Bill > SF1219

This bill establishes a centralized Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the legislative branch to investigate and combat fraud, waste, and abuse in state government. The bill creates a new position of Inspector General who will be appointed by the Legislative Audit Commission for a six-year term and will be responsible for embedding assistant inspectors general in several key state departments, including Children, Youth, and Families; Corrections; Education; Employment and Economic Development; Health; Human Services; and Labor and Industry. The Inspector General will develop a statewide fraud reporting hotline, establish procedures for investigating tips, and have broad powers to access government data, subpoena witnesses, and impose temporary sanctions on recipients of state funds when fraud is suspected. The bill requires state agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected and to prominently display the fraud reporting hotline on their websites. Additionally, the bill abolishes existing agency-based Inspector General offices and transfers their investigations and resources to the new centralized office. The goal is to create a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to detecting and preventing fraud in state government, with the Inspector General required to report documented fraud amounts to the Legislative Audit Commission and relevant legislative committees, who may then consider reducing the agency's budget by the same amount.

Government Affairs

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF1219&ssn=0&y=2025