The Minnesota Senate passed bipartisan legislation creating an independent Office of the Inspector General Thursday, establishing a new state office to protect public money in Minnesota from bad actors and criminals seeking to defraud state agencies and programs.

“One of the most important responsibilities of state government is protecting the taxpayer dollar. That’s why it’s time we create an independent watchdog for Minnesotans that will identify and investigate potential fraud,” said Senator Heather Gustafson (DFL-Vadnais Heights), who chief authored the bill. “This Office of the Inspector General is a practical solution to ensure accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility in state government.”

The bill, passed Thursday in a bipartisan vote of 60 to 7, has made 11 committee stops since being first introduced. At almost every committee hearing, the bill was co-presented by Senator Michael Kreun (R-Blaine) who served as the lead Republican co-author on the proposal.

“Minnesotans have paid far too much due to years of unaddressed waste, fraud, and abuse. They are tired of this being a constant issue, and they expect us to get this situation under control – today’s bill will create an office with the sole purpose of stopping fraud and waste before they can begin,” said Sen. Kreun. “Our role as legislators is to protect taxpayer dollars, utilize that funding responsibly, and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse from occurring. This bill takes a step towards restoring trust that Minnesotans should have in their leaders. Families deserve to know we are taking all fraud allegations seriously, and we are doing our part to mitigate future instances of waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The responsibilities of this new Independent Office of the Inspector General would include conducting investigations into any entities that receive state dollars, public or private if there is a reasonable suspicion of fraud. The office would be authorized to issue subpoenas, refer matters for civil, criminal, or administrative action, recommend legislative or policy changes, and issue public reports. A new Legislative Inspector General Advisory Commission would recommend candidates to the governor, who would then make an appointment to the position of Inspector General. This appointment must be confirmed by a three fifths vote in the Senate.

Throughout the committee process and during debate on the Senate Floor, a number of amendments were added to ensure that the new Office of the Inspector General complies with duties and responsibilities of existing Inspectors General required by federal law.

The bill now awaits action in the House of Representatives.