Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002

Signed into law by George W. Bush
May 15, 2002

The No FEAR Act, considered the first civil rights legislation of the 21st century, requires Federal agencies to pay into the Judgment Fund for payments made to employees as a result of civil rights violations; provide annual notice to employees about rights and remedies applicable for discrimination and whistleblower protection; provide biannual training to employees for discrimination and whistleblower rights; submit an annual report indicating efforts to improve compliance with discrimination and whistleblower protection laws; and post quarterly summary statistical data to its public website pertaining to EEO complaints in the agency. These heightened requirements were meant to reinforce the importance of civil rights laws applicable to federal employees. The law does not, however, provide any additional private right of action for discrimination or whistleblower laws. Instead, it is meant as a support to those laws.

Enforcement & Remedies

None