WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. government has announced approval of new rules aimed at protecting whistle-blowers and reporting violations of the False Claims Act.
The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council said the rules, which were sought by the General Services Administration and the Department of Defense, require all major federal contractors to implement "internal controls to detect and prevent improper conduct" and self-report on any found violations.
The new rules say contractors face "suspension or debarment" if they violate the new rules.
"Federal contractors are now required to establish effective internal 'employee concerns' programs permitting employee whistle blowers to step forward and report fraud. The rules specifically mandate corporate disclosures of violations of the False Claims Act. These reforms will help save taxpayers billions of dollars and assist employee who courageously blow the whistle on fraud," said Stephen Kohn, president of the National Whistleblower Center.
