[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 305 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 305

 To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to establish an Office of 
                  Inspector General Oversight Council.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 1999

  Mr. Towns introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to establish an Office of 
                  Inspector General Oversight Council.

    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 ``Office of Inspector General 
Oversight Council Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL OVERSIGHT COUNCIL.

    The Inspector General Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-452; 5 U.S.C. 
App.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 13. OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL OVERSIGHT COUNCIL.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established as an independent 
establishment in the executive branch a council to be known as the 
`Office of Inspector General Oversight Council' (in this section 
referred to as the `Council'), the purpose of which shall be to oversee 
and review the actions and activities of the Offices of Inspector 
General of establishments and designated Federal entities.
    ``(b) Composition; Qualifications.--(1) The Council shall be 
composed of seven members (in this section referred to as the 
`Members'), who shall be appointed as follows:
            ``(A) One member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives.
            ``(B) One member shall be appointed by the minority leader 
        of the House of Representatives.
            ``(C) One member shall be appointed by the majority leader 
        of the Senate.
            ``(D) One member shall be appointed by the minority leader 
        of the Senate.
            ``(E) Three members shall be selected jointly by the 
        Inspectors General of establishments and designated Federal 
        entities.
    ``(2) Members shall be appointed from among--
            ``(A) Inspectors General of establishments and designated 
        Federal entities; and
            ``(B) private United States citizens.
    ``(c) Appointment; Staggering of Terms.--(1) Except as provided in 
paragraph (4), Members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. Any 
vacancy in the Council shall be filled in the same manner as the 
original appointment.
    ``(2) Members shall be limited to service of 2 terms on the 
Council.
    ``(3) All appointments to the Council shall be made not later than 
90 days after the date of the enactment of the Office of Inspector 
General Oversight Council Act of 1999.
    ``(4) Members initially appointed to the Council under 
subparagraphs (A) through (D) of subsection (b)(1) shall be so 
appointed for a term of two years.
    ``(d) Duties.--The duties of the Council shall be as follows:
            ``(1) To hear and investigate complaints with respect to 
        decisions and actions of Offices of Inspector General regarding 
        fraud and abuse in programs and operations of establishments 
        and other designated Federal entities and other activities 
        prohibited by law, rule, or regulation.
            ``(2) To issue recommendations and advice regarding such 
        complaints.
            ``(3) In hearing and investigating such complaints, to 
        provide a means by which information regarding fraud and abuse, 
        violations of law, rules, or regulations, mismanagement, waste 
        of funds, abuse of authority, or danger to public health or 
        safety may be disclosed without fear of retaliation or 
        disclosure of the identity of the person bringing the 
        complaint.
    ``(e) Pay of Members.--Members of the Council shall not be paid by 
reason of their work on the Council.
    ``(f) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Council shall be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the Council.
    ``(g) Information.--The Council may secure directly from any 
department or agency of the United States information that the Council 
considers necessary to enable the Council to carry out its 
responsibilities under this Act.
    ``(h) Cooperation From Government Officials.--In carrying out its 
duties, any United States Government official responsible for providing 
the Council with information necessary for the fulfillment of its 
responsibilities shall cooperate fully with the Council.
    ``(i) Staff.--The Council may appoint a staff director and such 
additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the Council to 
perform its duties. The Council may fix the pay of the staff director 
and other personnel, except that the rate of pay fixed under this 
paragraph for the staff director may not exceed the rate payable for 
level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, 
United States Code, and the rate of pay for other personnel may not 
exceed the maximum rate payable for grade GS-15 of the General 
Schedule.
    ``(j) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Council may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals which 
do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of pay payable 
for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
    ``(k) Postal and Printing Services.--The Council may use the United 
States mails and obtain printing and binding services in the same 
manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies 
of the United States.
    ``(l) Experts and Consultants.--The Council may procure temporary 
and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
States Code.
    ``(m) Notification to Congress.--The Council shall--
            ``(1) notify the Committee on Government Reform and 
        Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate regarding activities and 
        recommendations of the Council; and
            ``(2) notify the Committee on National Security of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services of 
        the Senate regarding activities and recommendations of the 
        Council with respect to the Department of Defense.''.
                                 <all>