Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 1.djvu/971

 PUBLIC LAW 106-65 —OCT. 5, 1999 113 STAT. 947 (5) Any other element of the Government designated by the Secretary as authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. (e) OFFICIAL CAPACITY OF PERSONS TO WHOM INFORMATION IS DISCLOSED. —^A member of, or an employee of Congress who is a staff member of, a committee of Congress specified in subsection (d) who receives a protected disclosure under this section does so in that member or employee's official capacity as such a member or employee. (f) ASSISTANCE AND GUIDANCE.— The Secretary, acting through the Inspector General of the Department of Energy, shall provide assistance and guidance to each covered individual who seeks to make a protected disclosure under this section. Such assistance and guidance shall include the following: (1) Identifying the persons or entities under subsection (d) to which that disclosure may be made. (2) Advising that individual regarding the steps to be tgiken to protect the security of the information to be disclosed. (3) Taking appropriate actions to protect the identity of that individual throughout that disclosure. (4) Taking appropriate actions to coordinate that disclosure with any other Federal agency or agencies that originated the information. (g) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to ensure the security of any information disclosed under this section. (h) NOTIFICATION TO COVERED INDIVIDUALS.— The Secretary shall notify each covered individual of the following: (1) The rights of that individual under this section. (2) The assistance and guidance provided under this section. (3) That the individual has a responsibility to obtain that assistance and guidance before seeking to make a protected disclosure. (i) COMPLAINT BY COVERED INDIVIDUALS. — If a covered individual believes that that individual has been discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for making a protected disclosure under this section, the individual may submit a complaint relating to such matter to the Director of the Office of Hearings and Appeals of the Department of Energy. (j) INVESTIGATION BY OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS.— (1) For each complaint submitted under subsection (i), the Director of the Office of Hearings and Appeals shall— (A) determine whether or not the complaint is frivolous; and (B) if the Director determines the complaint is not frivolous, conduct an investigation of the complaint. (2) The Director shall submit a report on each investigation Reports. undertaken under paragraph (1)(B) to— (A) the individual who submitted the complaint on which the investigation is based; (B) the contractor concerned, if any; and (C) the Secretary of Energy. (k) REMEDIAL ACTION.—(1) Whenever the Secretary determines that a covered individual has been discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for making a protected disclosure under this section, the Secretary shall—

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