National Whislteblower Center: Product Safety Whistleblower Protections Approved by Congressional Conference
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2008
3:07 PM
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CONTACT: National Whistleblower Center
Sam B. Dratch (202) 342-6980
Stephen M. Kohn (202) 342-6980
sam@whistleblowers.org |
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Product Safety Whistleblower Protections Approved by Congressional Conference
Legislation Expected to Reach President's Desk Next Week
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WASHINGTON - July 30 - In meetings this week, House and Senate conference committee members reached a compromise on legislation that will protect private-sector manufacturing employees when they report product safety concerns. The whistleblower protections were approved as part of the Consumer Product Safety Reform Act (H.R. 4040 and S.2663). This Legislation is Congress’ response to recent massive consumer product recalls, on everything from lead-laden children’s toys to toxic toothpaste, which had angered Americans and prompted calls for reform.
On July 17 the conference reached compromise on nine major items, but until now had not been able to reach an agreement on the whistleblower protection provision of the bill.
Whistleblower Protection is the most important aspect of this legislation. Other provisions of the bill, such as increasing the Consumer Product Safety Commission budget, establishing a consumer database, and requiring Inspectors General to conduct safety audits, can only be effective if employees have the freedom to tell the truth about defective and dangerous products.
The legislation is expected to clear final procedural hurdles in Congress this week, and then will be sent to the President for his signature.
Stephen M. Kohn, the President of the National Whistleblower Center issued the following statement on behalf of the NWC:
"I would like to congratulate the House and Senate conference committee members on passing some of the strongest whistleblower protections to date. The first line of defense against dangerous manufactured goods are the workers on the factory floor, and without adequate protections for honest employees, the rest of the bill would have been a hollow reform. President Bush must not bow to the interests of big business; he must stand with American families in strong support of this law."
The National Whistleblower Center is a nonprofit educational and advocacy organization dedicated to helping whistleblowers. Since 1988, the Center has worked with whistleblowers to improve environmental protection, nuclear safety, national security, government ethics and corporate accountability. For more information, please visit www.whistleblowers.org OR www.whistleblowersblog.org
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