1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to employment; modifying whistleblower protections for public employees;
1.3 amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.932, subdivision 1.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 181.932, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.6 Subdivision 1.Prohibited action.An employer shall not discharge, discipline, penalize,
1.7interfere with, threaten, restrain, coerce, or otherwise retaliate or discriminate against an
1.8employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges
1.9of employment because:
1.10 (1) the employee, or a person acting on behalf of an employee, in good faith, reports a
1.11violation, suspected violation, or planned violation of any federal or state law or common
1.12law or rule adopted pursuant to law to an employer or to any governmental body or law
1.13enforcement official;
1.14 (2) the employee is requested by a public body or office to participate in an investigation,
1.15hearing, inquiry;
1.16 (3) the employee refuses an employer's order to perform an action that the employee
1.17has an objective basis in fact to believe violates any state or federal law or rule or regulation
1.18adopted pursuant to law, and the employee informs the employer that the order is being
1.19refused for that reason;
1.20 (4) the employee, in good faith, reports a situation in which the quality of health care
1.21services provided by a health care facility, organization, or health care provider violates a
1Section 1.
25-01436 as introduced12/27/24 REVISOR SS/KR
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 475NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: MATHEWS and Dornink)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading01/21/2025
Referred to Labor 2.1standard established by federal or state law or a professionally recognized national clinical
2.2or ethical standard and potentially places the public at risk of harm;
2.3 (5) a public employee communicates the findings of a scientific or technical study that
2.4the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, including reports to a
2.5governmental body or law enforcement official; or
2.6 (6) an employee in the classified service of state government communicates information
2.7that the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, and that relates to state
2.8services, including the financing of state services, to:
2.9 (i) a legislator or the legislative auditor; or
2.10 (ii) a constitutional officer.; or
2.11 (7) a public employee, in good faith, reports gross mismanagement or a gross waste of
2.12funds to the employer, any governmental body, law enforcement official, the legislative
2.13auditor, a member of the legislature, or a constitutional officer.
2.14The disclosures protected pursuant to this section do not authorize the disclosure of data
2.15otherwise protected by law.
2Section 1.
25-01436 as introduced12/27/24 REVISOR SS/KR