April 25, 2002, Washington, DC. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Reform Act of 2002 was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bi-partisan bill will give the Department of Justice's inspector general authority to over see the FBI, which is an important step in obtaining accountability from the FBI. The Act also gives FBI whistleblowers the same rights given to other federal employees by the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. "The reforms cannot be made soon enough, " stated Kris Kolesnik, Executive Director of the National Whistleblowers Center, "this was a necessary step taken by the committee with oversight responsibility and its a longtime coming." Mr. Kolesnik further added, "The Whistleblower provisions in particular promise to be much more effective than under the current process. If you are an FBI agent wanting to disclose wrongdoing in the FBI, your chances of being successful will now be much greater."