State Senator Gayle Slossberg
April 30, 2008
Slossberg: Bill Approved in Senate Helps Protect Important Agency Watchdogs
Led by state Senator Gayle Slossberg (D-Milford), chair of the Government Administration & Elections Committee, the Connecticut Senate today approved legislation that will extend greater protections for individuals who blow the whistle on corruption, unethical practices, violations of state law or regulations, mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or danger to public safety.
"Courageous whistleblowers play a vital role in public investigations and they should have our full support," Senator Slossberg said. "Connecticut has suffered from scandals in the recent past. Whistleblowers help to sustain investigations, but they are vulnerable to retaliation, intimidation and threatening from those who wish to impede or cripple an investigation. This legislation provides additional protections that will serve to protect whistleblowers and encourage those who witness corrupt actions to file a report. This is a positive step for accountable and honest government, and I urge my colleagues in the House to take swift action on this measure."
The Senate approved the measure in a 32-to-4 vote.
Specifically, the proposal:
- Extends the time that whistleblowers have to file complaints of retaliation from 30 to 90 days;
- Extends, from one to three years, the period in which there is a rebuttable presumption that negative personnel actions against whistleblowers are retaliatory;
- Expands the rebuttal presumption to protect individuals who are retaliated against for making internal disclosures;
- Authorizes the attorney general to join certain retaliation proceedings before the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO);
- Extends protections to employees of large state contractors who report violations to the contractor, rather than just to the state agency;
- Allows whistleblowers to amend their complaints in light of subsequent retaliatory incidents and allows hearing officers to grant temporary equitable relief while in the course of a CHRO proceeding;
- Requires hearing officers to send findings of retaliation to the agency head and the supervisor of the person who committed the offense; and
- Protects individuals from civil liability for all good-faith disclosures.
The legislation-Senate Bill 335-now moves to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
The 2008 regular legislative session adjourns on May 7.
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