THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590

Policy Statement on Whistleblowing

The U.S. Depa rtmen t ofTra nsportation is commi tted to protecting current and former Federal employees and job applicants from interference and retaliation when making protected disclosures, or "whi stleblowing," which includes di sclosing infonnati on rela ted to a violation of law, rule, or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; a buse of a uthority; or a substantial and specific d anger to public health or safety. The Whistleblower Protection Act of

1 989, and the ex pa nded protections prov ided by the W histleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 201 2 (WPEA), protect indi vidual s who report Federal agency misconduct from retaliation. The WPEA strengthens protections for Federal employees w ho disclose ev idence of waste,

fraud, or a buse and modifies rules on the use of nond i scl osu re policies or agreements by government agenci es to make it clear that these agreements do not override employee righ ts and obligations created by ex i sting statute or Executi ve Order relating to cl assified information,

communications with Congress, or to reporting violations and/or misconduct to an Inspector
General or any other whistleblower protection. In addition, Presidential Policy Directive 19

extends whistleblower protections to Federa l employees eligible for access to cl assified data.

The Department will initiate a ppropri ate actions against responsible persons who take, threaten to take, or fail to take a personnel action with respect to an y employee or a pplica nt because of an y protected disclosure of infonnation. In 2002, the Notification a nd Federal Employee

A ntidiscrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act) was enacted to ma ke all Federal agencies accountable for violation s of antidiscriminati on and whistleblower protection laws.

The Department will not tolerate whi stl eblower reprisal. Legitimate disclosure of infonnation by employees is an in valua bl e resource for the oversight of government operations. I expect that employees are able to report these ma tters confidentia ll y to the Department 's Office oflnspector General (OIG), the U.S. Office of Special Cou nsel , or a ppropri a te ma nagement officials. Those

w ho interfere with or retali ate against any current or forn1er employee or job applicant making a protected disclosure will be subject to appropria te d i sciplinary acti on. In accordance with the WPEA, a Whistleblower Protection Ombudsma n has been designated in 010 to educate agency personnel about whistlebl ower rights.
I am committed to maintaining the Department's role as a Federal agency that respects the rights of current and former Federal employees or job applicants to raise legitimate concerns without fear of reprisal. I ask to join me in implement" g a n communicating thi s important policy.

Anthony R. Foxx