3-16-9. Retaliation prohibited for reporting violations, abuse, or danger to public.

No department, bureau, board, or commission of the state or any of its political subdivisions may dismiss, suspend from employment, demote, decrease the compensation of, or take any other retaliatory action against an employee because the employee reports in good faith to an appropriate authority a violation or suspected violation of a law or rule, an abuse of funds or abuse of authority, or substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, unless the report is specifically prohibited by law. The provisions of this section do not apply to any employee who knows the report is false or was made in a reckless disregard for the truth. A state employee who is the subject of retaliation under this section may file a grievance with the Civil Service Commission pursuant to § 3-6D-22. For purposes of an employee of a political subdivision, an appropriate authority includes any human resources department of that political subdivision, if any, any state's attorney, or the attorney general.

Source: SL 2017, ch 25, § 1.