The No FEAR Act

On May 15, 2002, President Bush signed legislation called the No FEAR Act (Notification and Federal Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002). This law became effective on October 1, 2003. The primary purpose of the Act is to improve agency accountability for antidiscrimination and whistleblower laws.

Under the No FEAR Act, agencies must pay for settlements, awards or judgments against them in whistleblower and discrimination cases out of their own budgets. The law also requires that employees be notified of their rights under discrimination laws and the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA), 5 USC 2302(c). The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) (www.osc.gov) is responsible for ensuring that agencies meet their obligations to inform and educate their employees regarding the WPA.

Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No FEAR Act: [HTML] [PDF]