WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                   Ch. 232

(B) Nothing in this subtitle shall abridge any action for
defamation or invasion of privacy.

12G.

(a)  (1) Unless a disclosure is specifically prohibited by
law, an appointing authority may not take or refuse to take a
personnel action with respect to an employee or applicant for
employment as a reprisal for any disclosure of information, or
for seeking of any remedy provided by this subtitle, by the
employee or applicant for classified employment which disclosure
the employee or applicant reasonably believes evidences:

(i) A violation of any law, rule, or
regulation;

[(ii) Gross mismanagement, gross waste of
funds, or abuse of authority; or]

(II) MISMANAGEMENT, A PATTERN OF MISMANAGEMENT,
OR GROSS MISMANAGEMENT;

(III) GROSS WASTE OF FUNDS OR ABUSE OF

AUTHORITY; OR

[(iii)](IV) (III) A substantial and specific
danger to public health or safety.

(2)  This subtitle provides remedies which are
supplemental to ordinary State employee grievance procedures
prescribed by this article and rules and regulations promulgated
thereto.

(3)  This section does not prohibit any personnel
action which otherwise would have been taken regardless of any
disclosure of information.

(b)  An employee or applicant for employment shall have the
same protections provided in subsection (a) of this section
regarding any disclosure which is specifically prohibited by law
if the disclosure is made exclusively to the Attorney General as
provided in § 12J of this subtitle.

12H.

(a)  The Secretary of Personnel shall develop rules and
procedures for the handling and resolution of allegations of
violations of this subtitle.

(b) (1) An employee or applicant for employment may charge
an appointing authority with a violation of § 12G of this
subtitle in a complaint filed :

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