The Office of Special Counsel has been provided clarifications to various duties and allowances in a new legislation the Senate passed Tuesday night. This bipartisan legislation, The Office of Special Counsel Reauthorization Act of 2017, improves protections OSC provides to whistleblowers, since they are often faced with retaliation for trying to “call attention to problems in the government,” Sen. Claire McCaskell, D-Mo., explained.
The bill also clarifies the access the office has to various government records.
“The bill will help … right the wrongs committed against federal whistleblowers, and it will ensure that federal agencies are taking steps to correct and prevent whistleblower retaliation,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said in a press release.
OSC is an independent agency tasked with investigating and prosecuting cases for whistleblowers and, in turn, protecting federal employees from prohibited personnel practices.
“It takes tremendous courage for whistleblowers to come forward, and giving them the protections they need helps ensure we can protect taxpayer dollars,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Rachael Kalinyak is an editorial intern with Network Solutions.
