Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)
15 U.S.C. §2087

§2087. Whistleblower protections.
(a) No manufacturer, private labeler, distributor, or retailer, may discharge an employee or otherwise
discriminate against an employee with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment
because the employee, whether at the employee's initiative or in the ordinary course of the employee's duties (or
any person acting pursuant to a request of the employee) (1) provided, caused to be provided, or is about to provide or cause to be provided to the employer, the Federal
Government, or the attorney general of a State information relating to any violation of, or any act or omission the
employee reasonably believes to be a violation of any provision of this Act or any other Act enforced by the
Commission, or any order, rule, regulation, standard, or ban under any such Acts;
(2) testified or is about to testify in a proceeding concerning such violation;
(3) assisted or participated or is about to assist or participate in such a proceeding; or
(4) objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, practice, or assigned task that the employee (or
other such person) reasonably believed to be in violation of any provision of this Act or any other Act enforced
by the Commission, or any order, rule, regulation, standard, or ban under any such Acts.
(b)
(1) A person who believes that he or she has been discharged or otherwise discriminated against by any person in
violation of subsection (a) may, not later than 180 days after the date on which such violation occurs, file (or
have any person file on his or her behalf) a complaint with the Secretary of Labor alleging such discharge or
discrimination and identifying the person responsible for such act. Upon receipt of such a complaint, the
Secretary shall notify, in writing, the person named in the complaint of the filing of the complaint, of the
allegations contained in the complaint, of the substance of evidence supporting the complaint, and of the
opportunities that will be afforded to such person under paragraph (2).
(2)
(A) Not later than 60 days after the date of receipt of a complaint filed under paragraph (1) and after affording
the complainant and the person named in the complaint an opportunity to submit to the Secretary a written
response to the complaint and an opportunity to meet with a representative of the Secretary to present statements
from witnesses, the Secretary shall initiate an investigation and determine whether there is reasonable cause to
believe that the complaint has merit and notify, in writing, the complainant and the person alleged to have
committed a violation of subsection (a) of the Secretary's findings. If the Secretary concludes that there is
reasonable cause to believe that a violation of subsection (a) has occurred, the Secretary shall accompany the
Secretary's findings with a preliminary order providing the relief prescribed by paragraph (3)(B). Not later than
30 days after the date of notification of findings under this paragraph, either the person alleged to have
committed the violation or the complainant may file objections to the findings or preliminary order, or both, and
request a hearing on the record. The filing of such objections shall not operate to stay any reinstatement remedy
contained in the preliminary order. Any such hearing shall be conducted expeditiously. If a hearing is not
requested in such 30-day period, the preliminary order shall be deemed a final order that is not subject to judicial
review.
(B)
(i) The Secretary shall dismiss a complaint filed under this subsection and shall not conduct an investigation
otherwise required under subparagraph (A) unless the complainant makes a prima facie showing that any
behavior described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) was a contributing factor in the unfavorable
personnel action alleged in the complaint.
(ii) Notwithstanding a finding by the Secretary that the complainant has made the showing required under clause

(i), no investigation otherwise required under subparagraph (A) shall be conducted if the employer demonstrates,
by clear and convincing evidence, that the employer would have taken the same unfavorable personnel action in
the absence of that behavior.
(iii) The Secretary may determine that a violation of subsection (a) has occurred only if the complainant
demonstrates that any behavior described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) was a contributing
factor in the unfavorable personnel action alleged in the complaint.
(iv) Relief may not be ordered under subparagraph (A) if the employer demonstrates by clear and convincing
evidence that the employer would have taken the same unfavorable personnel action in the absence of that
behavior.
(3)
(A) Not later than 120 days after the date of conclusion of any hearing under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall
issue a final order providing the relief prescribed by this paragraph or denying the complaint. At any time before
issuance of a final order, a proceeding under this subsection may be terminated on the basis of a settlement
agreement entered into by the Secretary, the complainant, and the person alleged to have committed the
violation.
(B) If, in response to a complaint filed under paragraph (1), the Secretary determines that a violation of
subsection (a) has occurred, the Secretary shall order the person who committed such violation (i) to take affirmative action to abate the violation;
(ii) to reinstate the complainant to his or her former position together with compensation (including back pay)
and restore the terms, conditions, and privileges associated with his or her employment; and
(iii) to provide compensatory damages to the complainant. If such an order is issued under this paragraph, the
Secretary, at the request of the complainant, shall assess against the person against whom the order is issued a
sum equal to the aggregate amount of all costs and expenses (including attorneys' and expert witness fees)
reasonably incurred, as determined by the Secretary, by the complainant for, or in connection with, the bringing
of the complaint upon which the order was issued.
(C) If the Secretary finds that a complaint under paragraph (1) is frivolous or has been brought in bad faith, the
Secretary may award to the prevailing employer a reasonable attorneys' fee, not exceeding $1,000, to be paid by
the complainant.
(4) If the Secretary has not issued a final decision within 210 days after the filing of the complaint, or within 90
days after receiving a written determination, the complainant may bring an action at law or equity for de novo
review in the appropriate district court of the United States with jurisdiction, which shall have jurisdiction over
such an action without regard to the amount in controversy, and which action shall, at the request of either party
to such action, be tried by the court with a jury. The proceedings shall be governed by the same legal burdens of
proof specified in paragraph (2)(B). The court shall have jurisdiction to grant all relief necessary to make the
employee whole, including injunctive relief and compensatory damages, including (A) reinstatement with the same seniority status that the employee would have had, but for the discharge or
discrimination;
(B) the amount of back pay, with interest; and
(C) compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discharge or discrimination, including
litigation costs, expert witness fees, and reasonable attorneys' fees.
(5)
(A) Unless the complainant brings an action under paragraph (4), any person adversely affected or aggrieved by
a final order issued under paragraph (3) may obtain review of the order in the United States Court of Appeals for

the circuit in which the violation, with respect to which the order was issued, allegedly occurred or the circuit in
which the complainant resided on the date of such violation. The petition for review must be filed not later than
60 days after the date of the issuance of the final order of the Secretary. Review shall conform to chapter 7 of
title 5, United States Code. The commencement of proceedings under this subparagraph shall not, unless ordered
by the court, operate as a stay of the order.
(B) An order of the Secretary with respect to which review could have been obtained under subparagraph (A)
shall not be subject to judicial review in any criminal or other civil proceeding.
(6) Whenever any person has failed to comply with an order issued under paragraph (3), the Secretary may file a
civil action in the United States district court for the district in which the violation was found to occur, or in the
United States district court for the District of Columbia, to enforce such order. In actions brought under this
paragraph, the district courts shall have jurisdiction to grant all appropriate relief including, but not limited to,
injunctive relief and compensatory damages.
(7)
(A) A person on whose behalf an order was issued under paragraph (3) may commence a civil action against the
person to whom such order was issued to require compliance with such order. The appropriate United States
district court shall have jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in controversy or the citizenship of the parties,
to enforce such order.
(B) The court, in issuing any final order under this paragraph, may award costs of litigation (including reasonable
attorneys' and expert witness fees) to any party whenever the court determines such award is appropriate.
(C) Any nondiscretionary duty imposed by this section shall be enforceable in a mandamus proceeding brought
under section 1361 of title 28, United States Code.
(D) Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to an employee of a manufacturer, private labeler, distributor, or
retailer who, acting without direction from such manufacturer, private labeler, distributor, or retailer (or such
person's agent), deliberately causes a violation of any requirement relating to any violation or alleged violation of
any order, regulation, or consumer product safety standard under this Act or any other law enforced by the
Commission.