Bill > HF1

This bill establishes a new Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the legislative branch to investigate and combat suspected fraud, misuse, and unlawful use of public funds across state government. The inspector general will be appointed by the Legislative Audit Commission for a six-year term and will have broad powers to investigate state agencies, including the ability to subpoena witnesses, access confidential data, and recommend sanctions against recipients of state funds. Key provisions include physically embedding inspector general staff in several major state departments, creating a public hotline and website for reporting suspected fraud, and requiring mandatory reporting of potential misuse of public funds by state employees. The bill also transfers existing inspector general functions from the Departments of Education, Human Services, and Children, Youth, and Families to this new centralized office, while preserving certain specialized investigative roles within those departments. The inspector general must work complementarily with the legislative auditor, submit annual reports to the Legislative Audit Commission, and is prohibited from engaging in partisan political activities. Whistleblower protections are included to prevent retaliation against individuals who report potential fraud or misconduct.

Budget and Finance, Education, Government Affairs, Justice, Labor and Employment

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0001&ssn=0&y=2025