SB 1488 Summary

• Revises the "Florida Public Whistleblower's Act" to expand protected activity to include reporting violations of law creating danger to public health/safety, gross mismanagement, malfeasance, misfeasance, gross misconduct, gross waste of public funds, Medicaid fraud/abuse, and gross neglect of duty to appropriate agencies or supervisory officials.

• Defines "retaliatory action" as discharge, suspension, transfer, demotion, bonus withholding, salary/benefit reduction, or other adverse action that would dissuade a reasonable employee from reporting protected activity; creates exemptions for persons who committed the violation being reported and persons in state correctional custody.

• Requires whistleblower complaints to be submitted in written, signed form to supervisory officials, Chief Inspector General, agency inspector general, inspectors general, Florida Commission on Human Relations, or appropriate federal/local government entities; information disclosed to other persons does not qualify for protection.

• Extends complaint filing deadline from 60 to 90 days for state agency employees and independent contractor employees; extends investigation timelines from 60 to 90 days for agency inspector generals and Chief Inspector General to submit final reports.

• Establishes new termination procedures where Florida Commission on Human Relations must issue either "termination for no cause" or "termination with cause" (after 60-day resolution attempt), allowing complainants to pursue civil action within 180 days or file with Public Employees Relations Commission at least 60 days after termination notice.