BLUF: The Department of Energy (DOE) published a proposed rule on September 22, 2026 to revise the procedures its Office of Hearings and Appeals uses to resolve DOE Contractor Employee Protection Program retaliation claims.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would amend DOE's regulations setting out the policies and procedures for resolving questions concerning protections for DOE contractor employees who allege retaliation by their employers.

Why it matters: DOE contractors' compliance and HR teams should track this rule closely — it proposes to clarify deadlines and tolling practices throughout the whistleblower-protection regulation, which governs how retaliation complaints from contractor employees are filed and adjudicated. DOE also proposes updated references to the specific DOE officials and offices responsible for administering the Contractor Employee Protection Program, which affects who complaints and inquiries should be routed to.

By the numbers:

• Publication date: September 22, 2026
• Document type: Proposed Rule
• Issuing agency: Department of Energy, Office of Hearings and Appeals
• Program affected: DOE Contractor Employee Protection Program

DOE describes the balance of the proposed changes as grammatical, made for consistency with national policy and DOE practice, rather than substantive changes to contractor employees' underlying protections.

Source: Federal Register