S. 1473 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate May 20, 2026. Received May 21, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRewards people who report export control violations
This bill creates a program to reward people who report violations of U.S. export control laws to the Department of Commerce. It sets up a secure online system for reporting, requires the agency to investigate these reports and keep people updated, and pays cash awards to whistleblowers whose information leads to fines. The bill also protects whistleblowers from retaliation and keeps their identities confidential.
How it affects you
If you work in or around industries that export sensitive goods and technology, this gives you a way to safely report illegal export activity and receive a financial reward. The protections mean you can't be fired or punished for reporting violations. Most everyday Americans won't be directly affected, but the bill aims to strengthen enforcement of laws that control exports of technology and military-related items.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Apr 10, 2025)
Stop Stealing our Chips Act
This bill creates a whistleblower incentive program and establishes whistleblower protections for individuals who provide information to the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) related to violations of U.S. export control laws.
Currently, BIS administers and enforces controls on the export of dual-use goods (e.g., items with both civilian and military uses) and certain military parts and components. These export controls are implemented primarily under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) through the Export Administration Regulations.
Under the bill, BIS must establish a whistleblower incentive program to reward individuals who voluntarily report original information that results in BIS imposing fines under ECRA on persons that violate, attempt to violate, conspire to violate, or cause a violation of ECRA or any related regulation, order, license, or authorization.
Additionally, BIS must establish a secure online portal for whistleblowers to report violations of ECRA. The bill outlines requirements for BIS to review, investigate, and provide status updates related to these reports.
The bill authorizes BIS to pay an award to any whistleblower who voluntarily reported original information that led to the imposition of a fine under ECRA. The bill establishes the Export Compliance Accountability Fund for paying these awards and funding related activities.
The bill also sets forth whistleblower protections by (1) prohibiting retaliation against individuals who act as whistleblowers, and (2) establishing confidentiality requirements.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1473
AN ACT
Stop Stealing our Chips Act
Sponsor: Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) · Introduced Apr 10, 2025 · Foreign Trade and International Finance · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 21, 2026: “Held at the desk.”
Numbers that changed
Dollar amounts, dates and percentages, taken word for word from the text- Sec. 3 · Time period · Introduced → Passed the SenateEstablishment of Whistleblower Incentive Program and Whistleblower Protections30 days→90 days…if applicable, the related investigation not later than 90 days after the date on which the whistleblower submitted…
- Sec. 3 · Time period · Introduced → Passed the SenateEstablishment of Whistleblower Incentive Program and Whistleblower Protections30 days→90 days…the report and not less frequently than every 90 days thereafter. (II) Sensitive information The Secretary may omit…
| Section | Where | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sec. 3Time period | Establishment of Whistleblower Incentive Program and Whistleblower Protections…if applicable, the related investigation not later than 90 days after the date on which the whistleblower submitted…Introduced → Passed the Senate | 30 days | 90 days |
| Sec. 3Time period | Establishment of Whistleblower Incentive Program and Whistleblower Protections…the report and not less frequently than every 90 days thereafter. (II) Sensitive information The Secretary may omit…Introduced → Passed the Senate | 30 days | 90 days |
Listed only when one value replaced another and the surrounding words stayed the same. Open a section to read the full wording.