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. Bernie Perryman, R-St. Cloud, said the legislation ensures that public employees can expose misconduct without fear of retaliation, strengthening transparency and accountability in state government.
“Too often these days we want someone to go away or have them fired if we don’t like what they have to say,” Perryman said. “This bill is good because it helps protect people so they can tell their stories with confidence and without fear of retribution. It is good to see broad, bipartisan support for this proposal. House Republicans are working hard to root out fraud, waste and abuse in our government and this bill is helpful to that mission.”
Perryman 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, Perryman said the measure expands who whistleblowers can report to, now including law enforcement and other government bodies.
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.
-30-