---
kind: "section"
citation: "3 U.S.C. § 417"
title: "3"
title_heading: "The President"
number: "417"
heading: "Prohibition of intimidation or reprisal"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/3/417"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Extension of Certain Rights and Protections to Presidential Offices"
  - "Subchapter II — Extension of Rights and Protections"
  - "Part A — Employment Discrimination, Family and Medical Leave, Fair Labor Standards, Employee Polygraph Protection, Worker Adjustment and Retraining, Employment and Reemployment of Veterans, and Intimidation"
---

# §417. Prohibition of intimidation or reprisal

- (a) **In General.—** It shall be unlawful for an [employing office](/usc/3/401.md?p=a-4) to intimidate, take reprisal against, or otherwise discriminate against, any [covered employee](/usc/3/401.md?p=a-2) because the [covered employee](/usc/3/401.md?p=a-2) has opposed any practice made unlawful by this chapter, or because the [covered employee](/usc/3/401.md?p=a-2) has initiated proceedings, made a charge, or testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in a hearing or other proceeding under this chapter.
- (b) **Remedy.—** A violation of [subsection (a)](#a) may be remedied by any legal remedy available to redress the practice opposed by the [covered employee](/usc/3/401.md?p=a-2) or other violation of law as to which the [covered employee](/usc/3/401.md?p=a-2) initiated proceedings, made a charge, or engaged in other conduct protected under [subsection (a)](#a).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–331, § 2(a), Oct. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 4061.)