Bill Summary
This bill, titled the "Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Whistleblower Protection Act of 2019", aims to amend the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 in order to clarify and strengthen the rights and protections for whistleblowers within the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill defines "person" to include individuals, the Commission, and the Department of Energy, and expands the definition of "employer" to include these entities as well. This legislation seeks to improve the safety and accountability within these agencies by providing stronger protections for those who report misconduct and wrongdoing.
Possible Impacts
1. The Act could give more protection and rights to whistleblowers in the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, making it easier for them to speak out and report any wrongdoing without fear of retaliation.
2. The Act could potentially affect the hiring practices of the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as they would now be required to consider individuals who have blown the whistle on their previous employers for any potential positions.
3. The Act could also affect the operations of the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as they may need to implement new procedures and protocols to ensure the protection of whistleblowers and their rights. This could potentially have an impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of their work.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1330 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1330
To amend the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to clarify whistleblower
rights and protections, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 6, 2019
Ms. Duckworth introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to clarify whistleblower
rights and protections, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Energy and Nuclear
Regulatory Commission Whistleblower Protection Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF PERSON.
Section 211(a)(2) of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42
U.S.C. 5851(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (G) as
clauses (i) through (vii), respectively, and indenting the
clauses appropriately;
(2) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so
redesignated), by striking the paragraph designation and all
that follows through ``includes--'' and inserting the
following:
``(2) Definitions.--In this section:
``(A) Employer.--The term `employer' includes--'';
and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Person.--The term `person' includes--
``(i) a person (as defined in section 11 of
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C.
2014));
``(ii) the Commission; and
``(iii) the Department of Energy.''.
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