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Hinkle moves to improve
state fraud investigations
Rep.
Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, introduced a bill today that would
create an Office of Inspector General and move several state agencies’
fraud investigation units under its authority.
“This legislation would bring accountability and transparency to state
government by creating more independence and consistency in how the
state investigates fraud,” said Hinkle. “Republicans have long made
state government accountability one of our top priorities. This bill,
which has bipartisan support, would help accomplish that goal.”
Each year Washington spends about $10 billion on claim benefits, mostly
in the departments of Social and Health Services, Labor and Industries,
Employment Security, Transportation and the Health Care Authority (the
agency that provides state employee and low-income health care). Because
of the large dollar amounts involved, there is a potential for fraud in
both claim eligibility and bid contracting.
Today, these state departments have their own units designed to identify
and investigate claims fraud. But Hinkle and his fellow 13th District
legislators, Sen. Joyce Mulliken, R-Ephrata, and Rep. Janéa Holmquist,
R-Moses Lake, a co-sponsor on the bill, have long been concerned that
having these units within state agencies can result in conflicting
direction and goals. The three have been working together to come up
with solutions to this problem, especially for the Department of Social
and Health Services.
“With these types of arrangements there’s always a risk that agency
politics might override the desire of agency investigators to
aggressively uncover fraud and build cases to hold people accountable,”
said Hinkle. “This bill would set up a system for truly independent,
transparent investigations and help eliminate the conflicts that can
hinder fraud investigations.”
HB 1909 would create the Office of Inspector General (OIG), consisting
of the inspector and minimal support staff. Each agency’s fraud unit
would report to the OIG, and the OIG would report directly to the
governor.
“Governor Gregoire said in her inaugural speech that she wants to hold
state government accountable,” Hinkle commented. “When people commit
claims fraud, they’re in essence stealing from the people who really
need the services our state should provide. Creating a system where we
can freely go after lawbreakers to save the state’s money is a very
practical way to attain that kind of accountability.”
Several other states, counties and cities have Office of Inspector
General divisions to oversee fraud investigations, including Florida,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as Chicago,
Illinois and Miami-Dade County, Florida.
HB 1909 was referred to the House Committee on State Government
Operations & Accountability for further consideration.
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For more information, contact:
John Handy, Assistant
Communications Director - (360) 786-5758
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