[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6340521,"mediaKeyId","2259290-9bb64d6bc5eccdf8558888dcf15942c2","parentId",2259290,"title","Representative Davis lays out broad anti-fraud package; committee lays bill over for further work","audioSeconds",738,"startMs",5452000,"endMs",6190000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2259290-9bb64d6bc5eccdf8558888dcf15942c2&start=5452&end=6190","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2259290-9bb64d6bc5eccdf8558888dcf15942c2/thumbnail_5452000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6340521/Minnesota/Representative-Davis-lays-out-broad-anti-fraud-package-committee-lays-bill-over-for-further-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6340521-d026c1a38dc194481e300c7c683f3893/orig.mp4?Expires=1770922294&Signature=AfyDchXBGMt~uQ3Q~xnJR3tYTY1fGEHn30CW0EvOfSV3-r8M3eB7ZPGft3L8YoOaAPINm6fxIWrYhU9NUx5DnNYOQAqNDtcifyNsPWM2IzZVzkMdKDpz~7SMUI6MlPR8UUs66zqlv099-ZPehBjLKLq4piK6VUJwxTDjMiL5FFz3D5wNX3tlQk9gXZ34CpY6Dl6mWqpRvmuCfzY8sHiq7OMEHButOSnsCxEoQNJXuO1hEVMnkkbZZTpgqjBswE~d5ocvA2rZyLZgG-RBGC18DUA9uOSF25rw1MiSrymPu8wt1P4k~xI5PX4iif5fbxxaDXtVyzags21NwbRytTLGjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota House of Representatives","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Pat Davis presented House File 2 on Feb. 11 as a package of measures intended to prevent waste, fraud and abuse in state grantmaking and agency operations. Committee members heard agency and public testimony and agreed to lay the bill over for further work rather than advance it at the hearing.

What the bill proposes: Davis described HF2 as a sweeping measure that would require state agencies to report suspected fraud, post organizational charts online, perform unannounced in-person site visits to verify grantees’ work, require financial reconciliation of grant expenditures, and pause or terminate grants when criminal charges or convictions occur. Davis framed the bill as a response to recent high-profile fraud cases and said constituents want urgent action.

Testimony and concerns: Stacy Christiansen, deputy commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Administration and representative of the Office of Grants Management, said that many HF2 provisions align with current Office of Grants Management policy—such as requiring policy frameworks and withholding funds when progress reports are missing—but warned that some changes would be difficult for small entities and that mandating unannounced visits and immediate criminal‑related suspensions could create operational and legal hurdles. Christiansen recommended working with agencies to refine language and implementation timelines.

Public testimony: Two public testifiers spoke in support of stronger anti-fraud measures. Dale Witherington of Restore Minnesota urged the committee to “please support HF2 as a beginning to cleaning up the financial mess Minnesota is in.” Kendall Qualls, a Medina resident, called for bipartisan urgency to address fraud and said constituents expect action.

Committee action: The committee adopted an author’s amendment (A4) to put the bill into the author’s preferred form and then laid HF2 over for further drafting and amendment rather than voting to send it to another committee. Members said they would return to HF2 with technical edits and to resolve concerns about scope, data classification, and the operational impact on small grantees.

Ending: Chair Nash said the panel would reconvene on the bill at a later date; members and agency staff asked for more time to craft precise language that balances stronger oversight with operational practicality.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House State Government Finance and Policy Committee 2/11/25","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Pat Davis presented House File 2, a broad anti-fraud package that would require agency reporting, organizational charts online, unannounced site visits and grant verification. The committee received testimony and laid the bill over for further drafting and amendment work.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6340526,"Committee advances bill to extend whistleblower protection to reporting of waste, fraud and abuse",1166,4294000,5460000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2259290-9bb64d6bc5eccdf8558888dcf15942c2&start=4294&end=5460","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2259290-9bb64d6bc5eccdf8558888dcf15942c2/thumbnail_4294000.jpg","/articles/6340526/Minnesota/Committee-advances-bill-to-extend-whistleblower-protection-to-reporting-of-waste-fraud-and-abuse","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6340526-4bcee6275a656391c6f7b1a69d649ab4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770922294&Signature=I1jCuZCL4XK5OU3s8wyra19AkHDB8W0B9TZjN4z5hZ3v2A7mwqTcf0SsOBpQ7XIDwXJrLlFpkLVUCV-jWoKiEqJ8cuT2WvAiE7sAM9RFOZ~Nlq6xoemcnBBltEwMfBjLQviIEUx5pB-shnzU8b0bbMOd7Tozrm12CmTHrs7Yy6vwQu7ZVm1rnZw-ckX037Ah0wZ26UE4iK4QPig-ab~hJkSrDPHNGH0dnqnjlPBFhx~xxD8kimuVydFZfgJSseaT~xNeHEQ~O-7CH6EHH2Rz82er~icyvk9tle~NRGX0M0v4uc1i5x-J7ocZE8w7eORiRCTcU1-fYEslZsvN9a0gjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The State Government Finance and Policy Committee on Feb. 11 adopted an author’s amendment and approved House File 23, a bill from Representative Pam Robbins that expands whistleblower protections to explicitly cover reporting of waste, fraud and abuse in state programs. The committee referred the bill to the Workforce, Labor and Economic Development Committee.

Why it matters: Supporters said extending explicit statutory protection will encourage state employees to report suspected misuse of public funds to legislators, the legislative auditor or law enforcement without fear of retaliation. Robbins told the committee the bill “is a bipartisan effort to protect state employees” and aligns statutory definitions with existing statute in the Office of Inspector General’s chapter.

What happened in committee: Robbins moved the A1 author's amendment to align definitions with Minn. Stat. 127A.21 and the amendment was adopted. Testimony included labor and state-employee representatives urging broader coverage. Devin Bruce, director of legislative and political affairs for the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), supported the bill but recommended expanding protections to ‘‘all public employees at all levels of government’’ by amending subdivision 6 of the Whistleblower Act, noting the bill as written would extend new protections only to classified state employees.

Legal and data concerns: Bruce and some members raised questions about the interaction between whistleblower protections and data classification under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (chapter 13). Bruce noted that grant applications and contract records can contain nonpublic or proprietary data and that reporting such information carries disclosure risks. He recommended that identity protections for employees who report under the expanded sections be treated as private data.

Action: The committee adopted the author’s amendment (A1) and then approved the bill on a roll-call vote; committee minutes record the final tally as 7 yes, 6 no. The bill will move to Workforce, Labor and Economic Development for further consideration. Members indicated several technical and data‑classification issues remain to be resolved in subsequent committee stops.

Ending: Representative Robbins said she will work with stakeholders in the labor committee to address concerns about data classification and coverage so the statute protects employees who report actual instances of waste, fraud or abuse while respecting existing data-privacy rules.","House File 23, authored by Rep. Robbins, adds definitions of waste, fraud and abuse to the whistleblower statute and was advanced by the committee after adopting an author's amendment. Supporters urged broader coverage for all public employees; opponents said data-privacy and classification questions remain.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6340531,"Committee advances bill to publish OLA recommendation implementation rates, sends it to Ways and Means",3597,663000,4260000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2259290-9bb64d6bc5eccdf8558888dcf15942c2&start=663&end=4260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2259290-9bb64d6bc5eccdf8558888dcf15942c2/thumbnail_663000.jpg","/articles/6340531/Minnesota/Committee-advances-bill-to-publish-OLA-recommendation-implementation-rates-sends-it-to-Ways-and-Means","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6340531-7d5310efc707be0f28ec9b9f90eb6f7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770922294&Signature=AwV9in4yCAtwZDW96-pwBxrqpCKc1jBoP~4lOSxWFQtZ-D820ZYqxQ82s8FFBmlb5r0EEIWJ1jxSoIDcKEoTWJrEDQaNLH7AyZsH4qJMVmiWRG6UenGoFCLQ3hFBy1yuvDEhxo11hPhIitkyLU5AqA0Ws5ZuKqS6FAL9wU7Sh9tZSPpPfB48uVOo7lUpANP2~JAzVpxBWo7VtDKhVvjntONyxwq4~ukHBvonyhswGUDc~Ta-OmWOCcwcYywtOti7F24gQuEHZenNL83tIwDLvkA8qMkfFaYGLlL3gNWf~CHeJFxLPDRBQrPcoWlE6YO95ZaRKS4HJvlqhfgmmkfUhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The State Government Finance and Policy Committee on Feb. 11 advanced House File 3, a proposal from Chair Jim Nash to require the Office of the Legislative Auditor to compile and deliver to legislative committees a matrix showing how many OLA recommendations each agency has implemented.

The measure, which Nash said is aimed at reducing “waste, fraud and abuse,” was amended and then referred to the House Ways and Means Committee following a roll-call vote. The committee adopted an author’s amendment (A6) that Nash said aligns the bill with conversations he and Senate sponsors had in the other body, and a subsequent A7 amendment that adds an appropriation matching the bill’s fiscal note.

Why it matters: Nash and supporters said the matrix would give chairs and members earlier, clearer information about agency internal controls before legislators decide on funding. Nash said the tool is intended to “make waste, fraud, and abuse less possible and less rampant in our state” by surfacing agency follow-through on OLA recommendations. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall said the OLA already collects implementation information and that a regular, standardized report would help committees, but acknowledged the office currently relies in part on agency self-attestation and would need additional resources to independently confirm agency claims.

What committee members debated: Randall told the committee that OLA’s update report shows categories for implemented, partially implemented, and not implemented recommendations, and that some entries reflect self‑attestation because OLA lacks the resources for full confirmation. “Given our limited resources, we are not able to independently confirm a lot of the information they provide to us,” Randall said during testimony.

Supporters called the bill a preventive tool. Rhianna Lee, legislative and coalitions director for the Americans for Prosperity–Minnesota chapter, testified: “This bill requires the OLA to provide an annual report to legislators highlighting whether agencies are acting on recommendations related to improving financial practices, internal controls and overall management.”

Members raised limits and risks. Representative Freiberg and others warned the proposal could give disproportionate weight to OLA recommendations—especially program-evaluation “should” recommendations that are not black-letter law—and asked whether OLA staff have subject-matter expertise for every recommendation. Randall replied that program evaluators are generalists skilled in policy research and that recommendations are grounded in standards and best practices, but conceded program-evaluation findings can be more open to discussion than compliance-focused financial audits. Representative Kraft urged the committee to avoid turning the matrix into an inspection regime that prizes a single score over context. Representative Cleavern (Lehi Cleburne) questioned whether chairs would rely on the matrix instead of doing oversight themselves and said the proposal needs a larger fiscal note and added staffing for agencies and OLA to make follow-up meaningful.

Actions and amendments: Chair Nash moved HF3 and the A6 author’s amendment; the committee adopted the author’s amendment by voice vote. Representative Clardy moved and the committee adopted the A7 amendment, which added a general‑fund appropriation to match the fiscal note. A motion to re-refer the bill to the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee failed. A subsequent roll-call motion to re-refer to the Committee on Ways and Means prevailed (tally recorded in committee as 7 yes, 6 no), and the bill will move to Ways and Means as amended.

What remains: Auditors and several members said changes would be needed to ensure the report distinguishes legally mandatory recommendations from discretionary “best practice” suggestions and to confirm OLA’s ability to verify implementation rather than rely on self-reporting. Those resource and classification questions will likely be revisited as the bill proceeds.

Ending: The committee advanced HF3 with bipartisan and partisan support, sending a version that includes the A6 author’s amendment and an A7 appropriation to Ways and Means for further consideration.","The State Government Finance and Policy Committee advanced House File 3, a package requiring the Office of the Legislative Auditor to assemble agency recommendation-implementation data for legislators, approving the author's amendments and sending the bill to Ways and Means after a roll-call vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Representative Davis lays out broad anti-fraud package; committee lays bill over for further work

Committee advances bill to extend whistleblower protection to reporting of waste, fraud and abuse

Committee advances bill to publish OLA recommendation implementation rates, sends it to Ways and Means