The record

LegislationLegislation· May 2026
S 874 Passed Senate — in House

Sponsored by Gary C. Peters (D)

Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025

Expands whistleblower protections for federal contractors to include refusing unlawful orders.

Tradeoff

Strengthens legal protections for contractor employees who report misconduct or refuse illegal orders. Also bars employers from using arbitration agreements to waive these rights and allows agencies to discipline officials who retaliate.

What's in it

See official bill text

Costs less than $500,000 over 2026-2030 for administrative implementation.

The $500,000 is the federal cost to update enforcement procedures and policies—the bill's primary effect is creating new legal protections and obligations for federal contractors and grantees, not a federal spending program.

S. 874, Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025 · Oct 2025

Passed the Senate by on April 29, 2026 — sitting in the House.

  1. Senate

    Introduced

    (Mar 5, 2025)

  2. Senate

    Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs(Mar 5, 2025)

  3. Senate

    The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted to send it to the floor

    Reported(Jul 30, 2025)

  4. Senate

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Apr 29, 2026)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. House

    Received from the Senate

    Received(May 4, 2026)