Stop Stealing our Chips Act

Financial Rewards for Whistleblowers: Individuals who provide original information leading to fines can receive an award of at least 10 percent and up to 30 percent of the collected fine (Section 3(b)(3)(A) and (C)).

Job Security and Retaliation Protection: Employers are prohibited from discharging, demoting, suspending, threatening, or harassing employees because of their report to a law enforcement agency or the Secretary (Section 3(c)(1)(A)).

Legal Recourse for Retaliated Employees: If an individual faces discrimination for whistleblowing, they can bring a lawsuit in district court and may be entitled to reinstatement, back pay with interest, and coverage of legal fees (Section 3(c)(1)(C) and (D)).

Increased Anonymity: Whistleblowers have the option to submit reports anonymously, including through an attorney (Section 3(b)(2)(B)(i)).

National Security Protection: The bill seeks to mitigate threats caused by the diversion of leading-edge artificial intelligence chips into countries that are adversaries of the United States (Section 2(1)).

Disqualification of Certain Professionals: Individuals serving as officers, directors, trustees, partners, or employees conducting compliance/internal audits or specific public accounting engagements may be disqualified from receiving awards (Section 3(b)(3)(B)(i)).

Loss of Anonymity in Specific Cases: The Secretary has the authority to require that an individual's identity be disclosed in order to receive an award (Section 3(b)(2)(B)(ii)).

Legal Limitations on Lawsuits: Employees seeking relief for retaliation face a statute of limitations of 6 years after the violation or 3 years after the facts are known, with an absolute cap of 10 years (Section 3(c)(1)(C)(iii)).

Restriction of Reporting Rights: The Secretary may prohibit individuals from making reports if they have previously submitted multiple reports that were determined not to be credible (Section 3(b)(2)(D)).