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PRINTER'S NO. 540
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
527
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY AUMENT, REGAN, SCARNATI, McGARRIGLE, ARGALL,
VOGEL, GORDNER, RESCHENTHALER, VULAKOVICH, FOLMER, MARTIN,
DiSANTO, WARD, YUDICHAK, RAFFERTY, MENSCH, STEFANO, SCAVELLO,
BARTOLOTTA AND BROWNE, MARCH 20, 2017
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 20, 2017
AN ACT
Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled,
"An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
Executive Department thereof and the administrative
departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
officers, and of the several administrative departments,
boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
number and compensation of the deputies and all other
assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
commissions shall be determined," establishing the Office of
State Inspector General.
The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) The prevention of fraud, waste, abuse and corruption
of the agencies of State government is an important
responsibility of the Commonwealth.
(2) The prevention of waste, fraud, abuse and corruption
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in State agencies depends in part on the development,
implementation and enforcement of sound policies and
procedures to that end.
(3) Each State agency should exercise constant vigilance
and firmly commit to the implementation and enforcement of
such policies and procedures.
(4) The establishment of a full-time program of
investigation and performance review to provide increased
accountability and oversight over State agencies best helps
deter and identify waste, fraud, abuse and illegal acts.
(5) The statutory creation of a wholly independent
office of Inspector General to conduct investigations,
inspections and other reviews in accordance with those
professional standards that relate to the fields of
investigation in governmental environments is necessary to
achieve these goals.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding an
article to read:
ARTICLE V-A
OFFICE OF STATE INSPECTOR GENERAL
Section 501-A. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Executive agency." As defined in section 102 of the act of
act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the
Commonwealth Attorneys Act.
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"Office." The Office of State Inspector General.
Section 502-A. Office of State Inspector General.
(a) Establishment.--The Office of State Inspector General is
established.
(b) Appointment.--Within 90 days of the effective date of
this section, the Governor shall nominate a State Inspector
General who shall serve for a term of six years. The nomination
of the State Inspector General shall be confirmed by the Senate
by two-thirds of all the members of the Senate. Compensation
shall be set by the Executive Board established under section
204. The State Inspector General may not serve more than two
terms.
(c) Limitation.--The State Inspector General may not seek
election nor accept appointment to a political office during his
or her tenure as State Inspector General and for one year
thereafter.
(d) Removal.--The State Inspector General may be removed by
the Governor for cause.
Section 503-A. Powers, purpose and duties.
(a) Powers.--The State Inspector General shall have the
power to:
(1) Make an investigation and report relating to the
administration of a program and operation of an executive
agency that the State Inspector General determines is
necessary. If the State Inspector General determines that a
report should be issued, the State Inspector General may
consult with the Office of General Counsel or the Attorney
General before issuing the report to insure against an
adverse impact on a grand jury proceeding or prosecution
being conducted by a law enforcement agency.
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(2) Request information or assistance necessary for
carrying out the duties and responsibilities under this
article from a Federal, State or local government agency or a
unit of a Federal, State or local government agency.
(3) Require and obtain, by written notice from an
officer and employee of an executive agency and the Executive
Department, information, documents, reports, answers,
records, accounts, papers and other necessary data and
documentary evidence.
(4) Have direct and prompt access to the heads of
executive agencies if necessary for a purpose pertaining to
the performance of functions and responsibilities under this
article.
(5) Select, appoint and employ officers and employees
necessary for carrying out the functions, powers and duties
of the office. The officers and employees shall be employed
in accordance with current procedures of the Office of
Administration and may be assigned by the State Inspector
General to a designated executive agency.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office of State Inspector
General is as follows:
(1) To deter, detect, prevent and eradicate fraud,
waste, misconduct and abuse in a program, operation and
contracting of an executive agency.
(2) To keep the head of an executive agency, the
Governor and the President pro tempore of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives fully informed about
a problem and deficiency relating to the administration of a
program, operation and contracting of an executive agency.
(3) To provide leadership, coordination and control over
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satellite Inspector General Offices in a designated executive
agency to insure a coordinated and efficient administration
of duties and use of staff. The existing Office of Inspector
General in the Department of Transportation shall continue as
a satellite Inspector General Office. Each satellite
Inspector General Office in an executive agency shall report
to and follow the direction of the State Inspector General.
(c) Duties.--The State Inspector General shall:
(1) Inspect, evaluate, investigate and review the
activities, records and individuals with contracts,
procurements, grants, agreements and other financial
arrangements undertaken by an executive agency for the
purposes of identifying fraud, waste, misconduct or abuse.
(2) Conduct criminal, civil and administrative
investigations.
(3) Make referrals to the Auditor General for the audit
of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of an executive
agency's operations and functions and conduct reviews of the
executive agency's performance measurement system.
(4) Review the reliability and validity of the
information provided by an executive agency's performance
measures and standards.
(5) Provide information and evidence that relates to
criminal acts to appropriate law enforcement officials.
(6) Receive and investigate complaints from a source or
upon the State Inspector General's own initiative concerning
alleged abuses, frauds and service deficiencies, including
deficiencies in the operation and maintenance of a facility.
(7) Engage in prevention activities, including, but not
limited to, review of legislation, rules, regulations,
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policies, procedures and transactions, training and
education.
(8) Refer matters for further civil, criminal and
administrative action to appropriate administrative and
prosecutorial agencies.
(9) Conduct joint investigations and projects with other
oversight or law enforcement agencies.
(10) Recommend remedial actions to be taken by an
executive agency to overcome or correct operating or
maintenance deficiencies and inefficiencies that were
identified by the State Inspector General.
(11) Issue public reports.
(12) Monitor implementation of recommendations made by
the State Inspector General and other audit agencies.
(13) Maintain information regarding the cost of
investigations and cooperate with appropriate administrative
and prosecutorial agencies in recovering the costs from
nongovernmental entities involved in willful misconduct.
(14) Perform other functions necessary to effectuate
this article.
Section 504-A. Request for information.
(a) Duty.--Upon request of the State Inspector General for
information or assistance, an executive agency must within 10
days furnish the information and assistance to the State
Inspector General or an authorized designee.
(b) Report.--If information or assistance requested under
subsection (a) is, in the judgment of the State Inspector
General, unreasonably refused or not provided, the State
Inspector General may report the circumstances to the head of
the agency, the Office of General Counsel, the President pro
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tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives for appropriate action.
Section 505-A. Complaint, disclosure and reprisal.
(a) Complaint.--The State Inspector General may receive and
investigate a complaint or information concerning the possible
existence of an activity in an executive agency constituting any
of the following:
(1) A violation of a law, rule or regulation.
(2) Mismanagement, fraud, waste of funds, abuse of
authority, malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance.
(3) A substantial and specific danger to the public
health and safety.
(b) Disclosure.--No person may take or threaten to take
action against an employee as a reprisal for making a complaint
or disclosing information to the State Inspector General, except
if the complaint was made or the information was disclosed with
the knowledge that the complaint or information was false or
with willful disregard for the truth or falsity of the complaint
or information.
(c) Protection.--The protections in this article for
employees who report, in good faith, fraud, waste, misconduct,
malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance or abuse shall be in
addition and supplementary to each protection provided by the
act of December 12, 1986 (P.L.1559, No.169), known as the
Whistleblower Law.
Section 506-A. Appropriation.
The appropriation for the office shall be in a separate line
item and shall be under the jurisdiction of the State Inspector
General.
Section 2. Except as otherwise provided in Article V-A of
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the act:
(1) All activities initiated by the Office of Inspector
General in existence on the effective date of this section
shall continue and remain in full force and effect and may be
completed under Article V-A of the act.
(2) Orders, regulations, rules and decisions which were
made by the Office of Inspector General in existence on the
effective date of this section and which are in effect on the
effective date of this section shall remain in full force and
effect until revoked, vacated or modified under Article V-A
of the act.
(3) Contracts, obligations and collective bargaining
agreements entered into by the Office of Inspector General in
existence on the effective date of this section are not
affected nor impaired by the addition of Article V-A of the
act.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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