Minnesota lawmakers took several steps this spring to counter recent fraud cases targeting social service programs, including creating a new independent Office of the Inspector General.

Lawmakers and good-government groups say the new office was the most noteworthy safeguard approved during the legislative session. It will be tasked with investigating misuse of state funds, and some inspectors currently monitoring specific departments will transfer to the new agency.

Matt Ehling, a board member of Minnesotans for Open Government, said the law that passed was stronger than a version debated last year.

“The ambit of the office is broad and it should be broad just to make sure that they can track down issues in any part of a human services spending area or other areas of state government,” Ehling said.

The Office of the Inspector General will be allowed to have its own in-house law enforcement arm and is scheduled to be up and running in late 2027. Lawmakers will come up with a list of candidates to lead the office, and the governor will appoint someone from that group early next year.

The Legislature also set aside funding to modernize aging IT equipment used by social services staff, with the goal of better detecting fraud.

Ehling also praised lawmakers for removing a provision that would have blocked public disclosure when funding is withheld from a vendor suspected of fraud.

“The public should understand how their tax dollars are being used at every level through the process,” he said.

The law in question was enacted last year, and lawmakers strengthened it this spring. That includes removing a 60-day cap for placing payments on hold.

In cases involving human services vendors, teams will be created to avoid disrupting care for people served by a provider that is under scrutiny.

The actions come as sentencing takes place this week for the mastermind of the high-profile Feeding Our Future case.

Source: Public News Service