Committee advances bill to expand whistleblower protections for public employees

Senate File 475, a bill to broaden who may receive protected reports of fraud, waste and abuse, was presented Jan. 23 to the Senate Labor and Industry Committee and advanced with amendments and a committee vote to refer the bill to the State and Local Government Committee.

The bill’s author, Senator Matthews, told the committee the measure is intended to “expand the protections granted to potential whistleblowers in the state of Minnesota,” citing recent high-profile fraud reporting that has drawn bipartisan attention. Matthews said the bill would expand the list of potential reportees and streamline language to match existing statutory definitions used elsewhere in state law.

The measure and its A-1 amendment change language that previously used the term “gross mismanagement” to instead protect employees who, in good faith, report “fraud, waste, or abuse in programs of a…