In recent years, we have seen an increase in corporate fraud in state-administered programs. These deceptive organizations jeopardize the ability of our agencies to provide needed services to the individuals who rely on them to live with dignity in their communities. 

As your state senator, I am proud of the work we’ve done so far to root out corporate fraud and increase program integrity, including passing law that:

Codify federal anti-kickback laws – which make it illegal to profit materially or financially from referrals, purchasing, or applying relating to Human Services programs – into state statute so that state prosecutors can address fraud previously in federal jurisdiction. 

Increase oversight for recovery residences (formerly known as sober homes) and access to housing funding

Implement a prepayment review process for fee-for-services claims so that agency staff can review claims for any signs of fraud, waste, or abuse before releasing funding

Funding for grant administration oversight and establishment of a new team at the Department of Administration to carry out program integrity measures

With these new measures in place we are catching fraudulent actors and preventing abuse of our public programs. As we look to the future and we work to protect our essential programs and services that serve some of our most vulnerable Minnesotans, there’s always more that can be done to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse while ensuring services aren’t disrupted. This includes:

Ensuring that government services are administered by the government, not private companies looking to profit

Streamlining the process that determines eligibility for a service or program through the state instead of the counties

Embedding funding for oversight into the legislation and alleviating the financial burden for lead agencies tasked with implementing programs