BILL REQ. #: H-3528.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/18/12. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & Human Services.
AN ACT Relating to providing for reward for reporting public assistance fraud; and amending RCW 74.04.012.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 74.04.012 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 42 s 22 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) There is established an office of fraud and accountability
within the department for the purpose of detection, investigation, and
prosecution of any act prohibited or declared to be unlawful in the
public assistance programs administered by the department. The
secretary will employ qualified supervisory, legal, and investigative
personnel for the program. Program staff must be qualified by training
and experience.
(2) The director of the office of fraud and accountability is the
head of the office and is selected by the secretary and must
demonstrate suitable capacity and experience in law enforcement
management, public administration, and criminal investigations. The
director of the office of fraud and accountability shall:
(a) Report directly to the secretary; and
(b) Ensure that each citizen complaint, employee complaint, law
enforcement complaint, and agency referral is assessed and, when risk
of fraud or abuse is present, is fully investigated, and is referred
for prosecution or recovery when there is substantial evidence of
wrongdoing.
(3) The office shall:
(a) Conduct independent and objective investigations into
allegations of fraud and abuse, make appropriate referral to law
enforcement when there is substantial evidence of criminal activity,
and recover overpayment whenever possible and to the greatest possible
degree;
(b) Recommend policies, procedures, and best practices designed to
detect and prevent fraud and abuse, and to mitigate the risk for fraud
and abuse and assure that public assistance benefits are being used for
their statutorily stated goals;
(c) Analyze cost-effective, best practice alternatives to the
current cash benefit delivery system consistent with federal law to
ensure that benefits are being used for their intended purposes; and
(d) Use best practices to determine appropriate utilization and
deployment of investigative resources, ensure that resources are
deployed in a balanced and effective manner, and use all available
methods to gather evidence necessary for proper investigation and
successful prosecution.
(4) By December 31, 2011, the office shall report to the
legislature on the development of the office, identification of any
barriers to meeting the stated goals of the office, and recommendations
for improvements to the system and laws related to the prevention,
detection, and prosecution of fraud and abuse in public assistance
programs.
(5) The office shall establish a rewards program for reporting
fraud as defined in RCW 74.04.004. The program must include a reward
component for a private individual when the individual's reporting of
fraud results in a conviction under RCW 9.91.140, 9.91.142, 9.91.144,
9A.56.030, and 74.08.331. The reward may be up to fifty percent of the
amount determined to be fraudulent. The office may include a
determination that a reward be apportioned between persons. Once the
office authorizes a payment of reward, the identity of the person or
persons providing the report must be kept confidential.