2013 NDAA Expands Whistleblower Protections

Summary: The 2013 National Defense Authorization Act extends the whistleblower protections available to employees of government contractors, subcontractors, and grant recipients. While employees of contractors already enjoyed some protections, such as under the False Claims Act's anti-retaliation provision, the new law considerably expands whistleblower protections for millions of non-government workers with knowledge of potential False Claims Act violations and other claims against contractors doing business with the government.

The 2013 National Defense Authorization Act ("2013 NDAA"),¹ one of the first bills signed into law this year, extends the whistleblower protections available to employees of government contractors, subcontractors, and grant recipients. The new law continues the trend toward greater protections for whistleblowers, highlighted in WilmerHale's 2012 False Claims Act Year-in-Review, coming less than two months after the Whistleblower Enhancement