SECTIONS 8548-8548.5 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 8548-8548.5

8548. For purposes of this article, "state agency" means every
state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, and
commission, including the California State University and the
University of California.

8548.1. No later than April 1, 2002, the State Auditor shall
prepare for state employees a written explanation of the California
Whistleblower Protection Act contained in Article 3 (commencing with
Section 8547). The explanation shall include, but not be limited to,
the following information:
(a) Instructions on how to contact the State Auditor by mail or
telephone.
(b) A general overview of improper governmental activities and
examples of three of the most common types of improper governmental
activities that may be reported to the State Auditor.
(c) Examples of two of the most commonly reported governmental
activities that the State Auditor does not have authority to
investigate.
(d) An explanation of whistleblower protection available to state
employees who report improper governmental activities to the State
Auditor.
(e) The requirement that the State Auditor protect the anonymity
of a person who reports improper governmental activity to the State
Auditor.
(f) The State Auditor's authority in connection with violations of
law discovered during an investigation of improper governmental
activities.

8548.2. The State Auditor shall prepare for distribution to each
state agency in an electronic format a notice containing the
information in the written explanation prepared pursuant to Section
8548.1. No later than July 1, 2002, each state agency shall print and
post this notice at its state office or offices in a location or
locations where employee notices are maintained. A state agency shall
not edit the written text of the notice but it may publish the
notice in a manner it chooses, and it may include its own
introductory language in the notice, provided that the language and
the format selected do not alter the meaning of the notice.

8548.3. On July 1, 2002, and annually thereafter, every state
agency shall send the information contained in the notice by
electronic mail to its employees who have authorized access to
electronic mail from the agency.

8548.4. The State Auditor shall post the information described in
Section 8548.1 on the Web site of the Bureau of State Audits.

8548.5. The intentional failure of a state agency to comply with
any provision of this article shall constitute an improper
governmental activity for purposes of Article 3 (commencing with
Section 8547).