[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GAO INSPECTOR GENERAL PARITY ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration Calendar No. 191, S. 1510.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1510) to amend provisions relating to the Office 
     of the Inspector General of the Government Accountability 
     Office, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which was reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the Braun substitute 
amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as 
amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the 
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1369) was agreed to, as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``GAO Inspector General Parity 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE GOVERNMENT 
                   ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.

       Section 705 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``The Inspector General'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, by striking the 
     second sentence; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) If the Inspector General is removed from office or is 
     transferred to another position or location within the 
     Government Accountability Office, the Comptroller General 
     shall communicate in writing the substantive rationale, 
     including detailed and case-specific reasons, for any such 
     removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress (including to 
     the appropriate congressional committees), not later than 30 
     days before the removal or transfer.
       ``(C) If there is an open or completed inquiry into the 
     Inspector General that relates to the removal or transfer of 
     the Inspector General under subparagraph (A), the written 
     communication required under subparagraph (B) shall--
       ``(i) identify each entity that is conducting, or that 
     conducted, the inquiry; and
       ``(ii) in the case of a completed inquiry, contain the 
     findings made during the inquiry.
       ``(D) Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a personnel 
     action otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or 
     removal.'';
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3)(A) Subject to the other provisions of this paragraph, 
     only the Comptroller General may place the Inspector General 
     on non-duty status.
       ``(B) If the Comptroller General places the Inspector 
     General on non-duty status, the Comptroller General shall 
     communicate in writing the substantive rationale, including 
     detailed and case-specific reasons, for the change in status 
     to both Houses of Congress (including to the appropriate 
     congressional committees) not later than 15 days before the 
     date on which the change in status takes effect, except that 
     the Comptroller General may submit that communication not 
     later than the date on which the change in status takes 
     effect if--
       ``(i) the Comptroller General has made a determination that 
     the continued presence of the Inspector General in the 
     workplace poses a specific threat; and
       ``(ii) in the communication, the Comptroller General 
     includes a report on the determination described in clause 
     (i), which shall include--
       ``(I) the substantive rationale, including detailed and 
     case-specific reasons, for the determination made under 
     clause (i);
       ``(II) an identification of each entity that is conducting, 
     or that conducted, any inquiry upon which the determination 
     under clause (i) was made; and
       ``(III) in the case of an inquiry described in subclause 
     (II) that is completed, the findings made during that 
     inquiry.
       ``(C) The Comptroller General may not place the Inspector 
     General on non-duty status during the 30-day period preceding 
     the date on which the Inspector General is removed or 
     transferred under paragraph (2)(A) unless the Comptroller 
     General--
       ``(i) has made a determination that the continued presence 
     of the Inspector General in the workplace poses a specific 
     threat; and
       ``(ii) not later than the date on which the change in 
     status takes effect, submits to both Houses of Congress 
     (including to the appropriate congressional committees) a 
     written communication that contains the information required 
     under subparagraph (B), including the report required under 
     clause (ii) of that subparagraph.
       ``(D) Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to limit 
     or otherwise modify any statutory protection that is afforded 
     to the Inspector General or a personnel action that is 
     otherwise authorized by law.'';
       (2) in subsection (f)--
       (A) by striking ``The Comptroller General'' and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(1) Prohibition.--The Comptroller General''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Budget independence.--The Comptroller General shall 
     include the annual budget request of the Inspector General in 
     the budget of the Government Accountability Office without 
     change.''; and
       (3) in subsection (g)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), in the second sentence, by striking 
     ``, except that no personnel of the Office may be paid at an 
     annual rate greater than $1,000 less than the annual rate of 
     pay of the Inspector General''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Legal advice.--The Inspector General shall, in 
     accordance with applicable laws and regulations governing 
     selections, appointments, and employment at the Government 
     Accountability Office, obtain legal advice from a counsel 
     reporting directly to the Inspector General or another 
     Inspector General.''.

  The bill (S. 1510), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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