{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-1-615.51","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 1-615.51","heading":"Findings and declaration of purpose.","body":"The Council finds and declares that the public interest is served when employees of the District government are free to report waste, fraud, abuse of authority, violations of law, or threats to public health or safety without fear of retaliation or reprisal.  Accordingly, the Council declares as its policy to:\n\n(1)\nEnhance the rights of District employees to challenge the actions or failures of their agencies and to express their views without fear of retaliation through appropriate channels within the agency, complete and frank responses to Council inquiries, free access to law enforcement officials, oversight agencies of both the executive and legislative branches of government, and appropriate communication with the public;\n\n(2)\nEnsure that acts of the Council enacted to protect individual citizens are properly enforced;\n\n(3)\nProvide new rights and remedies to guarantee and ensure that public offices are truly public trusts;\n\n(4)\nHold public employees personally accountable for failure to enforce the laws and for negligence in the performance of their public duties;\n\n(5)\nEnsure that rights of employees to expose corruption, dishonesty, incompetence, or administrative failure are protected;\n\n(6)\nGuarantee the rights of employees to contact and communicate with the Council and be protected in that exercise;\n\n(7)\nProtect employees from reprisal or retaliation for the performance of their duties; and\n\n(8)\nMotivate employees to do their duties justly and efficiently.","path":["Title 1. Government Organization.","Chapter 6. Merit Personnel System.","Subchapter XV-A. Whistleblower Protection."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/1-615.51","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"9f8343d55782bc236749ebfa4dd7ca6b96d62a960c29dc528c6c5cf96ac6dc54","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-1-615.05","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-1-615.52"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}