1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; specifying duties and rights of executive branch 
1.3 	employees; providing remedies;amending Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, 
1.4 	section 181.932, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.5 	Statutes, chapter 43A.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [43A.015] DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEES.
1.8 	(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), executive branch state employees are 
1.9 	expected during their work hours to be nonpartisan resources to all decision makers, and to 
1.10 	provide timely, professional assistance to both executive and legislative decision makers 
1.11 	and their staff in understanding the current service and finance system and the potential 
1.12 	impact of changes on these systems. Workload concerns related to these requests shall 
1.13 	be mediated, if necessary, by management staff in a manner that does not advantage any 
1.14 	particular set of decision makers, but allows for balanced support and adequate attention 
1.15 	to the ongoing responsibilities of the agency.
1.16 	(b) If an executive branch employee's responsibilities include advocating for 
1.17 	the appointing authority's policy goals or political goals, these responsibilities must be 
1.18 	included in a position description that is available to the public. A managerial employee 
1.19 	must not request an executive branch state employee to advocate policy or political goals 
1.20 	during hours of work, except according to the employee's position description.

1.21 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 181.932, subdivision 1, is 
1.22 	amended to read:
2.1 		Subdivision 1.Prohibited action. An employer shall not discharge, discipline, 
2.2 	threaten, otherwise discriminate against, or penalize an employee regarding the employee's 
2.3 	compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment because:
2.4 	(a) the employee, or a person acting on behalf of an employee, in good faith, reports 
2.5 	a violation or suspected violation of any federal or state law or rule adopted pursuant to 
2.6 	law to an employer or to any governmental body or law enforcement official;
2.7 	(b) the employee is requested by a public body or office to participate in an 
2.8 	investigation, hearing, inquiry;
2.9 	(c) the employee refuses an employer's order to perform an action that the employee 
2.10 	has an objective basis in fact to believe violates any state or federal law or rule or 
2.11 	regulation adopted pursuant to law, and the employee informs the employer that the order 
2.12 	is being refused for that reason; 
2.13 	(d) the employee, in good faith, reports a situation in which the quality of health care 
2.14 	services provided by a health care facility, organization, or health care provider violates a 
2.15 	standard established by federal or state law or a professionally recognized national clinical 
2.16 	or ethical standard and potentially places the public at risk of harm; or
2.17 	(e) a public employee communicates the findings of a scientific or technical study 
2.18 	that the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, including reports to a 
2.19 	governmental body or law enforcement official; or
2.20 	(f) an employee in the executive branch of state government communicates 
2.21 	information that the employee, in good faith, believes to be truthful and accurate, and that 
2.22 	relates to improving services provided by the executive branch, to: (1) a legislator or an 
2.23 	employee in the legislative branch; or (2) an elected official in the executive branch.
2.24 	The disclosures protected pursuant to this section do not authorize the disclosure of data 
2.25 	otherwise protected by law.