SB 359 Summary

• Extends whistleblower protections to employees of businesses receiving state financial assistance under Title 32, allowing them to report corruption, mismanagement, and gross waste of funds to the Auditors of Public Accounts.

• Prohibits retaliation against employees of state agencies, quasi-public agencies, large state contractors ($5 million+ contracts), and state shellfish grounds lessees who disclose information about wrongdoing to auditors, the Attorney General, or internal compliance officers.

• Establishes a complaint process before human rights referees for alleged retaliatory personnel actions, with remedies including reinstatement, back pay, benefits restoration, attorneys' fees, and other damages if violation is found.

• Creates a rebuttable presumption that personnel actions taken within two years of a whistleblower disclosure are retaliatory, shifting burden to the employer to prove otherwise.

• Requires all relevant contracts and employers to post notices of whistleblower protections and imposes civil penalties of up to $5,000 per offense (maximum 20% of contract value) for contractor retaliation.