Bill would protect and reward people who report corruption

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would create a protection statute for corruption whistleblowers, including a reward of 10% of the recovered money, and an independent authority to handle reports.
2. Public and private entities would have to set up internal reporting channels. These would have to accept anonymous reports and respond to the whistleblower within a maximum of three months.
3. The bill would create the Independent Authority for the Protection of Corruption Whistleblowers, with powers to investigate, handle reports, protect whistleblowers and impose sanctions. Its president would be elected by the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) by a three-fifths majority, for a non-renewable six-year term.
4. Anyone could report to the Authority through a confidential channel, including anonymously. The Authority would have fifteen days to decide to open proceedings and a maximum of three months, extendable to six, for the preliminary review of the facts.
5. Whistleblowers who meet the requirements would be entitled to confidentiality, free legal advice, indemnity, compensation and the 10% reward on recovered money. Retaliatory decisions would be void unless it is proven they are unrelated to the report.
6. The bill would define offenses with fines from 200 to 400,000 euros, for example obstructing investigations, failing to comply with protection measures or filing knowingly false reports.

Who it affects

• People working in the public or private sector who learn of wrongdoing that harms public funds: They could report confidentially or anonymously and receive protection, advice and a reward
• Private entities with 50 or more employees, turnover or annual balance of 10 million euros or more, or in financial services or vulnerable to money laundering: They would have to create internal reporting channels
• Journalists and the media: They would be protected when publishing information from their sources about corruption
• Public authorities and employees: They would have to report known wrongdoing to the Authority and could be sanctioned
• Autonomous Communities and Cities with a Statute of Autonomy: They would have to set up their own protection body or sign an agreement with the Authority within one year

Words worth knowing

Indemnidad (indemnity)

A guarantee that the whistleblower will suffer no harm to their job or career for having reported

Erario público (public treasury)

The money and resources of public administrations

Multas coercitivas (coercive fines)

Repeated fines used to force someone to comply with an order

Proposición de ley (bill)

A text by which a parliamentary group proposes a law; it is not an approved law until it goes through the legislative process and is voted on

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries