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News Release
House Republicans Unveil Legislation to Combat Fraud in State Programs
St. Paul, MN – In a bold move to increase accountability and protect taxpayer dollars, House Reoublicans have introduced a series of bills aimed at curbing fraud, waste, and abuse in state programs. Representative Jim Nash (R-Waconia), Representative Ben Davis (R-Merrifield), and Representative Patti Anderson (R-Dellwood) chief-author the bills, which will each have their first hearings in the coming weeks.
House File 3 (Nash) establishes “fraud notes,” a groundbreaking tool to assess the susceptibility of proposed legislation to fraud. Similar to fiscal notes, fraud notes would provide lawmakers with an evaluation of potential fraud risks before enacting new programs or policies.
“We’ve all seen what happens when we fail to anticipate vulnerabilities in our systems,” said Nash. “Fraud notes will ensure that every new initiative is rigorously examined for risk, protecting Minnesotans from unnecessary losses.”
House File 2 (Davis) strengthens fraud prevention by mandating stricter reporting requirements for state agencies and equipping them with additional tools to identify and prevent fraudulent activities. This bill emphasizes transparency and swift action to address fraud concerns.
“Minnesota taxpayers deserve to know their hard-earned dollars are being used wisely,” said Davis. “House File 2 will empower agencies to take proactive steps to prevent fraud and hold bad actors accountable.”
House File 1 (Anderson) establishes a centralized Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to lead the fight against fraud across state programs. The bill consolidates agency-based inspector general offices into a unified entity, requires agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected, and mandates the creation of a fraud reporting hotline. Additionally, it provides funding to ensure the new OIG has the resources to be effective.
“Minnesota needs a centralized, independent office to root out fraud and restore trust in our government,” said Anderson. “House File 1 is a comprehensive solution to protect taxpayers and ensure accountability at all levels.”
The authors emphasized the urgency of addressing systemic vulnerabilities in state programs, particularly in the wake of recent high-profile cases of fraud, and called for bipartisan support to enact these measures and safeguard public funds.
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