ST. PAUL – The Minnesota House on Monday passed without opposition a bill expanding citizen protections for state employees who report government fraud and misuse of state or federal funds.
State Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, said the legislation ensures that public employees can expose misconduct without fear of retaliation, strengthening transparency and accountability in state government.
“State employees need to know they can report fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars in Minnesota without fear of retribution and that’s what this bill aims to do,” Swedzinski said. “It is important to have engaged employees calling attention to issues they see, without worrying about potential consequences, so we can then work to remedy the situation and protect taxpayers.”
Swedzinski said Minnesota law already includes whistleblower protections, but this bill strengthens them by explicitly covering reports of fraud and misuse of funds in state programs. The bill (H.F. 23) expands protections to cover all state employees, not just classified state workers, and explicitly includes reports of fraud and misuse as protected disclosures. In addition, Swedzinski said the measure expands who whistleblowers can report to, now including law enforcement and other government bodies.
“House Republicans are working hard to crack down on fraud, waste and abuse in our state,” Swedzinski said. “This bill is one piece in the puzzle we are looking to solve.”
The bill passed the House 133-0 and was sent to the Senate, where it also has received bipartisan support ahead of a vote in that body.
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