The bill that passed aims to expand whistleblower protections for state employees who report fraud.
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SAINT PAUL, Minn. — With fraud remaining a hot topic at the state capitol this session, the Minnesota House approved one fraud prevention bill unanimously on Monday afternoon, while another measure failed along party lines.
The bill that passed, known as House File 23, expands whistleblower protections for state employees who report fraud, waste or abuse within their state agencies. Although Minnesota has laws on the books already related to whistleblowers, lawmakers say this bill will cover fraud reporting specifically and will include workers who don't work in classified settings.
Now that the House has passed the legislation off the House floor, lawmakers will eventually have to collaborate with colleagues in the Senate, where there's also a bipartisan bill moving through committee.
"This is a great bill," said Rep. Kristin Robbins (R - Maple Grove), who chairs the new House committee on fraud prevention. "It expands protections for our state workers and ensures that people feel comfortable coming forward to report misuse of government funds."
Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL - Saint Paul) thanked Robbins for her work and praised amendments that were made to clarify language in the bill.
"We want to make sure employees receive protection when they're sharing information that can improve our programs," Pinto said, "especially when that can root out fraud or misuse."
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