MS HB208

Creates the Mississippi Whistleblower Reward Act, establishing a program where whistleblowers receive 15% of successfully recovered government funds or property, capped at $250,000 per recovery.

Requires whistleblowers to provide original information and substantial evidence of theft or misuse of government funds, cooperate with the Department of Audit, not participate in the fraud, and not be current audit department employees or elected officials.

Allows the Department of Audit to recover whistleblower rewards and investigation vendor costs from liable parties, sureties, and entities receiving illegal expenditures who knew or should have known of the illegality.

Protects whistleblower identity as confidential and exempts communications between whistleblowers and the Department of Audit from public records disclosure, except in cases where a judge determines disclosure is necessary for defendant fairness or contains exculpatory evidence.

Applies only to whistleblower evidence submitted after the act's effective date of July 1, 2025, and amends Section 25-61-12 to exempt Department of Audit communications with whistleblowers from the Mississippi Public Records Act.