Minnesota House Passes Bill to Create State Government Watchdog Office

The Minnesota House of Representatives recently passed a measure to create an Office of the Inspector General to serve as an independent watchdog over Minnesota state and local government agencies.

In a 127-5 vote, the Minnesota House members approved the bill nearly one year to the day after the state’s Senate approved a companion bill.

According to a statement from the Minnesota House of Representatives, the office will be fully operational by Sept. 1, 2027, and will oversee current agency-based inspectors general as well as investigating credible allegations of fraud or misuse in state-administered programs. The office will be an independent entity in the executive branch, with the inspector general reporting directly to the state’s governor.

As of Jan. 1, 2028, the office would have the authority to appoint licensed peace officers and establish a law enforcement agency known as the Inspector General Anti-Fraud and Waste Bureau. This agency would conduct statewide investigations and make arrests, with fraud and misuse as its primary focus.

According to the House of Representatives, the bill prescribes 10 specific inspector general duties beyond investigating fraud in state programs. For example:

• establishing standards and best practices concerning the operation, investigations, and fraud prevention processes of agency inspectors general;
• alerting relevant state agencies when there is a credible allegation of fraud or misuse;
• facilitating information sharing between agencies and coordinating investigations involving multiple agencies;
• investigating a private entity or local unit of government administering a state program, or any private recipient of state funds or services, to ensure proper use of state funds;
• issuing public reports detailing completed investigations and corrective actions; and
• maintaining a list that includes each program and individual for which the inspector general has obtained a court order or made a recommendation to freeze or cease payment.

“This is a powerful office meant to address a critical concern: fraud against our public programs. Fraud in any form is unacceptable, and we should have zero tolerance for it here in Minnesota,” said Rep. Matt Norris. “ … This bill will help send a clear message that the days of defrauding Minnesota’s public programs is over.”