; and (B) in paragraph (3)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking an employee and inserting a protected individual ; and (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following subparagraph: (B) it shall not be within the authority of an executive branch official to request that a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee engage in a reprisal prohibited by paragraph (1). ; (2) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following subparagraph: (E) Propose appropriate disciplinary action against any executive branch official for any request made of a contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee that subjected the complainant to a reprisal prohibited by subsection (a). ; and (B) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following paragraph: (7) Clarification for scope of waiver restrictions (A) The rights, forum, and remedies provided for in this section may not be waived by any public or private agreement, policy, form, or condition of employment, including by any predispute arbitration agreement. (B) No predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of a dispute arising under this section. ; (3) in subsection (f)— (A) by striking an employee and inserting a protected individual ; and (B) by striking the employee and inserting the protected individual ; (4) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); (5) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection: (g) Affirmative defense Engaging in any activity protected against reprisal under this section shall be an affirmative defense in any civil or criminal action that seeks liability for engaging in such activity. ; and (6) in subsection (h), as so redesignated— (A) in paragraph (3), by inserting , including any Federal award as defined in section 2(a) of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note) after agency