to propose disciplinary action against officials that do so.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Dec 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House Passage
President
Introduced Mar 5, 2025 Last action May 4, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in Senate Engrossed in Senate · 4 edits · Apr 29, 2026
MODERATE
The bill replaces the term 'employee' with the broader term 'protected individual' throughout, and adds a new definition that extends whistleblower protections to contractors, subcontractors, grantees, subgrantees, and persons performing personal services for the Federal Government, not just employees. It also consolidates the non-waiver provision by removing a separate subpart that explicitly declared predispute arbitration agreements invalid when they require arbitration of disputes under this section, folding the protection into a single broader non-waiver statement.
SCOPE

The term 'employee' is replaced with 'protected individual' in subsection (e), expanding who is covered by the whistleblower protections.

DEFINITION

A new definition of 'protected individual' is added, covering: (1) contractors, subcontractors, grantees, and subgrantees of the Federal Government including state governments, DC, Indian tribes, territories, and intelligence community elements; (2) employees or former employees of those entities whose protected disclosure occurred before termination; and (3) persons performing personal services for the Federal Government under a contractual agreement.

ENFORCEMENT

A separate subpart stating that no provision of a predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of a dispute arising under this section is removed. The broader non-waiver language (which prohibits waiver by any agreement including predispute arbitration agreements) remains, but the explicit invalidity declaration for such agreements is eliminated.

TECHNICAL

Subsection (f) is struck and subsections (g) and (h) are redesignated as (f) and (g), respectively. Minor formatting changes to spacing in list items.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
10
Key actions
4
Committee
3
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2100-2102; text: CR S2100-2101)
upper
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
upper
Dec 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
upper
Jul 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors