(1) IN GENERAL- Chapter 47 of title 41, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`(1) IN GENERAL- An employee of a contractor, subcontractor, or grantee may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing to a person or body described in paragraph (2) information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of gross mismanagement of a Federal contract or grant, a gross waste of Federal funds, an abuse of authority relating to a Federal contract or grant, a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to a Federal contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant.

`(2) PERSONS AND BODIES COVERED- The persons and bodies described in this paragraph are the persons and bodies as follows:

`(3) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION- For the purposes of paragraph (1)--

`(1) SUBMISSION OF COMPLAINT- A person who believes that the person has been subjected to a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a) may submit a complaint to the Inspector General of the executive agency involved. Unless the Inspector General determines that the complaint is frivolous, fails to allege a violation of the prohibition in subsection (a), or has previously been addressed in another Federal or State judicial or administrative proceeding initiated by the complainant, the Inspector General shall investigate the complaint and, upon completion of such investigation, submit a report of the findings of the investigation to the person, the contractor or grantee concerned, and the head of the agency.

`(2) INSPECTOR GENERAL ACTION-

`(3) PROHIBITION ON DISCLOSURE- The Inspector General may not respond to any inquiry or disclose any information from or about any person alleging the reprisal, except to the extent that such response or disclosure is--

`(4) TIME LIMITATION- A complaint may not be brought under this subsection more than three years after the date on which the alleged reprisal took place.

`(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 30 days after receiving an Inspector General report pursuant to subsection (b), the head of the executive agency concerned shall determine whether there is sufficient basis to conclude that the contractor or grantee concerned has subjected the complainant to a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a) and shall either issue an order denying relief or shall take one or more of the following actions:

`(2) EXHAUSTION OF REMEDIES- If the head of an executive agency issues an order denying relief under paragraph (1) or has not issued an order within 210 days after the submission of a complaint under subsection (b), or in the case of an extension of time under paragraph (b)(2)(B), not later than 30 days after the expiration of the extension of time, and there is no showing that such delay is due to the bad faith of the complainant, the complainant shall be deemed to have exhausted all administrative remedies with respect to the complaint, and the complainant may bring a de novo action at law or equity against the contractor or grantee to seek compensatory damages and other relief available under this section in the appropriate district court of the United States, which shall have jurisdiction over such an action without regard to the amount in controversy. Such an action shall, at the request of either party to the action, be tried by the court with a jury. An action under this paragraph may not be brought more than two years after the date on which remedies are deemed to have been exhausted.

`(3) ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCE- An Inspector General determination and an agency head order denying relief under paragraph (2) shall be admissible in evidence in any de novo action at law or equity brought pursuant to this subsection.

`(4) ENFORCEMENT OF ORDERS- Whenever a person fails to comply with an order issued under paragraph (1), the head of the executive agency concerned shall file an action for enforcement of such order in the United States district court for a district in which the reprisal was found to have occurred. In any action brought under this paragraph, the court may grant appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, compensatory and exemplary damages, and attorney fees and costs. The person upon whose behalf an order was issued may also file such an action or join in an action filed by the head of the executive agency.

`(5) JUDICIAL REVIEW- Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an order issued under paragraph (1) may obtain review of the order's conformance with this subsection, and any regulations issued to carry out this section, in the United States court of appeals for a circuit in which the reprisal is alleged in the order to have occurred. No petition seeking such review may be filed more than 60 days after issuance of the order by the head of the executive agency. Review shall conform to chapter 7 of title 5. Filing such an appeal shall not act to stay the enforcement of the order of the head of an executive agency, unless a stay is specifically entered by the court.

`(6) BURDENS OF PROOF- The legal burdens of proof specified in section 1221(e) of title 5 shall be controlling for the purposes of any investigation conducted by an Inspector General, decision by the head of an executive agency, or judicial or administrative proceeding to determine whether discrimination prohibited under this section has occurred.

`(7) RIGHTS AND REMEDIES NOT WAIVABLE- The rights and remedies provided for in this section may not be waived by any agreement, policy, form, or condition of employment.

`(A) relates to an activity of an element of the intelligence community; or

`(B) was discovered during contract, subcontract, or grantee services provided to an element of the intelligence community.

`(1) The term `abuse of authority' means an arbitrary and capricious exercise of authority that is inconsistent with the mission of the executive agency concerned or the successful performance of a contract or grant of such agency.

`(2) The term `Inspector General' means an Inspector General appointed under the Inspector General Act of 1978 and any Inspector General that receives funding from, or has oversight over contracts or grants awarded for or on behalf of, the executive agency concerned.

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

(1) IN GENERAL- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall, during the period section 4712 of title 41, United States Code, as added by such subsection, is in effect, apply to--

(2) REVISION OF FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall be revised to implement the requirements arising under the amendments made by this section.

(3) INCLUSION OF CONTRACT CLAUSE IN CONTRACTS AWARDED BEFORE EFFECTIVE DATE- At the time of any major modification to a contract that was awarded before the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of the contracting agency shall make best efforts to include in the contract a contract clause providing for the applicability of the amendments made by this section to the contract.

(1) in subsection (b), by striking `commenced by the Federal Government or a State' and inserting `commenced by the Federal Government, by a State, or by a contractor or grantee employee submitting a complaint under section 4712 of this title'; and

(2) in subsection (c)(3), by striking `the imposition of a monetary penalty' and inserting `the imposition of a monetary penalty or an order to take corrective action under section 4712 of this title'.

(1) STUDY- Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall begin conducting a study to evaluate the implementation of section 4712 of title 41, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).

(2) REPORT- Not later than four years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study required by paragraph (1), with such findings and recommendations as the Comptroller General considers appropriate.