5 U.S.C. § 4512 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 5. Government Organization and Employees § 4512. Agency awards for cost savings disclosures

(a) The Inspector General of an agency, or any other agency employee designated under subsection (b), may pay a cash award to any employee of such agency whose disclosure of fraud, waste, or mismanagement to the Inspector General of the agency, or to such other designated agency employee, has resulted in cost savings for the agency.  The amount of an award under this section may not exceed the lesser of--

For purposes of paragraph (2), the Inspector General or other designated employee may take into account agency cost savings projected for subsequent fiscal years which will be attributable to such disclosure.

(b) In the case of an agency for which there is no Inspector General, the head of the agency shall designate an agency employee who shall have the authority to make the determinations and grant the awards permitted under this section.