[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 251 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 251

   To establish an Office of Inspector General for the Medicare and 
                           Medicaid Programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 1997

Mr. Quinn (for himself, Mr. McHugh, Mr. King, Mr. Deal of Georgia, Mr. 
Holden, Mr. Fox of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Goss) introduced the following 
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, and Ways and 
 Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish an Office of Inspector General for the Medicare and 
                           Medicaid Programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Inspector General for Medicare and 
Medicaid Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MEDICARE 
              AND MEDICAID PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment as Independent Agency.--There is established as 
an independent agency in the executive branch of the Government an 
agency which shall be known as the ``Office of the Inspector General 
for the Medicare and Medicaid Programs''.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office shall be to supervise, 
oversee, and audit the medicare and medicaid programs as provided for 
under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 
et seq.).
    (c) Inspector General.--
            (1) In general.--The Office shall be under the direction 
        and control of the Inspector General for the Medicare and 
        Medicaid Programs.
            (2) Appointment.--The Inspector General shall be appointed 
        in accordance with section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 
        1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
            (3) Duties.--The Inspector General shall perform his duties 
        in accordance with the provisions of section 8G of the 
        Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).

SEC. 3. SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE 
              MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PROGRAMS.

    (a) Special Provisions.--The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
U.S.C. App.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the last two sections (each designated 
        as section 8G) appearing before section 9 as sections 8H and 
        8I, respectively;
            (2) in section 8I (as so redesignated)--
                    (A) by striking ``8D, or 8E'' and inserting ``8D, 
                8E, or 8G''; and
                    (B) by striking ``8F(a)'' and inserting ``8H(a)''; 
                and
            (3) by inserting after section 8F the following:

``special provisions relating to inspector general for the medicare and 
                           medicaid programs

    ``Sec. 8G. Duties.--In addition to other duties and 
responsibilities specified in this Act, the Inspector General for the 
Medicare and Medicaid Programs shall--
            ``(1) supervise, direct, and control all functions and 
        duties of the Office of the Inspector General for the Medicare 
        and Medicaid Programs;
            ``(2) prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse in the 
        medicare and medicaid programs as provided for under titles 
        XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et 
        seq.); and
            ``(3) coordinate all audits, investigations, inspections, 
        and other activities for the purpose of promoting economy and 
        efficiency in the administration of the medicare and medicaid 
        programs.''.
    (b) Designation of Office of Inspector General for the Medicare and 
Medicaid Programs.--Section 11 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 is 
amended in paragraph (2) by inserting ``, or Office of Inspector 
General for the Medicare and Medicaid Programs'' before ``; as the case 
may be;''.

SEC. 4. COMPENSATION.

    Section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``Inspector General for the Medicare and Medicaid Programs.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.
                                 <all>