5 U.S.C. § 7515: Discipline of supervisors based on retaliation against whistleblowers

has the meaning given the term in section 2302(a)(2)(C), without regard to whether any other provision of this chapter is applicable to the entity; and does not include any entity that is an element of the intelligence community, as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3003 ); the term “prohibited personnel action” means taking or failing to take an action in violation of paragraph (8), (9), or (14) of section 2302(b) against an employee of an agency; and the term “supervisor” means an employee who would be a supervisor, as defined in section 7103(a), if the entity employing the employee was an agency. shall propose suspending the supervisor for a period that is not less than 3 days; and may propose an additional action determined appropriate by the head of the agency, including a reduction in grade or pay; and for the second prohibited personnel action committed by the supervisor, shall propose removing the supervisor. states the specific reasons for the proposed action; and informs the supervisor about the right of the supervisor to review the material that is relied on to support the reasons given in the notice for the proposed action. A supervisor who receives notice under subparagraph (A) may, not later than 14 days after the date on which the supervisor receives the notice, submit an answer and furnish evidence in support of that answer. If, after the end of the 14-day period described in clause (i), a supervisor does not furnish any evidence as described in that clause, or if the head of the agency in which the supervisor is employed determines that the evidence furnished by the supervisor is insufficient, the head of the agency shall carry out the action proposed under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), as applicable. except as provided in clause (ii), shall be subject to the same requirements and procedures, including those with respect to an appeal, as an action under section 7503, 7513, or 7543; and paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 7503(b); paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) and subsection (c) of section 7513; and paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) and subsection (c) of section 7543. If the head of an agency is responsible for determining whether a supervisor has committed a prohibited personnel action for purposes of paragraph (1), the head of the agency may not delegate that responsibility.