In plain English
FAR 52.203-17, Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights, is a contract clause prescribed at FAR 3.906, most recently dated Nov 2023. The complete official text is reproduced below, verbatim, from GSA's published FAR source files.
Its own text directs the contractor to include it in subcontracts — the exact mandate sentence is quoted in the flowdown section below.
Does it flow down to subcontracts?
Flows down — explicit mandate in the clause text
“(c) The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in all subcontracts.”— FAR 52.203-17, paragraph (c), official text
Required in subcontracts by OTHER clauses
These clauses direct that FAR 52.203-17 be included in certain subcontracts:
“(e) (1) Notwithstanding the requirements of the clauses in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this clause, the Contractor is not required to flow down any FAR clause, other than those in this paragraph (e)(1), in a subcontract for commercial products or commercial services. … (ii) 52.203-17, Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights (Nov 2023) (41 U.S.C. 4712).”— FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services
“(c) (1) The Contractor shall insert the following clauses in subcontracts for commercial products or commercial services: (i) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (Nov 2021) (41 U.S.C. 3509), if the subcontract exceeds the threshold specified in FAR 3.1004(a) on the date of subcontract award, and … … (iii) 52.203-17, Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights (Nov 2023) (41 U.S.C. 4712); this clause does not apply to contracts of DoD, NASA, the Coast Guard, or applicable elements of the intelligence community—see FAR …”— FAR 52.244-6, Subcontracts for Commercial Products and Commercial Services
Where it's prescribed
As prescribed in 3.906 , insert the following clause:
Prescribing reference: FAR 3.906.
The official text, verbatim
As prescribed in 3.906 , insert the following clause:
Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights (Nov 2023)
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(a) This contract and employees working on this contract will be subject to the whistleblower rights and remedies established at 41 U.S.C. 4712 and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 3.900 through 3.905.
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(b) The Contractor shall inform its employees in writing, in the predominant language of the workforce, of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712, as described in FAR 3.900 through 3.905.
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(c) The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in all subcontracts.
(End of clause)