Senate Bill 947 (SB 947) – which provides the same whistleblower protections afforded to state employees to the employees of private entities that hold contracts over $5 million dollars with the state – empowers employees to report any improper activities without fear of repercussion or retaliation.
“SB 947 is a vital step in bolstering public trust in government and offers key, common-sense protections to the brave whistleblowers who put public safety above their own self-interests,” Wilk said. “I am very pleased to have the support of my Senate colleagues.”
The bill was inspired by whistleblowers who, in the midst of a pandemic, put their own financial security on the line to report the dangerous mismanagement of the PerkinElmer COVID testing lab in Valencia, according to Wilk.
The lab not only failed to meet the testing quotas it promised in exchange for a $1.7 billion state contract, but its failings also included tests that were inaccurate and overseen by unlicensed staff.
“The Valencia Lab fiasco was exposed by whistleblowers, and eventually the lab’s contract was quietly canceled—a testament to the importance of the role of whistleblowers in exposing problems,” concluded Wilk. “SB 947 will now move to the California State Assembly.”
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