Often touted as the most expansive state whistleblowing law in the U.S., New Jersey’s seemingly boundless Conscientious Employee Protection Act (“CEPA”) may get even broader. On October 9, 2014, New Jersey’s Senate Labor Committee approved bill S768, which would expand CEPA to prohibit workplace retaliation against public employees who disclose or object to “a substantial waste of public funds by a governmental entity or... an abuse of authority or gross mismanagement.” Though the proposed amendment focuses solely on governmental misconduct, it would not be surprising if the legislature introduces a similar proposal applicable to private employees in the future.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. We’ll keep you posted. For more on recent CEPA-related developments, see our CEPA roundup.