Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota House Bill HF23 Compare Versions

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11 1.1 A bill for an act​
22 1.2 relating to employment; providing definitions; modifying whistleblower protections​
33 1.3 for public employees; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 181.931, by​
44 1.4 adding subdivisions; 181.932, subdivision 1.​
55 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
66 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.931, is amended by adding a subdivision​
77 1.7to read:​
8-1.8 Subd. 3a.Fraud."Fraud" means an intentional or deceptive act, or failure to act, to gain
9-1.9an unlawful benefit.​
10-1.10 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.931, is amended by adding a subdivision to​
11-1.11read:
12-1.12 Subd. 4a.Misuse."Misuse" means the improper use of authority or position for personal
13-1.13gain or to cause harm to others, including the improper use of public resources or programs
14-1.14contrary to their intended purpose.​
15-1.15 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.931, is amended by adding a subdivision to​
16-1.16read:
17-1.17 Subd. 5a.Personal gain."Personal gain" means a benefit to a person; a person's spouse,
18-1.18parent, child, or other legal dependent; or an in-law of the person or the person's child.​
19-1​Sec. 3.​
20-REVISOR SS H0023-2​HF23 SECOND ENGROSSMENT​
8+1.8 Subd. 1a.Abuse."Abuse" means actions that may, directly or indirectly, result in
9+1.9unnecessary costs to programs of a state agency or political subdivision. Abuse may involve
10+1.10paying for items or services when there is no legal entitlement to that payment.
11+1.11 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.931, is amended by adding a subdivision to
12+1.12read:
13+1.13 Subd. 3a.Fraud."Fraud" means an intentional or deliberate act to deprive another of​
14+1.14property or money or to acquire property or money by deception or other unfair means.​
15+1.15Fraud includes intentionally submitting false information to the department for the purpose
16+1.16of obtaining a greater compensation or benefit than that to which the person is legally
17+1.17entitled. Fraud also includes failure to correct errors in the maintenance of records in a​
18+1.18timely manner after a request by a state agency or political subdivision.​
19+1​Sec. 2.​
20+REVISOR SS H0023-1​HF23 FIRST ENGROSSMENT​
2121 State of Minnesota​
2222 This Document can be made available​
2323 in alternative formats upon request​
2424 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES​
2525 H. F. No. 23​
2626 NINETY-FOURTH SESSION​
2727 Authored by Robbins, Duran, Perryman, Zeleznikar, Knudsen and others​02/06/2025​
2828 The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on State Government Finance and Policy​
29-Adoption of Report: Amended and re-referred to the Committee on Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy​02/17/2025​
30-Adoption of Report: Placed on the General Register​03/06/2025​
31-Read for the Second Time​
32-Supplemental Calendar for the Day​03/10/2025​
33-Read for the Third Time​
34-Passed by the House as Amended​ 2.1 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.932, subdivision 1, is amended to read:​
35-2.2 Subdivision 1.Prohibited action.An employer shall not discharge, discipline, penalize,​
36-2.3interfere with, threaten, restrain, coerce, or otherwise retaliate or discriminate against an​
37-2.4employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges​
38-2.5of employment because:​
39-2.6 (1) the employee, or a person acting on behalf of an employee, in good faith, reports a​
40-2.7violation, suspected violation, or planned violation of any federal or state law or common​
41-2.8law or rule adopted pursuant to law to an employer or to any governmental body or law​
42-2.9enforcement official;​
43-2.10 (2) the employee is requested by a public body or office to participate in an investigation,​
44-2.11hearing, inquiry;​
45-2.12 (3) the employee refuses an employer's order to perform an action that the employee​
46-2.13has an objective basis in fact to believe violates any state or federal law or rule or regulation​
47-2.14adopted pursuant to law, and the employee informs the employer that the order is being​
48-2.15refused for that reason;​
49-2.16 (4) the employee, in good faith, reports a situation in which the quality of health care​
50-2.17services provided by a health care facility, organization, or health care provider violates a​
51-2.18standard established by federal or state law or a professionally recognized national clinical​
52-2.19or ethical standard and potentially places the public at risk of harm;​
53-2.20 (5) a public employee communicates the findings of a scientific or technical study that​
54-2.21the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, including reports to a​
55-2.22governmental body or law enforcement official; or​
56-2.23 (6) an employee in the classified service of state government a state employee​
57-2.24communicates information that the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and​
58-2.25accurate, and that relates to state services, including the financing of state services programs,​
59-2.26services, or financing, including but not limited to fraud or misuse within state programs,​
60-2.27services, or financing, to:​
61-2.28 (i) a legislator or the legislative auditor; or​
62-2.29 (ii) a constitutional officer.;​
63-2.30 (iii) an employer;​
64-2.31 (iv) any governmental body; or​
65-2.32 (v) a law enforcement official.​
29+Adoption of Report: Amended and re-referred to the Committee on Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy​02/17/2025​ 2.1 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.931, is amended by adding a subdivision to​
30+2.2read:​
31+2.3 Subd. 7.Waste."Waste" means practices that, directly or indirectly, result in unnecessary​
32+2.4costs to programs of a state agency or political subdivision, such as misusing resources.​
33+2.5 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.932, subdivision 1, is amended to read:​
34+2.6 Subdivision 1.Prohibited action.An employer shall not discharge, discipline, penalize,​
35+2.7interfere with, threaten, restrain, coerce, or otherwise retaliate or discriminate against an​
36+2.8employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges​
37+2.9of employment because:​
38+2.10 (1) the employee, or a person acting on behalf of an employee, in good faith, reports a​
39+2.11violation, suspected violation, or planned violation of any federal or state law or common​
40+2.12law or rule adopted pursuant to law to an employer or to any governmental body or law​
41+2.13enforcement official;​
42+2.14 (2) the employee is requested by a public body or office to participate in an investigation,​
43+2.15hearing, inquiry;​
44+2.16 (3) the employee refuses an employer's order to perform an action that the employee​
45+2.17has an objective basis in fact to believe violates any state or federal law or rule or regulation​
46+2.18adopted pursuant to law, and the employee informs the employer that the order is being​
47+2.19refused for that reason;​
48+2.20 (4) the employee, in good faith, reports a situation in which the quality of health care​
49+2.21services provided by a health care facility, organization, or health care provider violates a​
50+2.22standard established by federal or state law or a professionally recognized national clinical​
51+2.23or ethical standard and potentially places the public at risk of harm;​
52+2.24 (5) a public employee communicates the findings of a scientific or technical study that​
53+2.25the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, including reports to a​
54+2.26governmental body or law enforcement official; or​
55+2.27 (6) an employee in the classified service of state government communicates information​
56+2.28that the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, and that relates to state​
57+2.29services, including the financing of state services, to:​
58+2.30 (i) a legislator or the legislative auditor; or​
59+2.31 (ii) a constitutional officer.; or​
6660 2​Sec. 4.​
67-REVISOR SS H0023-2​HF23 SECOND ENGROSSMENT​ 3.1The disclosures protected pursuant to this section do not authorize the disclosure of data​
68-3.2otherwise protected by law.​
61+REVISOR SS H0023-1​HF23 FIRST ENGROSSMENT​ 3.1 (7) a public employee, in good faith, reports fraud, waste, or abuse in programs of a state​
62+3.2agency or political subdivision to the employer, a governmental body, a law enforcement​
63+3.3official, the legislative auditor, a member of the legislature, or a constitutional officer.​
64+3.4The disclosures protected pursuant to this section do not authorize the disclosure of data​
65+3.5otherwise protected by law.​
6966 3​Sec. 4.​
70-REVISOR SS H0023-2​HF23 SECOND ENGROSSMENT​
67+REVISOR SS H0023-1​HF23 FIRST ENGROSSMENT​