Federal Employees Liability Reform and Tort Compensation Act of 1988
| Long title | A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for an exclusive remedy against the United States for suits based upon certain negligent or wrongful acts or omissions of United States employees committed within the scope of their employment, and for other purposes. |
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| Nicknames | Westfall Act |
| Enacted by | the 100th United States Congress |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 100–694 |
| Codification | |
| Acts amended | Federal Tort Claims Act |
| U.S.C. sections amended | 28 U.S.C. § 2679 |
| Legislative history | |
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The Federal Employees Liability Reform and Tort Compensation Act of 1988, also known as the Westfall Act, is a law passed by the United States Congress that modifies the Federal Tort Claims Act to protect federal employees from common law tort lawsuit while engaged in their duties for the government, while giving private citizens a route to seek damage from the government for violations. The law was passed in response to the United States Supreme Court's decision in Westfall v. Erwin, 484 U.S. 292 (1988), which had created a precedent that left federal employees open to liability to civil suits for actions they took while performing their duties for the government.