Senate Floor Leader Corina Magofna, left, attends the Senate session on Monday. Also in the photo are Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero, Senate Clerk Doris Bermudes and Senate Legal Counsel Antonette Villagomez.
SENATE Floor Leader Corina L. Magofna has introduced Senate Bill 23-46 which aims to protect and reward whistleblowers in the government and in the community.
A similar bill, House Bill 22-83, was authored by then-Rep. Leila Staffler and was passed by the House in the 22nd Legislature, but the 22nd Senate did not act on it. Magofna was among the co-authors of H.B. 22-83.
S.B. 23-46, which is now with the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Government and Law, would provide protection to government employees who report prohibited personnel practices, and reward individuals who report underpayments of taxes.
It would prohibit government officials from threatening to take or failing to take personnel action with respect to any employee or applicant for employment because of any disclosure by the employee or applicant regarding a violation of any law, rule or regulation, gross mismanagement, gross waste of public funds, abuse of authority or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.
S.B. 23-46 would also allow the Finance secretary to pay sums, as necessary, to those who helped detect underpayments of tax levied under the laws enacted in the Commonwealth, and reward whistleblowers.
The bill states that “no contract with the Division of Revenue and Taxation is necessary for any individual to receive a reward under this section. Any individual seeking a reward under this section may be represented by counsel. No reward may be made based on information submitted to the Division unless such information is submitted under penalty of perjury.”
