(a) Prohibition of reprisals

An employee of a contractor may not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing to a Member of Congress or an authorized official of an executive agency or the Department of Justice information relating to a substantial violation of law related to a contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract).

(b) Investigation of complaints

A person who believes that the person has been subjected to a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a) of this section may submit a complaint to the Inspector General of the executive agency. Unless the Inspector General determines that the complaint is frivolous, 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 concerned, and the head of the agency. In the case of an executive agency that does not have an Inspector General, the duties of the Inspector General under this section shall be performed by an official designated by the head of the executive agency.

(c) Remedy and enforcement authority

(1)

If the head of an executive agency determines that a contractor has subjected a person to a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a) of this section, the head of the executive agency may take one or more of the following actions:

(A)

Order the contractor to take affirmative action to abate the reprisal.

(B)

Order the contractor to reinstate the person to the position that the person held before the reprisal, together with the compensation (including back pay), employment benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment that would apply to the person in that position if the reprisal had not been taken.

(C)

Order the contractor to pay the complainant an amount equal to the aggregate amount of all costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees and expert witnesses' fees) that were reasonably incurred by the complainant for, or in connection with, bringing the complaint regarding the reprisal, as determined by the head of the executive agency.

(2)

Whenever a person fails to comply with an order issued under paragraph (1), the head of the executive agency 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 and compensatory and exemplary damages.

(3)

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 agency. Review shall conform to chapter 7 of title 5.

(d) Construction

Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize the discharge of, demotion of, or discrimination against an employee for a disclosure other than a disclosure protected by subsection (a) of this section or to modify or derogate from a right or remedy otherwise available to the employee.

(e) Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term ''contract'' means a contract awarded by the head of an executive agency.

(2)

The term ''contractor'' means a person awarded a contract with an executive agency.

(3)

The term ''Inspector General'' means an Inspector General appointed under the Inspector General Act of 1978