No FEAR Act Payments: Which Agencies Pay the Most for Workplace Discrimination Claims
Original analysis of 2,546 records from the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, FY2009–FY2025. Published October 10, 2026.
We totaled every Judgment Fund payment coded to the federal-employee provisions of Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act or the Rehabilitation Act, or to the Whistleblower Protection Act, fiscal years 2009–2025, by department.
What the Judgment Fund paid, agency by agency
From fiscal year 2009 through 2025, the Judgment Fund paid $349.9 million in 2,546 payments to federal employees and job applicants under four of the anti-discrimination and whistleblower laws covered by the No FEAR Act; the Department of Justice accounts for the largest share, $56.3 million. Three departments together account for 44.5% of the total. Under the No FEAR Act, executive agencies must reimburse the Fund for payments to their employees, so the cost lands on the agency's own budget.
- $350MPaid under four No FEAR Act laws, FY2009–FY2025
- 2,546Judgment Fund payments
- 44%Share paid for the top three departments
Justice ranks first
The Department of Justice accounts for $56.3 million in 251 payments, 16.1% of the total, followed by the Department of Transportation ($50.8 million) and the Department of Homeland Security ($48.5 million).
A few large payments drive the top of the list
87% of the Transportation total was paid in fiscal 2021 alone, and 50% of the Homeland Security total in fiscal 2017. The largest single payment was $19.4 million.
Veterans Affairs pays most often
The Department of Veterans Affairs had 476 payments totaling $42.8 million, spread across every year; its biggest year accounts for only 13% of its total.
Title VII dominates
Payments whose principal citation is Title VII (race, color, religion, sex, national origin) account for $253.1 million, or 72.3% of all dollars; disability claims account for $46.3 million and age claims for $50.3 million.
Fiscal 2025 was the third-highest year
The Fund paid $33.9 million in fiscal 2025, behind only fiscal 2021 ($54.8 million) and fiscal 2017. The yearly average over the period is $20.6 million.
A small number of payments carries more than a third of the money
The 26 payments of $1,000,000 or more, 1.0% of all payments, account for 38.6% of the dollars. The median payment is $35,000.
Which Federal Agencies Pay the Most for Discrimination Claims
Sub-agencies are rolled up to their department, so the FBI, the Bureau of Prisons and the DEA count toward Justice, and the Secret Service, TSA and CBP toward Homeland Security.
The Department of Justice ranks first with $56.3 million, ahead of the Department of Transportation ($50.8 million), the Department of Homeland Security ($48.5 million) and the Department of Veterans Affairs ($42.8 million).
The ranking covers 55 departments and independent agencies that had at least one payment, plus one line for joint payments that name agencies from more than one department and one line for offices that could not be assigned. Totals are not adjusted for workforce size: a department with several hundred thousand employees will tend to rank higher than a small commission even if its claims rate is lower. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Corps of Engineers and other Defense components are listed separately, as in Treasury's No FEAR Act data; combined they total $38.8 million.
No FEAR Act payments by department, FY2009–FY2025
- Department of Justice$56.3 million251 payments · median $50,000
- Department of Transportation$50.8 million89 payments · median $40,000
- Department of Homeland Security$48.5 million467 payments · median $8,600
- Department of Veterans Affairs$42.8 million476 payments · median $43,664
- U.S. Agency for Global Media$15.6 million35 payments · median $184,580
- Department of Commerce$13.1 million54 payments · median $26,875
- Department of the Navy$12.4 million154 payments · median $31,000
- Department of Agriculture$12.1 million100 payments · median $56,250
- Department of the Army$11.0 million118 payments · median $35,000
- Multiple agencies (joint payment)$9.6 million6 payments · median $70,000
- Department of State$9.3 million43 payments · median $62,500
- Department of the Air Force$7.0 million90 payments · median $36,250
All agencies
- Other Defense Agencies$6.5 million89 payments · median $35,000
- Department of the Interior$5.7 million68 payments · median $39,500
- Department of Health and Human Services$5.7 million47 payments · median $60,000
- Department of Housing and Urban Development$5.3 million29 payments · median $83,500
- Department of the Treasury$4.6 million90 payments · median $23,500
- Department of Labor$4.5 million21 payments · median $120,000
- Social Security Administration$4.0 million57 payments · median $35,000
- Environmental Protection Agency$3.5 million19 payments · median $67,500
- Library of Congress$3.3 million23 payments · median $75,000
- Government Printing Office$2.3 million66 payments · median $2,037
- US Army Corps of Engineers$1.8 million28 payments · median $24,641
- Department of Education$1.8 million6 payments · median $172,067
- Smithsonian Institution$1.6 million6 payments · median $167,375
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission$1.4 million14 payments · median $75,000
- Department of Energy$1.2 million9 payments · median $70,000
- General Services Administration$1.0 million15 payments · median $30,000
- Small Business Administration$846,05810 payments · median $64,029
- Export-Import Bank of the United States$545,0001 payment · median $545,000
- Office not identified (OIG, Secretary, CFO, Solicitor)$511,0005 payments · median $105,000
- Peace Corps$500,0001 payment · median $500,000
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission$492,0004 payments · median $95,000
- U.S. Agency for International Development$479,5006 payments · median $72,500
- Securities and Exchange Commission$463,1841 payment · median $463,184
- Government Accountability Office$421,2204 payments · median $59,500
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission$414,9187 payments · median $40,000
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration$372,7509 payments · median $16,000
- Federal Communications Commission$367,8734 payments · median $92,937
- United States Postal Service$303,0001 payment · median $303,000
- National Transportation Safety Board$236,9192 payments · median $118,459
- National Gallery of Art$196,0001 payment · median $196,000
- Millennium Challenge Corporation$175,0001 payment · median $175,000
- Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency$166,5003 payments · median $5,000
- Selective Service System$150,0001 payment · median $150,000
- Office of Personnel Management$143,2804 payments · median $21,640
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation$125,0001 payment · median $125,000
- Commission on Civil Rights$97,5001 payment · median $97,500
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission$74,8191 payment · median $74,819
- Architect of the Capitol$70,0001 payment · median $70,000
- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board$70,0001 payment · median $70,000
- U.S. African Development Foundation$55,0001 payment · median $55,000
- U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness$16,2621 payment · median $16,262
- Institute of Museum and Library Services$10,0001 payment · median $10,000
- National Science Foundation$10,0001 payment · median $10,000
- National Archives and Records Administration$9,9391 payment · median $9,939
- Corporation for National and Community Service$6,0001 payment · median $6,000
How Much of Each Agency's Total Came From One Year
For the top of the ranking, one large payment can matter more than years of smaller ones.
87% of the Transportation total falls in fiscal 2021, while Veterans Affairs never had a year above 13% of its total.
The table shows each agency's peak fiscal year and the share of its total paid in that year. The Transportation total is driven by age-discrimination payments on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2021; the Homeland Security total by Title VII payments on behalf of the Secret Service in fiscal 2017; and the Justice total includes a single $19.4 million Title VII payment on behalf of the FBI in fiscal 2025.
Peak fiscal year per agency
| Agency | Total | Peak year | Peak share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Justice | $56.3M | 2025 | 39.1% |
| Department of Transportation | $50.8M | 2021 | 86.7% |
| Department of Homeland Security | $48.5M | 2017 | 50.4% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $42.8M | 2015 | 13.0% |
| U.S. Agency for Global Media | $15.6M | 2014 | 30.9% |
| Department of Commerce | $13.1M | 2017 | 77.7% |
| Department of the Navy | $12.4M | 2011 | 16.3% |
| Department of Agriculture | $12.1M | 2009 | 17.4% |
| Department of the Army | $11.0M | 2024 | 13.2% |
| Multiple agencies (joint payment) | $9.6M | 2022 | 98.5% |
All agencies
| Agency | Total | Peak year | Peak share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of State | $9.3M | 2009 | 22.8% |
| Department of the Air Force | $7.0M | 2009 | 25.0% |
| Other Defense Agencies | $6.5M | 2011 | 17.1% |
| Department of the Interior | $5.7M | 2023 | 19.1% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $5.7M | 2022 | 16.9% |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $5.3M | 2011 | 21.6% |
| Department of the Treasury | $4.6M | 2019 | 23.6% |
| Department of Labor | $4.5M | 2013 | 21.5% |
| Social Security Administration | $4.0M | 2017 | 28.7% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $3.5M | 2015 | 19.4% |
| Library of Congress | $3.3M | 2010 | 31.9% |
| Government Printing Office | $2.3M | 2024 | 37.2% |
| US Army Corps of Engineers | $1.8M | 2011 | 35.5% |
| Department of Education | $1.8M | 2017 | 83.1% |
| Smithsonian Institution | $1.6M | 2009 | 50.3% |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | $1.4M | 2023 | 34.9% |
| Department of Energy | $1.2M | 2018 | 54.7% |
| General Services Administration | $1.0M | 2024 | 28.7% |
| Small Business Administration | $846K | 2011 | 31.9% |
| Export-Import Bank of the United States | $545K | 2010 | 100.0% |
| Office not identified (OIG, Secretary, CFO, Solicitor) | $511K | 2021 | 38.2% |
| Peace Corps | $500K | 2013 | 100.0% |
| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | $492K | 2017 | 61.4% |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | $480K | 2011 | 31.3% |
| Securities and Exchange Commission | $463K | 2025 | 100.0% |
| Government Accountability Office | $421K | 2024 | 71.2% |
| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission | $415K | 2024 | 62.1% |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $373K | 2025 | 40.2% |
| Federal Communications Commission | $368K | 2022 | 40.8% |
| United States Postal Service | $303K | 2016 | 100.0% |
| National Transportation Safety Board | $237K | 2011 | 86.5% |
| National Gallery of Art | $196K | 2020 | 100.0% |
| Millennium Challenge Corporation | $175K | 2025 | 100.0% |
| Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency | $167K | 2024 | 96.1% |
| Selective Service System | $150K | 2022 | 100.0% |
| Office of Personnel Management | $143K | 2015 | 66.3% |
| Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation | $125K | 2022 | 100.0% |
| Commission on Civil Rights | $98K | 2018 | 100.0% |
| Commodity Futures Trading Commission | $75K | 2015 | 100.0% |
| Architect of the Capitol | $70K | 2015 | 100.0% |
| Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board | $70K | 2016 | 100.0% |
| U.S. African Development Foundation | $55K | 2012 | 100.0% |
| U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness | $16K | 2009 | 100.0% |
| Institute of Museum and Library Services | $10K | 2009 | 100.0% |
| National Science Foundation | $10K | 2022 | 100.0% |
| National Archives and Records Administration | $10K | 2013 | 100.0% |
| Corporation for National and Community Service | $6K | 2018 | 100.0% |
Fiscal years run October through September; fiscal 2025 ended September 30, 2025.
How No FEAR Act Payments Changed Over Time
Yearly totals swing with a handful of large payments rather than following a steady trend.
The highest year was fiscal 2021 with $54.8 million; the lowest was fiscal 2019 with $8.5 million. Fiscal 2025 reached $33.9 million in 124 payments.
Each payment is assigned to the federal fiscal year of its payment date. The series ends with fiscal 2025, the last full year in the Treasury data; no partial year is shown. Fiscal 2019 has the most payments but the lowest total: 185 of its 283 payments are $1,500 payments under two age-discrimination control numbers against the Transportation Security Administration.
No FEAR Act payments by fiscal year
- 2009$25.4 million211 payments · median $40,000
- 2010$10.8 million149 payments · median $30,000
- 2011$16.9 million166 payments · median $30,000
- 2012$10.9 million158 payments · median $30,750
- 2013$11.2 million120 payments · median $33,250
- 2014$16.7 million154 payments · median $38,750
- 2015$14.3 million133 payments · median $43,000
- 2016$21.2 million143 payments · median $27,000
- 2017$48.9 million134 payments · median $50,000
- 2018$15.4 million125 payments · median $50,000
- 2019$8.5 million283 payments · median $1,500
- 2020$10.8 million101 payments · median $30,000
- 2021$54.8 million151 payments · median $58,395
- 2022$22.9 million139 payments · median $38,750
- 2023$13.5 million139 payments · median $55,000
All fiscal years
- 2024$13.7 million116 payments · median $56,750
- 2025$33.9 million124 payments · median $67,500
Fiscal 2009 = October 2008 through September 2009.
Which Discrimination Laws Account for the Payments
The Judgment Fund records the legal basis of each payment as a citation code.
Title VII accounts for $253.1 million in 1,900 payments; the age discrimination law for $50.3 million; the Rehabilitation Act for $46.3 million; whistleblower claims for $199,230.
Title VII covers race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Disability claims by federal employees run through the Rehabilitation Act, age claims through 29 U.S.C. § 633a, and whistleblower claims through 5 U.S.C. § 1221. Only 5 payments in the period carry a whistleblower code, and no other citation code in the data names a whistleblower law; whistleblower settlements paid outside the Judgment Fund do not appear here.
No FEAR Act payments by statute, FY2009–FY2025
| Statute | Payments | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title VII (race, color, religion, sex, national origin) | 1,900 | $253.1M | 72.3% |
| Age Discrimination in Employment Act | 306 | $50.3M | 14.4% |
| Rehabilitation Act (disability) | 335 | $46.3M | 13.2% |
| Whistleblower Protection Act | 5 | $199K | 0.1% |
How Our Totals Compare With Treasury's No FEAR Act Revenue Data
Treasury's No FEAR Act Receivables dataset reports, for each agency at quarter ends, a revenue balance for No FEAR Act payments alongside the unreimbursed receivable. We compared the revenue balance with our totals line by line.
For the agencies Treasury lists, our fiscal 2023 total of $13,174,778 is 4.7% below Treasury's $13,826,891; for fiscal 2024 it is 18.1% below.
Of 45 agency totals at fiscal year-end (fiscal 2023 and 2024), 31 match ours within five percent, 27 of them to the dollar. Where they differ, our figure is lower in 11 cases and higher in 3, which suggests that some payments Treasury records as No FEAR Act payments carry a different citation code in the payment data. For the agencies Treasury lists, our totals are therefore more likely to understate than to overstate the amounts Treasury records. Payments for employers that Treasury does not list, such as the Government Printing Office, are left out of this comparison.
Our totals vs. Treasury's No FEAR Act revenue balances
| Agency | Period end | Treasury | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Justice | 2025-06-30 | $22.2M | −2.2% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2023-09-30 | $4.6M | −0.2% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2024-09-30 | $4.2M | −20.2% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2023-06-30 | $3.8M | −4.2% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2025-06-30 | $3.3M | −4.5% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2023-03-31 | $2.8M | 0.9% |
| Department of Justice | 2024-09-30 | $2.4M | −62.7% |
| Department of State | 2024-03-31 | $2.0M | 0.0% |
| Department of State | 2024-09-30 | $2.0M | 0.0% |
| Department of Justice | 2024-12-31 | $2.0M | −23.3% |
| Department of the Army | 2024-09-30 | $1.9M | −25.9% |
| Department of Justice | 2024-03-31 | $1.8M | −68.5% |
All agency-quarters
| Agency | Period end | Treasury | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2024-03-31 | $1.7M | −46.4% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2024-09-30 | $1.4M | 14.7% |
| Department of the Interior | 2023-09-30 | $1.3M | −13.8% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2022-12-31 | $1.2M | 0.0% |
| Department of State | 2023-09-30 | $1.1M | 0.0% |
| Department of the Army | 2023-09-30 | $1.0M | −25.9% |
| Department of the Air Force | 2025-06-30 | $1.0M | −53.2% |
| Department of Justice | 2023-09-30 | $1.0M | 0.0% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2023-09-30 | $904K | −26.8% |
| Department of the Navy | 2023-09-30 | $855K | 1.2% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2024-03-31 | $845K | 23.4% |
| Department of Agriculture | 2025-06-30 | $829K | −47.8% |
| Department of the Navy | 2023-06-30 | $805K | −5.0% |
| Department of the Navy | 2025-06-30 | $786K | 0.0% |
| Other Defense Agencies | 2023-09-30 | $771K | 4.5% |
| Department of the Army | 2023-06-30 | $761K | 0.0% |
| Department of Justice | 2023-06-30 | $699K | 0.0% |
| Other Defense Agencies | 2023-06-30 | $666K | 5.3% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2025-06-30 | $607K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Navy | 2023-03-31 | $585K | −6.8% |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 2024-12-31 | $582K | 0.0% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2023-06-30 | $573K | 0.0% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2023-03-31 | $568K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Navy | 2024-09-30 | $526K | 0.0% |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | 2023-09-30 | $502K | 0.0% |
| Department of State | 2023-06-30 | $485K | 0.0% |
| Other Defense Agencies | 2024-03-31 | $485K | −36.5% |
| Department of the Air Force | 2023-06-30 | $473K | −7.4% |
| Department of the Air Force | 2023-09-30 | $473K | −7.4% |
| Securities and Exchange Commission | 2025-06-30 | $463K | 0.0% |
| Department of Transportation | 2025-06-30 | $450K | 0.0% |
| General Services Administration | 2024-03-31 | $425K | −29.4% |
| General Services Administration | 2024-09-30 | $425K | −29.4% |
| Department of the Navy | 2024-03-31 | $421K | 0.0% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2025-06-30 | $420K | −7.6% |
| Other Defense Agencies | 2024-09-30 | $383K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Air Force | 2022-12-31 | $353K | −9.9% |
| Department of the Air Force | 2023-03-31 | $353K | −9.9% |
| Department of the Navy | 2022-12-31 | $350K | 0.0% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2023-09-30 | $333K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Interior | 2024-09-30 | $312K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Interior | 2023-06-30 | $307K | −56.7% |
| Department of Agriculture | 2024-12-31 | $306K | 0.8% |
| Department of the Army | 2023-03-31 | $306K | 0.0% |
| Government Accountability Office | 2024-09-30 | $300K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Air Force | 2024-09-30 | $282K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Army | 2025-06-30 | $273K | 0.0% |
| Department of Agriculture | 2023-09-30 | $267K | −0.9% |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | 2025-06-30 | $260K | 0.0% |
| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission | 2024-09-30 | $258K | 0.0% |
| Department of Labor | 2025-06-30 | $255K | 0.0% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2024-09-30 | $251K | 0.0% |
| Department of Justice | 2023-03-31 | $249K | 0.0% |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | 2023-06-30 | $247K | 0.0% |
| Department of Agriculture | 2023-06-30 | $242K | −1.0% |
| Department of the Army | 2024-03-31 | $235K | 0.0% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2023-06-30 | $228K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Navy | 2024-12-31 | $225K | 0.0% |
| Department of Transportation | 2024-09-30 | $211K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Treasury | 2023-09-30 | $200K | 0.0% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2022-12-31 | $188K | 0.0% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2023-03-31 | $188K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Interior | 2023-03-31 | $184K | −27.5% |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | 2024-12-31 | $182K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Air Force | 2024-03-31 | $182K | 0.0% |
| National Transportation Safety Board | 2025-06-30 | $175K | −100.0% |
| Social Security Administration | 2023-09-30 | $174K | −11.5% |
| Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency | 2024-09-30 | $160K | 0.0% |
| Department of Justice | 2022-12-31 | $159K | 0.0% |
| Department of Agriculture | 2023-03-31 | $157K | −1.6% |
| Social Security Administration | 2025-06-30 | $150K | 0.0% |
| Department of Commerce | 2024-09-30 | $149K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Treasury | 2025-06-30 | $140K | 0.0% |
| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission | 2024-03-31 | $138K | 0.0% |
| Other Defense Agencies | 2023-03-31 | $134K | 26.1% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2022-12-31 | $133K | 0.0% |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | 2024-09-30 | $118K | 0.0% |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | 2024-03-31 | $109K | −90.8% |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | 2024-09-30 | $109K | −90.8% |
| Department of the Interior | 2024-03-31 | $105K | 168.3% |
| Other Defense Agencies | 2022-12-31 | $102K | 0.0% |
| Department of Homeland Security | 2024-12-31 | $99K | 0.0% |
| Department of Transportation | 2024-03-31 | $91K | 0.0% |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | 2024-09-30 | $85K | 0.0% |
| US Army Corps of Engineers | 2024-09-30 | $83K | 0.0% |
| Central Intelligence Agency | 2025-06-30 | $80K | 0.0% |
| U.S. Agency for Global Media | 2023-03-31 | $78K | 0.0% |
| U.S. Agency for Global Media | 2023-06-30 | $78K | 0.0% |
| U.S. Agency for Global Media | 2023-09-30 | $78K | 0.0% |
| US Army Corps of Engineers | 2023-03-31 | $70K | 0.0% |
| US Army Corps of Engineers | 2023-06-30 | $70K | 0.0% |
| US Army Corps of Engineers | 2023-09-30 | $70K | 0.0% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 2024-03-31 | $68K | 0.0% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 2024-09-30 | $68K | 0.0% |
| Social Security Administration | 2024-09-30 | $61K | 0.0% |
| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission | 2023-06-30 | $60K | 83.3% |
| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission | 2023-09-30 | $60K | 83.3% |
| Department of Commerce | 2024-03-31 | $54K | 0.0% |
| Social Security Administration | 2023-03-31 | $54K | −37.4% |
| Social Security Administration | 2023-06-30 | $54K | −37.4% |
| Department of Energy | 2023-06-30 | $50K | −100.0% |
| Department of Energy | 2023-09-30 | $50K | −100.0% |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | 2023-03-31 | $47K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Interior | 2022-12-31 | $35K | 0.0% |
| Department of Labor | 2023-06-30 | $35K | 0.0% |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | 2023-09-30 | $35K | 0.0% |
| Department of Labor | 2023-09-30 | $35K | 0.0% |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2024-03-31 | $35K | 0.0% |
| National Transportation Safety Board | 2023-09-30 | $32K | 0.0% |
| Office of Personnel Management | 2025-06-30 | $28K | 0.0% |
| Department of Commerce | 2022-12-31 | $25K | −100.0% |
| Department of Commerce | 2023-09-30 | $25K | 202.0% |
| Department of the Treasury | 2024-12-31 | $25K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Treasury | 2024-03-31 | $24K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Treasury | 2024-09-30 | $24K | 0.0% |
| Department of Commerce | 2025-06-30 | $20K | 0.0% |
| Small Business Administration | 2025-06-30 | $20K | 0.0% |
| Department of Agriculture | 2022-12-31 | $15K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Interior | 2024-12-31 | $15K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Interior | 2025-06-30 | $15K | 0.0% |
| Department of Commerce | 2024-12-31 | $10K | 0.0% |
| Social Security Administration | 2022-12-31 | $9K | 0.0% |
| Department of the Army | 2024-12-31 | $5K | 0.0% |
| Social Security Administration | 2024-03-31 | $500 | 0.0% |
| Department of Commerce | 2023-03-31 | $0 | — |
| Department of Commerce | 2023-06-30 | $0 | — |
Treasury figures are fiscal-year-to-date revenue balances at each quarter end; the Defense subtotal line is excluded to avoid double counting, and a dash marks quarters in which Treasury shows no amount for an agency we counted. Treasury's dataset has no figures for the quarters ending December 31, 2023, June 30, 2024, March 31, 2025 and September 30, 2025.
Download the Data and Cite This Study
Every table on this page as a CSV file, free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0).
- Calibration: our totals vs. the revenue balances in Treasury's No FEAR Act Receivables dataset, by agency and quarterFiscal-year-to-date revenue balance recorded by Treasury per agency next to our total for the same agency and period; difference_pct is empty where Treasury shows no amount. · 138 rows · CSV, 9 KB
- No FEAR Act Judgment Fund payments by department or agency, FY2009-FY2025Payments, total, median, largest payment and separately itemized attorney fees per department or independent agency, ranked by total paid. · 57 rows · CSV, 5 KB
- No FEAR Act Judgment Fund payments by federal fiscal year, FY2009-FY2025Payments, total and median per fiscal year (October-September), split by statute. · 17 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- No FEAR Act Judgment Fund payments by statute, FY2009-FY2025Payments and dollars under Title VII, the ADEA, the Rehabilitation Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act. · 4 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- No FEAR Act Judgment Fund payments by sub-agency as listed by Treasury, FY2009-FY2025Totals per defendant agency name exactly as written in the Judgment Fund data, with the department we assigned it to. · 196 rows · CSV, 14 KB
How to cite
Goldberg, L. (2026). No FEAR Act Judgment Fund Payments — Federal Employee Discrimination and Whistleblower Payments by Agency (FY2009–FY2025) [Data set]. Settlement Insight. https://settlementinsight.com/research/no-fear-act-settlements
BibTeX
@dataset{goldberg_2026_no_fear_act_settlements,
author = {Goldberg, Leonard},
title = {No FEAR Act Judgment Fund Payments --- Federal Employee Discrimination and Whistleblower Payments by Agency (FY2009--FY2025)},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Settlement Insight},
url = {https://settlementinsight.com/research/no-fear-act-settlements}
}How We Measured
Checked against published figures
- Department of Veterans Affairs, FY2023 (Oct 2022-Sep 2023): our No FEAR Act Judgment Fund payments vs. Treasury's No FEAR Act revenue balance: published $4,587,918, our count $4,579,859 (0.18% apart).No FEAR Act Receivables (account 020 3112000), revenue balance, Treasury Fiscal Data
- Department of State, FY2024 (Oct 2023-Sep 2024): our No FEAR Act Judgment Fund payments vs. Treasury's No FEAR Act revenue balance: published $2,047,500, our count $2,047,500 (exact match).No FEAR Act Receivables (account 020 3112000), revenue balance, Treasury Fiscal Data
Full method and limits of the data
Scope: payments with a confirmed amount above zero whose principal citation is Title VII as applied to federal employment (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-16), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act for federal employees (29 U.S.C. § 633a), the Rehabilitation Act remedy provision (29 U.S.C. § 794a) or the Whistleblower Protection Act (5 U.S.C. § 1221). We excluded the code labeled Equal Pay Act/FLSA (912 payments, $208.5 million): it combines the Equal Pay Act with the Fair Labor Standards Act, whose other pay claims the No FEAR Act does not cover, and including it pushes our totals far above Treasury's No FEAR Act figures.
Calculation: each payment counts once at its confirmed amount, including any attorney fees and costs; only 115 payments itemize attorney fees separately ($15.9 million, or 4.5% of the total), so lump-sum payments may include fees that are not shown. Treasury lists 7 payments ($811,654) in two annual files with the same payment ID, amount and date; we count each of them once. Payments are assigned to the federal fiscal year of the payment date. The 196 agency names in the data were rolled up by hand to 55 departments and independent agencies, plus a line for joint payments and one for unassigned offices; the full mapping is in the sub-agency CSV. 99.6% of payments are court cases (litigative); the rest are administrative awards.
Calibration: we compared our agency totals with the revenue balances in Treasury's No FEAR Act Receivables dataset for the same agency and period. The Department of Veterans Affairs in fiscal 2023 differs by 0.2% and the Department of State in fiscal 2024 by 0.0%; summed over the agencies Treasury lists, our fiscal 2023 total is 4.7% lower, fiscal 2024 18.1% and the first three quarters of fiscal 2025 5.6%.
What this data cannot tell you
- Totals are not adjusted for agency size. Large departments with many employees will rank higher; the ranking says nothing about how often discrimination occurs in an agency.
- Only payments made from the Judgment Fund are included. Settlements and awards an agency pays from its own budget do not appear here.
- A payment is not a finding of discrimination. The data do not separate settlements from court judgments; a settlement typically does not admit liability.
- For the agencies Treasury lists, our totals are below Treasury's No FEAR Act revenue balances: by 18.1% in fiscal 2024, largely at the Department of Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army. We could not determine the reason; one possible explanation is that some No FEAR Act payments are coded under other citations.
- The No FEAR Act also covers the Equal Pay Act, but its Judgment Fund code is shared with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Because we excluded that code entirely (912 payments, $208.5 million), genuine equal-pay payments are missing.
- The No FEAR Act defines the agencies it covers as executive agencies, the Postal Service and the Postal Rate Commission. Our total counts every payment under the four laws, whoever the employer; the $1,012,000 paid in fiscal 2023 and 2024 on behalf of the Government Printing Office, for example, does not appear in Treasury's No FEAR Act data.
- Agency names are recorded inconsistently in the source and some joint payments name several agencies; we assigned them by hand, and a handful of payments name only an office such as an Inspector General and could not be assigned to a department.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a No FEAR Act payment?
It is a payment from the Treasury's Judgment Fund to a federal employee, former employee or job applicant to resolve a claim under federal anti-discrimination or whistleblower laws; the employing executive agency must reimburse the Fund. From fiscal 2009 through 2025, payments under Title VII, the age and disability discrimination laws and the Whistleblower Protection Act totaled $349.9 million.
Which federal agency pays the most for discrimination claims?
In Judgment Fund data for fiscal 2009–2025, the Department of Justice ranks first with $56.3 million, followed by the Department of Transportation ($50.8 million) and the Department of Homeland Security ($48.5 million). Totals are not adjusted for workforce size.
How much does the federal government pay each year for employee discrimination claims?
Judgment Fund payments under these laws averaged $20.6 million per fiscal year from 2009 to 2025, ranging from $8.5 million in fiscal 2019 to $54.8 million in fiscal 2021. Payments agencies make from their own budgets are not included.
Do agencies have to pay back the Judgment Fund for discrimination payments?
Yes. Under the No FEAR Act, executive agencies must reimburse the Judgment Fund for payments made on their behalf in discrimination and whistleblower cases. Treasury bills the agency after the payment and tracks unpaid balances by agency each quarter.
What is the typical Judgment Fund payment in a federal employee discrimination case?
The median Judgment Fund payment under these laws was $35,000 in fiscal 2009–2025, while the average was $137,412. The average is pulled up by a few very large payments: the 26 payments of $1,000,000 or more account for 38.6% of all dollars.
Where can I download the data?
The CSV files below contain totals by department, by sub-agency as listed by Treasury, by fiscal year and by statute, plus our line-by-line comparison with the revenue balances in Treasury's No FEAR Act Receivables dataset. No individual names are included.
Sources
- Judgment Fund: Report to Congress — U.S. Department of the Treasury, Fiscal Data
- No FEAR Act Receivables (Treasury Managed Accounts) — U.S. Department of the Treasury, Fiscal Data
- Reimbursing the Judgment Fund — Bureau of the Fiscal Service
- Report of receivables from the No FEAR Act — Bureau of the Fiscal Service
- No FEAR Act Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2025 — U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Public Law 107-174 (No FEAR Act) — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- 5 U.S. Code § 2302 — Prohibited personnel practices — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Independent analysis. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and not affiliated with any agency named here. Analysis by Leonard Goldberg, Editor. How we work: methodology, our data.
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