Committee advances bill to create whistleblower protection fund for treatment programs

The West Virginia Senate Government Organization Committee agreed to a committee substitute for Senate Bill 820 and voted to report the measure to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and be first referred to the Finance Committee.

The bill would establish an interest-bearing Whistleblower Protection Fund, administered by the Office of the Inspector General, to support advertising and public-outreach efforts that encourage reporting of unethical or illegal activities at inpatient medical treatment centers, office-based medication-assisted treatment programs and opioid treatment programs. The substitute also clarifies that whistleblower reports would be made to the Inspector General and makes technical changes to the bill’s title and fund language.

Under the committee substitute, the Inspector General must develop and implement a public-awareness campaign that may include advertisements, informational materials, social media outreach, promotions and outreach programs. Beginning June 2026, the office must report annually to the Joint Standing Committee on Health detailing campaign activities, the number of whistleblower reports received and the outcomes of those reports.

Committee Counsel described the fund as a special revenue account to be administered and used by the Inspector General for the outreach work; the substitute clarified the fund’s language and made non-substantive technical edits. "It encourages people involved in the industry when it comes to medically assisted treatment programs ... It will allow citizens or those that are in recovery to an opportunity to speak out and know that they are able to do so and be protected," said the Senator from Fayette in support of the bill.

The committee first agreed to the committee substitute language by voice vote. The Vice Chair then moved that the committee substitute be reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, and that the bill be referred first to the Finance Committee under its original double committee reference; the motion was approved by voice vote. The committee chair said she will ask the Finance Committee chair to waive the second reference because the bill creates a fund but does not appropriate money into it.