81-2706.

Employee protections; Public Counsel; powers and duties.

(1) The Public Counsel shall receive any allegation of a violation of section 81-2705 and investigate to determine whether there are grounds to believe that a violation has occurred or is about to occur.

(2) When investigating an allegation of a violation of section 81-2705, the Public Counsel shall have access to all information maintained by any agency or employee directly or indirectly involved.

(3) If the Public Counsel terminates the investigation of an alleged violation of section 81-2705, the Public Counsel shall, in writing, promptly inform the employee who raised the allegation.

(4) If the Public Counsel finds that there are grounds to believe by a preponderance of the evidence that a violation of section 81-2705 has occurred or is about to occur, he or she shall transmit his or her finding in writing to the employee who raised the allegation. The Public Counsel shall also transmit his or her finding in writing to the Governor and (a) the State Personnel Board if the employee is employed by an agency that is subject to the State Personnel System or (b) the personnel appeals board of the employee's agency if the employee is employed by an agency that is not subject to the state personnel system. If no such personnel appeals board exists, the Public Counsel shall transmit his or her finding to the director or chief operating officer of the agency, or if the director or chief operating officer has committed or is about to commit the violation of section 81-2705, the finding shall be transmitted to the Governor or his or her authorized representative.

(5) Any finding that is made and transmitted by the Public Counsel pursuant to subsection (4) of this section shall include a finding regarding whether an alleged violation of section 81-2705 has occurred or will occur within two years after the date the employee engaged in an action for which he or she is protected from retaliation pursuant to section 81-2705.