[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6659-6669]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  INSPECTOR GENERAL REFORM ACT OF 2007

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 578, S. 2324.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2324) to amend the Inspector General Act of 
     1978, (5 U.S.C. App.) to enhance the Offices of the 
     Inspectors General, to create a Council of the Inspectors 
     General on Integrity and Efficiency, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs, with amendments, as follows:
  (The parts of the bill intended to be stricken are shown in boldface 
brackets and the parts of the bill intended to be inserted are shown in 
italics.)

                                S. 2324

       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 Reform Act 
     of [2007]2008''.

     SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS OF INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       Section 8G(c) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end ``Each Inspector 
     General shall be appointed without regard to political 
     affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and 
     demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial 
     analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or 
     investigations.''.

     SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       (a) Establishments.--Section 3(b) of the Inspector General 
     Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by striking the second 
     sentence and inserting ``If an Inspector General is removed 
     from office or is transferred to another position or location 
     within an establishment, the President shall communicate in 
     writing the reasons for any such removal or transfer to both 
     Houses of Congress, not later than 30 days before the removal 
     or transfer.''.
       (b) Designated Federal Entities.--Section 8G(e) of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by 
     striking ``shall promptly communicate in writing the reasons 
     for any such removal or transfer to both Houses of the 
     Congress'' and inserting ``shall communicate in writing the 
     reasons for any such removal or transfer to both

[[Page 6660]]

     Houses of Congress, not later than 30 days before the removal 
     or transfer''.
       (c) Legislative Agencies.--
       (1) Library of congress.--Section 1307(c)(2) of the 
     Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 (2 U.S.C. 
     185(c)(2)) is amended by striking the second sentence and 
     inserting ``If the Inspector General is removed from office 
     or is transferred to another position or location within the 
     Library of Congress, the Librarian of Congress shall 
     communicate in writing the reasons for any such removal or 
     transfer to both Houses of Congress, not later than 30 days 
     before the removal or transfer.''.
       (2) Capitol police.--Section 1004(b) of the Legislative 
     Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 (2 U.S.C. 1909(b)) is amended 
     by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       ``(3) Removal.--The Inspector General may be removed or 
     transferred from office before the expiration of his term 
     only by the unanimous vote of all of the voting members of 
     the Capitol Police Board. If an Inspector General is removed 
     from office or is transferred to another position or location 
     within the Capitol Police, the Capitol Police Board shall 
     communicate in writing the reasons for any such removal or 
     transfer to the Committee on Rules and Administration of the 
     Senate, the Committee on House Administration of the House of 
     Representatives, and the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than 30 
     days before the removal or transfer.''.
       (3) Government printing office.--Section 3902(b)(2) of 
     title 44, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
     second sentence and inserting ``If the Inspector General is 
     removed from office or is transferred to another position or 
     location within the Government Printing Office, the Public 
     Printer shall communicate in writing the reasons for any such 
     removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress, not later 
     than 30 days before the removal or transfer.''.

     SEC. 4. PAY OF INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       (a) Inspectors General at Level III of Executive 
     Schedule.--
       (1) In general.--Section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 
     1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(e) The annual rate of basic pay for an Inspector General 
     (as defined under section 11(3)) shall be the rate payable 
     for level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of 
     title 5, United States Code, plus 3 percent.''.
       (2) Technical and conforming amendments.--Section 5315 of 
     title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
     relating to each of the following positions:
       (A) Inspector General, Department of Education.
       (B) Inspector General, Department of Energy.
       (C) Inspector General, Department of Health and Human 
     Services.
       (D) Inspector General, Department of Agriculture.
       (E) Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban 
     Development.
       (F) Inspector General, Department of Labor.
       (G) Inspector General, Department of Transportation.
       (H) Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (I) Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security.
       (J) Inspector General, Department of Defense.
       (K) Inspector General, Department of State.
       (L) Inspector General, Department of Commerce.
       (M) Inspector General, Department of the Interior.
       (N) Inspector General, Department of Justice.
       (O) Inspector General, Department of the Treasury.
       (P) Inspector General, Agency for International 
     Development.
       (Q) Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency.
       (R) Inspector General, Export-Import Bank.
       (S) Inspector General, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
       (T) Inspector General, General Services Administration.
       (U) Inspector General, National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration.
       (V) Inspector General, Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
       (W) Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management.
       (X) Inspector General, Railroad Retirement Board.
       (Y) Inspector General, Small Business Administration.
       (Z) Inspector General, Tennessee Valley Authority.
       (AA) Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance 
     Corporation.
       (BB) Inspector General, Resolution Trust Corporation.
       (CC) Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency.
       (DD) Inspector General, Social Security Administration.
       (EE) Inspector General, United States Postal Service.
       (3) Additional technical and conforming amendment.--Section 
     194(b) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12651e(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
       (b) Inspectors General of Designated Federal Entities.--
     Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Inspector 
     General of each designated Federal entity (as those terms are 
     defined under section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 
     (5 U.S.C. App.)) shall, for pay and all other purposes, be 
     classified at a grade, level, or rank designation, as the 
     case may be, at or above those of a majority of the senior 
     level executives of that designated Federal entity (such as a 
     General Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial 
     Officer, Chief Human Capital Officer, or Chief Acquisition 
     Officer). The pay of an Inspector General of a designated 
     Federal entity (as those terms are defined under section 8G 
     of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.)) shall 
     be not less than the average total compensation of the senior 
     level executives of that designated Federal entity calculated 
     on an annual basis.
       (c) Savings Provision for Newly Appointed Inspectors 
     General.--The provisions of section 3392 of title 5, United 
     States Code, other than the terms ``performance awards'' and 
     ``awarding of ranks'' in subsection (c)(1) of such section, 
     shall apply to career appointees of the Senior Executive 
     Service who are appointed to the position of Inspector 
     General.
       (d) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section shall have 
     the effect of reducing the rate of pay of any individual 
     serving on the date of enactment of this section as an 
     Inspector General of--
       (1) an establishment as defined under section 11(2) of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.);
       (2) a designated Federal entity as defined under section 
     8G(2) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.);
       (3) a legislative agency for which the position of 
     Inspector General is established by statute; or
       (4) any other entity of the Government for which the 
     position of Inspector General is established by statute.

     SEC. 5. PROHIBITION OF CASH BONUS OR AWARDS.

       Section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) (as amended by section 4 of this Act) is further 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) An Inspector General (as defined under section 
     8G(a)(6) or 11(3)) may not receive any cash award or cash 
     bonus, including any cash award under chapter 45 of title 5, 
     United States Code.''.

     SEC. 6. SEPARATE COUNSEL TO SUPPORT INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       (a) Counsels to Inspectors General of Establishment.--
     Section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) (as amended by sections 4 and 5 of this Act) is further 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(g) Each Inspector General shall, in accordance with 
     applicable laws and regulations governing the civil service, 
     obtain legal advice from a counsel either reporting directly 
     to the Inspector General or another Inspector General.''.
       (b) Counsels to Inspectors General of Designated Federal 
     Entities.--Section 8G(g) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 
     (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(4) Each Inspector General shall, in accordance with 
     applicable laws and regulations governing appointments within 
     the designated Federal entity, appoint a Counsel to the 
     Inspector General who shall report to the Inspector General 
     or obtain the services of a counsel appointed by and directly 
     reporting to another Inspector General or the Council of the 
     Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency on a 
     reimbursable basis.''.

     SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCIL OF THE INSPECTORS GENERAL ON 
                   INTEGRITY AND EFFICIENCY.

       (a) Establishment.--The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended by redesignating sections 11 and 12 
     as sections 12 and 13, respectively, and by inserting after 
     section 10 the following:

     ``SEC. 11. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE INSPECTORS 
                   GENERAL ON INTEGRITY AND EFFICIENCY.

       ``(a) Establishment and Mission.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--There is established as an 
     independent entity within the executive branch the Council of 
     the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (in this 
     section referred to as the `Council').
       ``(2) Mission.--The mission of the Council shall be to--
       ``(A) address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues 
     that transcend individual Government agencies; and
       ``(B) increase the professionalism and effectiveness of 
     personnel by developing policies, standards, and approaches 
     to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly 
     skilled workforce in the offices of the Inspectors General.
       ``(b) Membership.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Council shall consist of the 
     following members:
       ``(A) All Inspectors General whose offices are established 
     under--
       ``(i) section 2; or

[[Page 6661]]

       ``(ii) section 8G.
       ``(B) The Inspectors General of the Office of the Director 
     of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency.
       ``(C) The Controller of the Office of Federal Financial 
     Management.
       ``(D) A senior level official of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation designated by the Director of the Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation.
       ``(E) The Director of the Office of Government Ethics.
       ``(F) The Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel.
       ``(G) The Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel 
     Management.
       ``(H) The Deputy Director for Management of the Office of 
     Management and Budget.
       ``(I) The Office of Inspectors General of the Library of 
     Congress, Capitol Police, and the Government Printing Office.
       ``(J) Any other members designated by the President.
       ``(2) Chairperson and executive chairperson.--
       ``(A) Executive chairperson.--The Deputy Director for 
     Management of the Office of Management and Budget shall be 
     the Executive Chairperson of the Council.
       ``(B) Chairperson.--The Council shall elect 1 of the 
     Inspectors General referred to in paragraph (1)(A) or (B) to 
     act as Chairperson of the Council. The term of office of the 
     Chairperson shall be 2 years.
       ``(3) Functions of chairperson and executive chairperson.--
       ``(A) Executive chairperson.--The Executive Chairperson 
     shall--
       ``(i) preside over meetings of the Council;
       ``(ii) provide to the heads of agencies and entities 
     represented on the Council summary reports of the activities 
     of the Council; and
       ``(iii) provide to the Council such information relating to 
     the agencies and entities represented on the Council as 
     assists the Council in performing its functions.
       ``(B) Chairperson.--The Chairperson shall--
       ``(i) convene meetings of the Council--

       ``(I) at least 6 times each year;
       ``(II) monthly to the extent possible; and
       ``(III) more frequently at the discretion of the 
     Chairperson;

       ``(ii) exercise the functions and duties of the Council 
     under subsection (c);
       ``(iii) appoint a Vice Chairperson to assist in carrying 
     out the functions of the Council and act in the absence of 
     the Chairperson, from a category of Inspectors General 
     described in subparagraph (A)(i), (A)(ii), or (B) of 
     paragraph (1), other than the category from which the 
     Chairperson was elected;
       ``(iv) make such payments from funds otherwise available to 
     the Council as may be necessary to carry out the functions of 
     the Council;
       ``(v) select, appoint, and employ personnel as needed to 
     carry out the functions of the Council subject to the 
     availability of appropriations and the provisions of title 5, 
     United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
     service, and the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
     of chapter 53 of such title, relating to classification and 
     General Schedule pay rates;
       ``(vi) to the extent and in such amounts as may be provided 
     in advance by appropriations Acts, enter into contracts and 
     other arrangements with public agencies and private persons 
     to carry out the functions and duties of the Council;
       ``(vii) establish, in consultation with the members of the 
     Council, such committees as determined by the Chairperson to 
     be necessary and appropriate for the efficient conduct of 
     Council functions; and
       ``(viii) prepare and transmit a report annually on behalf 
     of the Council to the President on the activities of the 
     Council.
       ``(c) Functions and Duties of Council.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Council shall--
       ``(A) continually identify, review, and discuss areas of 
     weakness and vulnerability in Federal programs and operations 
     with respect to fraud, waste, and abuse;
       ``(B) develop plans for coordinated, governmentwide 
     activities that address these problems and promote economy 
     and efficiency in Federal programs and operations, including 
     interagency and interentity audit, investigation, inspection, 
     and evaluation programs and projects to deal efficiently and 
     effectively with those problems concerning fraud and waste 
     that exceed the capability or jurisdiction of an individual 
     agency or entity;
       ``(C) develop policies that will aid in the maintenance of 
     a corps of well-trained and highly skilled Office of 
     Inspector General personnel;
       ``(D) maintain an Internet website and other electronic 
     systems for the benefit of all Inspectors General, as the 
     Council determines are necessary or desirable;
       ``(E) maintain 1 or more academies as the Council considers 
     desirable for the professional training of auditors, 
     investigators, inspectors, evaluators, and other personnel of 
     the various offices of Inspector General;
       ``(F) submit recommendations of 3 individuals to the 
     appropriate appointing authority for any appointment to an 
     office of Inspector General described under subsection 
     (b)(1)(A) or (B);
       ``(G) make such reports to Congress as the Chairperson 
     determines are necessary or appropriate; and
       ``(H) perform other duties within the authority and 
     jurisdiction of the Council, as appropriate.
       ``(2) Adherence and participation by members.--To the 
     extent permitted under law, and to the extent not 
     inconsistent with standards established by the Comptroller 
     General of the United States for audits of Federal 
     establishments, organizations, programs, activities, and 
     functions, each member of the Council shall adhere to 
     professional standards developed by the Council and 
     participate in the plans, programs, and projects of the 
     Council, as appropriate.
       ``(3) Additional administrative authorities.--
       ``(A) Interagency funding.--Notwithstanding section 1532 of 
     title 31, United States Code, or any other provision of law 
     prohibiting the interagency funding of activities described 
     under subclause [(I) or (II)] (I), (II), or (III) of clause 
     (i), in the performance of the responsibilities, authorities, 
     and duties of the Council--
       ``(i) the Executive Chairperson may authorize the use of 
     interagency funding for--

       ``(I) Governmentwide training of employees of the Offices 
     of the Inspectors General;
       ``(II) the functions of the Integrity Committee of the 
     Council; and
       ``(III) any other authorized purpose determined by the 
     Council; and

       ``(ii) upon the authorization of the Executive Chairperson, 
     any department, agency, or entity of the [United States 
     Government] executive branch which has a member on the 
     Council shall fund or participate in the funding of such 
     activities.
       ``(B) Superseding provisions.--No provision of law enacted 
     after the date of enactment of this subsection shall be 
     construed to limit or supersede the authority under paragraph 
     (1), unless such provision makes specific reference to the 
     authority in that paragraph.
       ``(4) Existing authorities and responsibilities.--The 
     establishment and operation of the Council shall not affect--
       ``(A) the role of the Department of Justice in law 
     enforcement and litigation;
       ``(B) the authority or responsibilities of any Government 
     agency or entity; and
       ``(C) the authority or responsibilities of individual 
     members of the Council.
       ``(d) Integrity Committee.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--The Council shall have an Integrity 
     Committee, which shall receive, review, and refer for 
     investigation allegations of wrongdoing that are made against 
     Inspectors General and [certain] staff members of the various 
     Offices of Inspector General described under paragraph 
     (4)(C).
       ``(2) Membership.--The Integrity Committee shall consist of 
     the following members:
       ``(A) The official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
     serving on the Council, who shall serve as Chairperson of the 
     Integrity Committee.
       ``(B) Three or more Inspectors General described in 
     subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (b)(1) appointed by the 
     Chairperson of the Council, representing both establishments 
     and designated Federal entities (as that term is defined in 
     section 8G(a)).
       ``(C) The Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel.
       ``(D) The Director of the Office of Government Ethics.
       ``(3) Legal advisor.--The Chief of the Public Integrity 
     Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of 
     Justice, or his designee, shall serve as a legal advisor to 
     the Integrity Committee.
       ``(4) Referral of allegations.--
       ``(A) Requirement.--An Inspector General shall refer to the 
     Integrity Committee any allegation of wrongdoing against a 
     staff member of the office of that Inspector General, if--
       ``(i) review of the substance of the allegation cannot be 
     assigned to an agency of the executive branch with 
     appropriate jurisdiction over the matter; and
       ``(ii) the Inspector General determines that--

       ``(I) an objective internal investigation of the allegation 
     is not feasible; or
       ``(II) an internal investigation of the allegation may 
     appear not to be objective.

       ``(B) Definition.--In this paragraph the term `staff 
     member' means--
       ``(i) any employee of an Office of Inspector General who 
     reports directly to an Inspector General; or
       ``(ii) who is designated by an Inspector General under 
     subparagraph (C).
       ``(C) Designation of staff members.--Each Inspector General 
     shall annually submit to the Chairperson of the Integrity 
     Committee a designation of positions whose holders are staff 
     members for purposes of subparagraph (B).
       ``(5) Review of allegations.--The Integrity Committee 
     shall--
       ``(A) review all allegations of wrongdoing the Integrity 
     Committee receives against an Inspector General, or against 
     [an employee] a staff member of an Office of Inspector 
     General described under paragraph (4)(C);
       ``(B) refer any allegation of wrongdoing to the agency of 
     the executive branch with appropriate jurisdiction over the 
     matter; and

[[Page 6662]]

       ``(C) refer to the Chairperson of the Integrity Committee 
     any allegation of wrongdoing determined by the Integrity 
     Committee under subparagraph (A) to be potentially 
     meritorious that cannot be referred to an agency under 
     subparagraph (B).
       ``(6) Authority to investigate allegations.--
       ``(A) Requirement.--The Chairperson of the Integrity 
     Committee shall cause a thorough and timely investigation of 
     each allegation referred under paragraph (5)(C) to be 
     conducted in accordance with this paragraph.
       ``(B) Resources.--At the request of the Chairperson of the 
     Integrity Committee, the head of each agency or entity 
     represented on the Council--
       ``(i) may provide resources necessary to the Integrity 
     Committee; and
       ``(ii) may detail employees from that agency or entity to 
     the Integrity Committee, subject to the control and direction 
     of the Chairperson, to conduct an investigation under this 
     subsection.
       ``(7) Procedures for investigations.--
       ``(A) Standards applicable.--Investigations initiated under 
     this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with the 
     most current Quality Standards for Investigations issued by 
     the Council or by its predecessors (the President's Council 
     on Integrity and Efficiency and the Executive Council on 
     Integrity and Efficiency).
       ``(B) Additional policies and procedures.--
       ``(i) Establishment.--The Integrity Committee, in 
     conjunction with the Chairperson of the Council, shall 
     establish additional policies and procedures necessary to 
     ensure fairness and consistency in--

       ``(I) determining whether to initiate an investigation;
       ``(II) conducting investigations;
       ``(III) reporting the results of an investigation; and
       ``(IV) providing the person who is the subject of an 
     investigation with an opportunity to respond to any Integrity 
     Committee report.

       ``(ii) Submission to congress.--The Council shall submit a 
     copy of the policies and procedures established under clause 
     (i) to the congressional committees of jurisdiction.
       ``(C) Reports.--
       ``(i) Potentially meritorious allegations.--For allegations 
     [referred to] described under paragraph (5)(C), the 
     Chairperson of the Integrity Committee shall make a report 
     containing the results of the investigation of the 
     Chairperson and shall provide such report to members of the 
     Integrity Committee.
       ``(ii) Allegations of wrongdoing.--For allegations referred 
     to an agency under paragraph (5)(B), the head of [an] that 
     agency shall make a report containing the results of the 
     investigation and shall provide such report to members of the 
     Integrity Committee.
       ``(8) Assessment and final disposition.--
       ``(A) In general.--With respect to any report received 
     under paragraph (7)(C), the Integrity Committee shall--
       ``(i) assess the report;
       ``(ii) forward the report, with the recommendations of the 
     Integrity Committee, including those on disciplinary action, 
     within [180] 30 days (to the maximum extent practicable) 
     after the completion of the investigation, to the Executive 
     Chairperson of the Council and to the President (in the case 
     of a report relating to an Inspector General of an 
     establishment or any employee of that Inspector General) or 
     the head of a designated Federal entity (in the case of a 
     report relating to an Inspector General of such an entity or 
     any employee of that Inspector General) for resolution; and
       ``(iii) submit to the congressional committees of 
     jurisdiction an executive summary of such report and 
     recommendations within 30 days after the submission of such 
     report to the Executive Chairperson under clause (ii).
       ``(B) Disposition.--The Executive Chairperson of the 
     Council shall report to the Integrity Committee the final 
     disposition of the matter, including what action was taken by 
     the President or agency head.
       ``(9) Annual report.--The Council shall submit to Congress 
     and the President by December 31 of each year a report on the 
     activities of the Integrity Committee during the preceding 
     fiscal year, which shall include the following:
       ``(A) The number of allegations received.
       ``(B) The number of allegations referred to other agencies, 
     including the number of allegations referred for criminal 
     investigation.
       ``(C) The number of allegations referred to the Chairperson 
     of the Integrity Committee for investigation.
       ``(D) The number of allegations closed without referral.
       ``(E) The date each allegation was received and the date 
     each allegation was finally disposed of.
       ``(F) In the case of allegations referred to the 
     Chairperson of the Integrity Committee, a summary of the 
     status of the investigation of the allegations and, in the 
     case of investigations completed during the preceding fiscal 
     year, a summary of the findings of the investigations.
       ``(G) Other matters that the Council considers appropriate.
       ``(10) Requests for more information.--With respect to 
     paragraphs (8) and (9), the Council shall provide more 
     detailed information about specific allegations upon request 
     from any of the following:
       ``(A) The chairperson or ranking member of the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
       ``(B) The chairperson or ranking member of the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
     Representatives.
       ``(C) The chairperson or ranking member of the 
     congressional committees of jurisdiction.
       ``(11) No right or benefit.--This subsection is not 
     intended to create any right or benefit, substantive or 
     procedural, enforceable at law by a person against the United 
     States, its agencies, its officers, or any person.''.
       (b) Allegations of Wrongdoing Against Special Counsel or 
     Deputy Special Counsel.--
       (1) Definitions.--In this section--
       (A) the term ``Integrity Committee'' means the Integrity 
     Committee established under section 11(d) of the Inspector 
     General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), as amended by this Act; 
     and
       (B) the term ``Special Counsel'' refers to the Special 
     Counsel appointed under section 1211(b) of title 5, United 
     States Code.
       (2) Authority of integrity committee.--
       (A) In general.--An allegation of wrongdoing against the 
     Special Counsel or the Deputy Special Counsel may be 
     received, reviewed, and referred for investigation by the 
     Integrity Committee to the same extent and in the same manner 
     as in the case of an allegation against an Inspector General 
     (or a member of the staff of an Office of Inspector General), 
     subject to the requirement that the Special Counsel recuse 
     himself or herself from the consideration of any allegation 
     brought under this paragraph.
       (B) Coordination with existing provisions of law.--This 
     subsection does not eliminate access to the Merit Systems 
     Protection Board for review under section 7701 of title 5, 
     United States Code. To the extent that an allegation brought 
     under this subsection involves section 2302(b)(8) of that 
     title, a failure to obtain corrective action within 120 days 
     after the date on which that allegation is received by the 
     Integrity Committee shall, for purposes of section 1221 of 
     such title, be considered to satisfy section 1214(a)(3)(B) of 
     that title.
       (3) Regulations.--The Integrity Committee may prescribe any 
     rules or regulations necessary to carry out this subsection, 
     subject to such consultation or other requirements as might 
     otherwise apply.
       [(b)](c) Existing Executive Orders.--Executive Order 12805, 
     dated May 11, 1992, and Executive Order 12993, dated March 
     21, 1996, shall have no force or effect.
       [(c)](d) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Inspector general act of 1978.--The Inspector General 
     Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended--
       (A) in sections 2(1), 4(b)(2), and 8G(a)(1)(A) by striking 
     ``section 11(2)'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``section 12(2)''; and
       (B) in section 8G(a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
     (1), by striking ``section 11'' and inserting ``section 12''.
       (2) Separate appropriations account.--Section 1105(a) of 
     title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
     first paragraph (33) and inserting the following:
       ``(33) a separate appropriation account for appropriations 
     for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and 
     Efficiency, and, included in that account, a separate 
     statement of the aggregate amount of appropriations requested 
     for each academy maintained by the Council of the Inspectors 
     General on Integrity and Efficiency.''.

     SEC. 8. SUBMISSION OF BUDGET REQUESTS TO CONGRESS.

       Section 6 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f)(1) For each fiscal year, an Inspector General shall 
     transmit a budget estimate and request to the head of the 
     [agency, board, or commission] establishment or designated 
     Federal entity to which the Inspector General reports. The 
     budget request shall specify the aggregate amount of funds 
     requested for such fiscal year for the operations of that 
     Inspector General and shall specify the amount requested for 
     all training [requirements] needs, including a certification 
     from the Inspector General that the amount requested 
     satisfies all training requirements for the Inspector 
     General's office for that fiscal year, and any resources 
     necessary to support the Council of the Inspectors General on 
     Integrity and Efficiency. Resources necessary to support the 
     Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency 
     shall be specifically identified and justified in the budget 
     request.
       ``(2) In transmitting a proposed budget to the President 
     for approval, the head of each [agency, board or commission] 
     establishment or designated Federal entity shall include--
       ``(A) an aggregate request for the Inspector General;
       ``(B) amounts for Inspector General training;
       ``(C) amounts for support of the Council of the Inspectors 
     General on Integrity and Efficiency; and
       ``(D) any comments of the affected Inspector General with 
     respect to the proposal.
       ``(3) The President shall include in each budget of the 
     United States Government submitted to Congress--

[[Page 6663]]

       ``(A) a separate statement of the budget estimate prepared 
     in accordance with paragraph (1);
       ``(B) the amount requested by the President for each 
     Inspector General;
       ``(C) the amount requested by the President for training of 
     Inspectors General;
       ``(D) the amount requested by the President for support for 
     the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and 
     Efficiency; and
       ``(E) any comments of the affected Inspector General with 
     respect to the proposal, including whether the budget request 
     submitted by the head of the establishment or designated 
     Federal entity would substantially inhibit the Inspector 
     General from performing the duties of the office.''.

     SEC. 9. SUBPOENA POWER.

       Section 6(a)(4) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``in any medium (including electronically 
     stored information, as well as any tangible thing)'' after 
     ``other data''; and
       (2) by striking ``subpena'' and inserting ``subpoena''.

     SEC. 10. PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES ACT.

       Section 3801(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in subparagraph [(C)] (D), by striking ``and'' after 
     the semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph [(D)] (E), by adding ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``[(E)](F) a designated Federal entity (as such term is 
     defined under section 8G(a)(2) of the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978).''.

     SEC. 11. LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY FOR DESIGNATED FEDERAL 
                   ENTITIES.

       Section 6(e) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``appointed under section 
     3''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(9) In this subsection the term `Inspector General' means 
     an Inspector General appointed under section 3 or an 
     Inspector General appointed under section 8G.''.

     SEC. 12. APPLICATION OF SEMIANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 
                   WITH RESPECT TO INSPECTION REPORTS AND 
                   EVALUATION REPORTS.

       Section 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) is amended--
       (1) in each of subsections (a)(6), (a)(8), (a)(9), (b)(2), 
     and (b)(3)--
       (A) by inserting ``, inspection reports, and evaluation 
     reports'' after ``audit reports'' the first place it appears; 
     and
       (B) by striking ``audit'' the second place it appears; and
       (2) in subsection (a)(10) by inserting ``, inspection 
     reports, and evaluation reports'' after ``audit reports''.

     [SEC. 13. INFORMATION ON WEBSITES OF OFFICES OF INSPECTORS 
                   GENERAL.

       [(a) Definition.--In this section the term ``agency'' means 
     a Federal agency as defined under section 11(5) of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
       [(b) Direct Links to Inspectors General Offices.--
       [(1) In general.--Each agency shall establish and maintain 
     on the homepage of the website of that agency, a direct link 
     to the website of the Office of the Inspector General of that 
     agency.
       [(2) Accessibility.--The direct link under paragraph (1) 
     shall be obvious and facilitate accessibility to the website 
     of the Office of the Inspector General.
       [(c) Requirements for Inspectors General Websites.--
       [(1) Posting of reports and audits.--The Inspector General 
     of each agency shall--
       [(A) in accordance with section 552a of title 5, United 
     States Code (commonly referred to as the Privacy Act), not 
     later than 3 working days after any report or audit (or 
     portion of any report or audit), that is subject to release 
     under section 552 of that title (commonly referred to as the 
     Freedom of Information Act), is made publicly available, post 
     that report or audit (or portion of that report or audit) on 
     the website of the Office of the Inspector General; and
       [(B) ensure that any posted report or audit (or portion of 
     that report or audit) described under subparagraph (A)--
       [(i) is easily accessible from a direct link on the 
     homepage of the website of the Office of the Inspector 
     General;
       [(ii) includes a summary of the findings of the Inspector 
     General; and
       [(iii) is in a format that--

       [(I) is searchable and downloadable; and
       [(II) facilitates printing by individuals of the public 
     accessing the website.

       [(2) Reporting of fraud, waste, and abuse.--
       [(A) In general.--The Inspector General of each agency 
     shall establish and maintain a direct link on the homepage of 
     the website of the Office of the Inspector General for 
     individuals to report fraud, waste, and abuse. Individuals 
     reporting fraud, waste, or abuse using the direct link 
     established under this paragraph shall not be required to 
     provide personally identifying information relating to that 
     individual.
       [(B) Anonymity.--The Inspector General of each agency shall 
     not disclose the identity of any individual making a report 
     under this paragraph without the consent of the individual 
     unless the Inspector General determines that such a 
     disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the 
     investigation.
       [(d) Implementation.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the head of each agency and 
     the Inspector General of each agency shall implement this 
     section.]

     SEC. 13. INFORMATION ON WEBSITES OF OFFICES OF INSPECTORS 
                   GENERAL.

       (a) In General.--The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended by inserting after section 8K the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 8L. INFORMATION ON WEBSITES OF OFFICES OF INSPECTORS 
                   GENERAL.

       ``(a) Direct Links to Inspectors General Offices.--
       ``(1) In general.--Each agency shall establish and maintain 
     on the homepage of the website of that agency, a direct link 
     to the website of the Office of the Inspector General of that 
     agency.
       ``(2) Accessibility.--The direct link under paragraph (1) 
     shall be obvious and facilitate accessibility to the website 
     of the Office of the Inspector General.
       ``(b) Requirements for Inspectors General Websites.--
       ``(1) Posting of reports and audits.--The Inspector General 
     of each agency shall--
       ``(A) in accordance with section 552a of title 5, United 
     States Code (commonly referred to as the Privacy Act), not 
     later than 3 working days after any report or audit (or 
     portion of any report or audit), that is subject to release 
     under section 552 of that title (commonly referred to as the 
     Freedom of Information Act), is made publicly available, post 
     that report or audit (or portion of that report or audit) on 
     the website of the Office of the Inspector General; and
       ``(B) ensure that any posted report or audit (or portion of 
     that report or audit) described under subparagraph (A)--
       ``(i) is easily accessible from a direct link on the 
     homepage of the website of the Office of the Inspector 
     General;
       ``(ii) includes a summary of the findings of the Inspector 
     General; and
       ``(iii) is in a format that--

       ``(I) is searchable and downloadable; and
       ``(II) facilitates printing by individuals of the public 
     accessing the website.

       ``(2) Reporting of fraud, waste, and abuse.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Inspector General of each agency 
     shall establish and maintain a direct link on the homepage of 
     the website of the Office of the Inspector General for 
     individuals to report fraud, waste, and abuse. Individuals 
     reporting fraud, waste, or abuse using the direct link 
     established under this paragraph shall not be required to 
     provide personally identifying information relating to that 
     individual.
       ``(B) Anonymity.--The Inspector General of each agency 
     shall not disclose the identity of any individual making a 
     report under this paragraph without the consent of the 
     individual unless the Inspector General determines that such 
     a disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the 
     investigation.''.
       (b) Implementation.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the head of each agency and the 
     Inspector General of each agency shall implement the 
     amendment made by this section.

     SEC. 14. INVESTIGATIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PERSONNEL.

       (a) Amendment to Requirement Relating to Certain 
     Referrals.--Section 8E(b) of the Inspector General Act of 
     1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Section 8E of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is further 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) by striking ``and paragraph (3)'' in paragraph (2);
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (3); and
       (C) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (4) and in 
     that paragraph by striking ``(4)'' and inserting ``(3)''; and
       (2) in subsection (d), by striking ``, except with respect 
     to allegations described in subsection (b)(3),''.

     SEC. 15. OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITIES.

       (a) In General.--Section 6(d) of the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(d)(1)(A) For purposes of applying the provisions of law 
     identified in subparagraph (B)--
       ``(i) each Office of Inspector General shall be considered 
     to be a separate agency; and
       ``(ii) the Inspector General who is the head of an office 
     referred to in clause (i) shall, with respect to such office, 
     have the functions, powers, and duties of an agency head or 
     appointing authority under such provisions.
       ``(B) This paragraph applies with respect to the following 
     provisions of title 5, United States Code:
       ``(i) Subchapter II of chapter 35.
       ``(ii) Sections 8335(b), 8336, 8344, 8414, 8468, and 
     8425(b).
       ``(iii) All provisions relating to the Senior Executive 
     Service (as determined by the Office of Personnel 
     Management), subject to paragraph (2).
       ``(2) For purposes of applying section 4507(b) of title 5, 
     United States Code, paragraph (1)(A)(ii) shall be applied by 
     substituting `the Council of the Inspectors General on 
     Integrity and Efficiency (established by section 11 of the 
     Inspector General Act) shall' for `the Inspector General who 
     is the head of an office referred to in clause (i) shall, 
     with respect to such office,'.''.

[[Page 6664]]

       (b) Authority of Treasury Inspector General for Tax 
     Administration [To] To Protect Internal Revenue Service 
     Employees.--Section 8D(k)(1)(C) of the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by striking ``and the 
     providing of physical security''.

     SEC. 16. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORTS.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Submission.--Not later than 360 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Government Accountability Office 
     shall submit a report examining the adequacy of mechanisms to 
     ensure accountability of the Offices of Inspector General 
     to--
       (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Government Reform of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall examine--
       (A) the practices, policies, and procedures of the 
     Integrity Committee of the Council of the Inspectors General 
     on Integrity and Efficiency (and its predecessor committee); 
     and
       (B) the practices, policies, and procedures of the Offices 
     of Inspector General with respect to complaints by and about 
     employees of any Office of Inspector General that are not 
     within the jurisdiction of the Integrity Committee.
       (b) Pay of Inspectors General.--Not later than 270 days 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Government 
     Accountability Office shall submit a report to the 
     congressional committees of jurisdiction on the 
     implementation of section 4.

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I rise today to say a few words about S. 
2324, the Inspector General Reform Act, which is expected to pass the 
Senate today with an amendment of mine. The amendment makes several 
reforms and clarifying changes to the bill.
  Section 3 of the bill requires the President to give Congress 30 
days' notice before removing or transferring an inspector general from 
his position. My amendment clarifies that the President may still take 
other actions against an inspector general without providing 30 days' 
notice, such as suspending him or otherwise preventing him from taking 
official actions. While section 3 appears to be designed to allow 
Congress to respond to a situation where an inspector general is fired 
in order to impede his discovery of wrongdoing or for other improper 
reasons, my amendment is intended to address another kind of scenario, 
one where an inspector general is fired for very good reasons.
  We should not assume that inspectors general will be immune to human 
failings. If an inspector general is fired because he has been indicted 
or is under investigation for corruption or has otherwise abused the 
powers of his office, it should be clear that the President can prevent 
the inspector general from launching new investigations in retaliation 
or taking other official actions, and that he can be denied access to 
his office space. My amendment ensures that this is so.
  Section 6 of the bill authorizes inspectors general to obtain legal 
advice from the attorneys working for them. While this provision 
strengthens the independence of inspectors general, it creates a 
potential ambiguity as to who has ultimate authority to resolve legal 
questions within an agency. Agency employees should not face a division 
of authority if an inspector general were to reach a different 
conclusion on a legal matter previously resolved by the agency counsel.
  My amendment clarifies that the agency or department's chief legal 
officer remains the ultimate legal authority within the agency. While 
an inspector general may obtain his own legal advice, his review does 
not constitute an appeal or review of the general counsel's decisions 
and judgments. The chief legal officer's views are what is final within 
the agency, and they are subject to review within the executive branch 
only by the head of the agency and the Justice Department.
  Section 8 of the bill as reported by the committee allowed inspectors 
general to include their own budget comments with respect to their 
offices in the President's budget proposal to Congress. I would first 
note that the generous growth of inspectors generals' budgets during 
this administration leaves little reason to fear that these offices are 
being starved of resources. More fundamentally, as a general matter, 
all agencies and departments should be subject to the Office of 
Management and Budget's budgeting process, to ensure that the 
President's budget proposal reflects and balances competing priorities. 
Rules such as that in section 8 should generally be disfavored. An 
exception is tolerable here only because of the unique status and role 
of the inspectors general. And even in their case, we should not assume 
that every disagreement between the Office of Management and Budget and 
an inspector general about the size of his budget reflects some effort 
to suppress an investigation.
  All bureaucrats love to see their budgets grow and to build their 
little empires. We should not assume that inspectors general are immune 
from this tendency. To mitigate its effects, my amendment would require 
that an inspector general assert that he would be inhibited in the 
performance of his duties before he may submit a separate budget 
request.
  The amendment serves two purposes. First, it should rein in requests 
for ever-expanding budgets, and ensure that inspectors general 
generally remain subject to budget discipline. And secondly, it ensures 
that if an administration is retaliating against an inspector general 
or otherwise reducing his budget in order to prevent him from doing his 
job, then Congress will be alerted to the fact. If separate budget 
requests were routine, the submission of such requests would provide 
little notice to congressional overseers. And if an inspector general 
believes that an administration is starving him of resources with the 
intent to undermine his ability to do his job, Congress not only should 
have before it his separate budget request, it should also be made 
aware that the inspector general believes that he is being treated that 
way.
  Finally, section 14 of the committee-reported bill would have given 
the Justice Department's inspector general the authority to conduct 
legal ethics reviews. I found this provision strongly objectionable. An 
attorney's decision to investigate, litigate, or provide legal advice 
is a sensitive one and should be reviewed with great deference. There 
can be a wide range of legitimate disagreement as to how such issues 
should be decided. Justice Department reviews of such decisions are 
equivalent to the attorney discipline proceedings conducted by state 
bar associations. They are currently conducted within the Justice 
Department by the Office of Professional Responsibility, and there is 
no evidence that this Office's reviews are anything less than adequate.
  Indeed, recently the Office of Professional Responsibility has taken 
upon itself the role of reviewing the merits of the Office of Legal 
Counsel's legal analyses. The Office of Legal Counsel's lawyers are 
recognized to be among the very best in the executive branch. They are 
assigned to resolve the most difficult legal questions that confront an 
administration. I find it dubious that an OPR lawyer would be in any 
position to assess whether an Office of Legal Counsel opinion is 
legally correct or not.
  Absent at least some evidence that such an opinion was the product of 
bribery or other improper external influences, I question the basis on 
which OPR even assumes for itself the authority to initiate such a 
review. I fear that OPR's actions are influenced more by the toxic 
style of opposition attacks on the Justice Department in recent years, 
in which legitimate policy and legal disputes are recast as ethical 
lapses, rather than by a sound concern for the integrity of the 
Department.
  While some of the Office of Professional Responsibilities' recent 
actions are debatable, the notion of extending that Office's authority 
to the inspector general is totally unacceptable. Inspectors general 
investigate waste, fraud, and abuse. They are suited neither by 
temperament nor experience to second guess whether a Justice Department 
lawyer should have investigated a matter, prosecuted a case, or offered 
a legal opinion. It is at my insistence that the original section 14 
has been removed from this bill.
  I commend Senators Lieberman and Collins for their devotion to 
overseeing and improving the operations of the inspectors general and, 
with the changes made by my amendment, I will raise no objection to the 
passage of this bill.

[[Page 6665]]


  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Kyl 
amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; the committee 
amendments, as amended, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a 
third time and passed; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
with no intervening action or debate; and any statements related to the 
bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4575) was agreed to, as follows:

  (Purpose: To modify provisions relating to transfers and removals, 
 duties of counsel, and comments on budget submissions, and for other 
                               purposes)

       On page 2, line 21, insert before the quotation marks 
     ``Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a personnel 
     action otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or 
     removal.''.
       On page 2, line 26, insert a period before the quotation 
     marks.
       On page 3, line 3, insert before the quotation marks ``. 
     Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a personnel action 
     otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or 
     removal.''.
       On page 3, line 14, insert before the quotation marks 
     ``Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a personnel action 
     otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or 
     removal.''.
       On page 4, line 7, insert before the quotation marks 
     ``Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a personnel action 
     otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or 
     removal.''.
       On page 4, line 17, insert before the quotation marks 
     ``Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a personnel action 
     otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or 
     removal.''.
       On page 10, after line 24, add the following:
       (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in the amendments made 
     by this section shall be construed to alter the duties and 
     responsibilities of the counsel for any establishment or 
     designated Federal entity.
       On page 32, strike lines 14 through 19 and insert the 
     following:
       ``(E) if the Inspector General concludes that the budget 
     submitted by the President would substantially inhibit the 
     Inspector General from performing the duties of the office, 
     any comments of the affected Inspector General with respect 
     to the proposal.''.
       On page 40, strike lines 1 through 20.
       On page 40, line 21, strike ``15'' and insert ``14''.
       On page 42, line 4, strike ``16'' and insert ``15''.

  The committee amendments were agreed to.
  The bill (S. 2324), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 2324

       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 Reform Act 
     of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS OF INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       Section 8G(c) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end ``Each Inspector 
     General shall be appointed without regard to political 
     affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and 
     demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial 
     analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or 
     investigations.''.

     SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       (a) Establishments.--Section 3(b) of the Inspector General 
     Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by striking the second 
     sentence and inserting ``If an Inspector General is removed 
     from office or is transferred to another position or location 
     within an establishment, the President shall communicate in 
     writing the reasons for any such removal or transfer to both 
     Houses of Congress, not later than 30 days before the removal 
     or transfer. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a 
     personnel action otherwise authorized by law, other than 
     transfer or removal.''.
       (b) Designated Federal Entities.--Section 8G(e) of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by 
     striking ``shall promptly communicate in writing the reasons 
     for any such removal or transfer to both Houses of the 
     Congress.'' and inserting ``shall communicate in writing the 
     reasons for any such removal or transfer to both Houses of 
     Congress, not later than 30 days before the removal or 
     transfer. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a 
     personnel action otherwise authorized by law, other than 
     transfer or removal.''.
       (c) Legislative Agencies.--
       (1) Library of congress.--Section 1307(c)(2) of the 
     Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 (2 U.S.C. 
     185(c)(2)) is amended by striking the second sentence and 
     inserting ``If the Inspector General is removed from office 
     or is transferred to another position or location within the 
     Library of Congress, the Librarian of Congress shall 
     communicate in writing the reasons for any such removal or 
     transfer to both Houses of Congress, not later than 30 days 
     before the removal or transfer. Nothing in this paragraph 
     shall prohibit a personnel action otherwise authorized by 
     law, other than transfer or removal.''.
       (2) Capitol police.--Section 1004(b) of the Legislative 
     Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 (2 U.S.C. 1909(b)) is amended 
     by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       ``(3) Removal.--The Inspector General may be removed or 
     transferred from office before the expiration of his term 
     only by the unanimous vote of all of the voting members of 
     the Capitol Police Board. If an Inspector General is removed 
     from office or is transferred to another position or location 
     within the Capitol Police, the Capitol Police Board shall 
     communicate in writing the reasons for any such removal or 
     transfer to the Committee on Rules and Administration of the 
     Senate, the Committee on House Administration of the House of 
     Representatives, and the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than 30 
     days before the removal or transfer. Nothing in this 
     paragraph shall prohibit a personnel action otherwise 
     authorized by law, other than transfer or removal.''.
       (3) Government printing office.--Section 3902(b)(2) of 
     title 44, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
     second sentence and inserting ``If the Inspector General is 
     removed from office or is transferred to another position or 
     location within the Government Printing Office, the Public 
     Printer shall communicate in writing the reasons for any such 
     removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress, not later 
     than 30 days before the removal or transfer. Nothing in this 
     paragraph shall prohibit a personnel action otherwise 
     authorized by law, other than transfer or removal.''.

     SEC. 4. PAY OF INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       (a) Inspectors General at Level III of Executive 
     Schedule.--
       (1) In general.--Section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 
     1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(e) The annual rate of basic pay for an Inspector General 
     (as defined under section 11(3)) shall be the rate payable 
     for level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of 
     title 5, United States Code, plus 3 percent.''.
       (2) Technical and conforming amendments.--Section 5315 of 
     title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
     relating to each of the following positions:
       (A) Inspector General, Department of Education.
       (B) Inspector General, Department of Energy.
       (C) Inspector General, Department of Health and Human 
     Services.
       (D) Inspector General, Department of Agriculture.
       (E) Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban 
     Development.
       (F) Inspector General, Department of Labor.
       (G) Inspector General, Department of Transportation.
       (H) Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (I) Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security.
       (J) Inspector General, Department of Defense.
       (K) Inspector General, Department of State.
       (L) Inspector General, Department of Commerce.
       (M) Inspector General, Department of the Interior.
       (N) Inspector General, Department of Justice.
       (O) Inspector General, Department of the Treasury.
       (P) Inspector General, Agency for International 
     Development.
       (Q) Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency.
       (R) Inspector General, Export-Import Bank.
       (S) Inspector General, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
       (T) Inspector General, General Services Administration.
       (U) Inspector General, National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration.
       (V) Inspector General, Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
       (W) Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management.
       (X) Inspector General, Railroad Retirement Board.
       (Y) Inspector General, Small Business Administration.
       (Z) Inspector General, Tennessee Valley Authority.
       (AA) Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance 
     Corporation.
       (BB) Inspector General, Resolution Trust Corporation.
       (CC) Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency.
       (DD) Inspector General, Social Security Administration.
       (EE) Inspector General, United States Postal Service.
       (3) Additional technical and conforming amendment.--Section 
     194(b) of the National

[[Page 6666]]

     and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12651e(b)) is 
     amended by striking paragraph (3).
       (b) Inspectors General of Designated Federal Entities.--
     Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Inspector 
     General of each designated Federal entity (as those terms are 
     defined under section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 
     (5 U.S.C. App.)) shall, for pay and all other purposes, be 
     classified at a grade, level, or rank designation, as the 
     case may be, at or above those of a majority of the senior 
     level executives of that designated Federal entity (such as a 
     General Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial 
     Officer, Chief Human Capital Officer, or Chief Acquisition 
     Officer). The pay of an Inspector General of a designated 
     Federal entity (as those terms are defined under section 8G 
     of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.)) shall 
     be not less than the average total compensation of the senior 
     level executives of that designated Federal entity calculated 
     on an annual basis.
       (c) Savings Provision for Newly Appointed Inspectors 
     General.--The provisions of section 3392 of title 5, United 
     States Code, other than the terms ``performance awards'' and 
     ``awarding of ranks'' in subsection (c)(1) of such section, 
     shall apply to career appointees of the Senior Executive 
     Service who are appointed to the position of Inspector 
     General.
       (d) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section shall have 
     the effect of reducing the rate of pay of any individual 
     serving on the date of enactment of this section as an 
     Inspector General of--
       (1) an establishment as defined under section 11(2) of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.);
       (2) a designated Federal entity as defined under section 
     8G(2) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.);
       (3) a legislative agency for which the position of 
     Inspector General is established by statute; or
       (4) any other entity of the Government for which the 
     position of Inspector General is established by statute.

     SEC. 5. PROHIBITION OF CASH BONUS OR AWARDS.

       Section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) (as amended by section 4 of this Act) is further 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) An Inspector General (as defined under section 
     8G(a)(6) or 11(3)) may not receive any cash award or cash 
     bonus, including any cash award under chapter 45 of title 5, 
     United States Code.''.

     SEC. 6. SEPARATE COUNSEL TO SUPPORT INSPECTORS GENERAL.

       (a) Counsels to Inspectors General of Establishment.--
     Section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) (as amended by sections 4 and 5 of this Act) is further 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(g) Each Inspector General shall, in accordance with 
     applicable laws and regulations governing the civil service, 
     obtain legal advice from a counsel either reporting directly 
     to the Inspector General or another Inspector General.''.
       (b) Counsels to Inspectors General of Designated Federal 
     Entities.--Section 8G(g) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 
     (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(4) Each Inspector General shall, in accordance with 
     applicable laws and regulations governing appointments within 
     the designated Federal entity, appoint a Counsel to the 
     Inspector General who shall report to the Inspector General 
     or obtain the services of a counsel appointed by and directly 
     reporting to another Inspector General or the Council of the 
     Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency on a 
     reimbursable basis.''.
       (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in the amendments made 
     by this section shall be construed to alter the duties and 
     responsibilities of the counsel for any establishment or 
     designated Federal entity.

     SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCIL OF THE INSPECTORS GENERAL ON 
                   INTEGRITY AND EFFICIENCY.

       (a) Establishment.--The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended by redesignating sections 11 and 12 
     as sections 12 and 13, respectively, and by inserting after 
     section 10 the following:

     ``SEC. 11. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE INSPECTORS 
                   GENERAL ON INTEGRITY AND EFFICIENCY.

       ``(a) Establishment and Mission.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--There is established as an 
     independent entity within the executive branch the Council of 
     the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (in this 
     section referred to as the `Council').
       ``(2) Mission.--The mission of the Council shall be to--
       ``(A) address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues 
     that transcend individual Government agencies; and
       ``(B) increase the professionalism and effectiveness of 
     personnel by developing policies, standards, and approaches 
     to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly 
     skilled workforce in the offices of the Inspectors General.
       ``(b) Membership.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Council shall consist of the 
     following members:
       ``(A) All Inspectors General whose offices are established 
     under--
       ``(i) section 2; or
       ``(ii) section 8G.
       ``(B) The Inspectors General of the Office of the Director 
     of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency.
       ``(C) The Controller of the Office of Federal Financial 
     Management.
       ``(D) A senior level official of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation designated by the Director of the Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation.
       ``(E) The Director of the Office of Government Ethics.
       ``(F) The Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel.
       ``(G) The Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel 
     Management.
       ``(H) The Deputy Director for Management of the Office of 
     Management and Budget.
       ``(I) The Office of Inspectors General of the Library of 
     Congress, Capitol Police, and the Government Printing Office.
       ``(J) Any other members designated by the President.
       ``(2) Chairperson and executive chairperson.--
       ``(A) Executive chairperson.--The Deputy Director for 
     Management of the Office of Management and Budget shall be 
     the Executive Chairperson of the Council.
       ``(B) Chairperson.--The Council shall elect 1 of the 
     Inspectors General referred to in paragraph (1)(A) or (B) to 
     act as Chairperson of the Council. The term of office of the 
     Chairperson shall be 2 years.
       ``(3) Functions of chairperson and executive chairperson.--
       ``(A) Executive chairperson.--The Executive Chairperson 
     shall--
       ``(i) preside over meetings of the Council;
       ``(ii) provide to the heads of agencies and entities 
     represented on the Council summary reports of the activities 
     of the Council; and
       ``(iii) provide to the Council such information relating to 
     the agencies and entities represented on the Council as 
     assists the Council in performing its functions.
       ``(B) Chairperson.--The Chairperson shall--
       ``(i) convene meetings of the Council--

       ``(I) at least 6 times each year;
       ``(II) monthly to the extent possible; and
       ``(III) more frequently at the discretion of the 
     Chairperson;

       ``(ii) exercise the functions and duties of the Council 
     under subsection (c);
       ``(iii) appoint a Vice Chairperson to assist in carrying 
     out the functions of the Council and act in the absence of 
     the Chairperson, from a category of Inspectors General 
     described in subparagraph (A)(i), (A)(ii), or (B) of 
     paragraph (1), other than the category from which the 
     Chairperson was elected;
       ``(iv) make such payments from funds otherwise available to 
     the Council as may be necessary to carry out the functions of 
     the Council;
       ``(v) select, appoint, and employ personnel as needed to 
     carry out the functions of the Council subject to the 
     availability of appropriations and the provisions of title 5, 
     United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
     service, and the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
     of chapter 53 of such title, relating to classification and 
     General Schedule pay rates;
       ``(vi) to the extent and in such amounts as may be provided 
     in advance by appropriations Acts, enter into contracts and 
     other arrangements with public agencies and private persons 
     to carry out the functions and duties of the Council;
       ``(vii) establish, in consultation with the members of the 
     Council, such committees as determined by the Chairperson to 
     be necessary and appropriate for the efficient conduct of 
     Council functions; and
       ``(viii) prepare and transmit a report annually on behalf 
     of the Council to the President on the activities of the 
     Council.
       ``(c) Functions and Duties of Council.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Council shall--
       ``(A) continually identify, review, and discuss areas of 
     weakness and vulnerability in Federal programs and operations 
     with respect to fraud, waste, and abuse;
       ``(B) develop plans for coordinated, governmentwide 
     activities that address these problems and promote economy 
     and efficiency in Federal programs and operations, including 
     interagency and interentity audit, investigation, inspection, 
     and evaluation programs and projects to deal efficiently and 
     effectively with those problems concerning fraud and waste 
     that exceed the capability or jurisdiction of an individual 
     agency or entity;
       ``(C) develop policies that will aid in the maintenance of 
     a corps of well-trained and highly skilled Office of 
     Inspector General personnel;
       ``(D) maintain an Internet website and other electronic 
     systems for the benefit of all Inspectors General, as the 
     Council determines are necessary or desirable;
       ``(E) maintain 1 or more academies as the Council considers 
     desirable for the professional training of auditors, 
     investigators, inspectors, evaluators, and other personnel of 
     the various offices of Inspector General;
       ``(F) submit recommendations of individuals to the 
     appropriate appointing authority for any appointment to an 
     office of Inspector General described under subsection 
     (b)(1)(A) or (B);

[[Page 6667]]

       ``(G) make such reports to Congress as the Chairperson 
     determines are necessary or appropriate; and
       ``(H) perform other duties within the authority and 
     jurisdiction of the Council, as appropriate.
       ``(2) Adherence and participation by members.--To the 
     extent permitted under law, and to the extent not 
     inconsistent with standards established by the Comptroller 
     General of the United States for audits of Federal 
     establishments, organizations, programs, activities, and 
     functions, each member of the Council shall adhere to 
     professional standards developed by the Council and 
     participate in the plans, programs, and projects of the 
     Council, as appropriate.
       ``(3) Additional administrative authorities.--
       ``(A) Interagency funding.--Notwithstanding section 1532 of 
     title 31, United States Code, or any other provision of law 
     prohibiting the interagency funding of activities described 
     under subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (i), in the 
     performance of the responsibilities, authorities, and duties 
     of the Council--
       ``(i) the Executive Chairperson may authorize the use of 
     interagency funding for--

       ``(I) Governmentwide training of employees of the Offices 
     of the Inspectors General;
       ``(II) the functions of the Integrity Committee of the 
     Council; and
       ``(III) any other authorized purpose determined by the 
     Council; and

       ``(ii) upon the authorization of the Executive Chairperson, 
     any department, agency, or entity of the executive branch 
     which has a member on the Council shall fund or participate 
     in the funding of such activities.
       ``(B) Superseding provisions.--No provision of law enacted 
     after the date of enactment of this subsection shall be 
     construed to limit or supersede the authority under paragraph 
     (1), unless such provision makes specific reference to the 
     authority in that paragraph.
       ``(4) Existing authorities and responsibilities.--The 
     establishment and operation of the Council shall not affect--
       ``(A) the role of the Department of Justice in law 
     enforcement and litigation;
       ``(B) the authority or responsibilities of any Government 
     agency or entity; and
       ``(C) the authority or responsibilities of individual 
     members of the Council.
       ``(d) Integrity Committee.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--The Council shall have an Integrity 
     Committee, which shall receive, review, and refer for 
     investigation allegations of wrongdoing that are made against 
     Inspectors General and staff members of the various Offices 
     of Inspector General described under paragraph (4)(C).
       ``(2) Membership.--The Integrity Committee shall consist of 
     the following members:
       ``(A) The official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
     serving on the Council, who shall serve as Chairperson of the 
     Integrity Committee.
       ``(B) Three or more Inspectors General described in 
     subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (b)(1) appointed by the 
     Chairperson of the Council, representing both establishments 
     and designated Federal entities (as that term is defined in 
     section 8G(a)).
       ``(C) The Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel.
       ``(D) The Director of the Office of Government Ethics.
       ``(3) Legal advisor.--The Chief of the Public Integrity 
     Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of 
     Justice, or his designee, shall serve as a legal advisor to 
     the Integrity Committee.
       ``(4) Referral of allegations.--
       ``(A) Requirement.--An Inspector General shall refer to the 
     Integrity Committee any allegation of wrongdoing against a 
     staff member of the office of that Inspector General, if--
       ``(i) review of the substance of the allegation cannot be 
     assigned to an agency of the executive branch with 
     appropriate jurisdiction over the matter; and
       ``(ii) the Inspector General determines that--

       ``(I) an objective internal investigation of the allegation 
     is not feasible; or
       ``(II) an internal investigation of the allegation may 
     appear not to be objective.

       ``(B) Definition.--In this paragraph the term `staff 
     member' means--
       ``(i) any employee of an Office of Inspector General who 
     reports directly to an Inspector General; or
       ``(ii) who is designated by an Inspector General under 
     subparagraph (C).
       ``(C) Designation of staff members.--Each Inspector General 
     shall annually submit to the Chairperson of the Integrity 
     Committee a designation of positions whose holders are staff 
     members for purposes of subparagraph (B).
       ``(5) Review of allegations.--The Integrity Committee 
     shall--
       ``(A) review all allegations of wrongdoing the Integrity 
     Committee receives against an Inspector General, or against a 
     staff member of an Office of Inspector General described 
     under paragraph (4)(C);
       ``(B) refer any allegation of wrongdoing to the agency of 
     the executive branch with appropriate jurisdiction over the 
     matter; and
       ``(C) refer to the Chairperson of the Integrity Committee 
     any allegation of wrongdoing determined by the Integrity 
     Committee under subparagraph (A) to be potentially 
     meritorious that cannot be referred to an agency under 
     subparagraph (B).
       ``(6) Authority to investigate allegations.--
       ``(A) Requirement.--The Chairperson of the Integrity 
     Committee shall cause a thorough and timely investigation of 
     each allegation referred under paragraph (5)(C) to be 
     conducted in accordance with this paragraph.
       ``(B) Resources.--At the request of the Chairperson of the 
     Integrity Committee, the head of each agency or entity 
     represented on the Council--
       ``(i) may provide resources necessary to the Integrity 
     Committee; and
       ``(ii) may detail employees from that agency or entity to 
     the Integrity Committee, subject to the control and direction 
     of the Chairperson, to conduct an investigation under this 
     subsection.
       ``(7) Procedures for investigations.--
       ``(A) Standards applicable.--Investigations initiated under 
     this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with the 
     most current Quality Standards for Investigations issued by 
     the Council or by its predecessors (the President's Council 
     on Integrity and Efficiency and the Executive Council on 
     Integrity and Efficiency).
       ``(B) Additional policies and procedures.--
       ``(i) Establishment.--The Integrity Committee, in 
     conjunction with the Chairperson of the Council, shall 
     establish additional policies and procedures necessary to 
     ensure fairness and consistency in--

       ``(I) determining whether to initiate an investigation;
       ``(II) conducting investigations;
       ``(III) reporting the results of an investigation; and
       ``(IV) providing the person who is the subject of an 
     investigation with an opportunity to respond to any Integrity 
     Committee report.

       ``(ii) Submission to congress.--The Council shall submit a 
     copy of the policies and procedures established under clause 
     (i) to the congressional committees of jurisdiction.
       ``(C) Reports.--
       ``(i) Potentially meritorious allegations.--For allegations 
     described under paragraph (5)(C), the Chairperson of the 
     Integrity Committee shall make a report containing the 
     results of the investigation of the Chairperson and shall 
     provide such report to members of the Integrity Committee.
       ``(ii) Allegations of wrongdoing.--For allegations referred 
     to an agency under paragraph (5)(B), the head of that agency 
     shall make a report containing the results of the 
     investigation and shall provide such report to members of the 
     Integrity Committee.
       ``(8) Assessment and final disposition.--
       ``(A) In general.--With respect to any report received 
     under paragraph (7)(C), the Integrity Committee shall--
       ``(i) assess the report;
       ``(ii) forward the report, with the recommendations of the 
     Integrity Committee, including those on disciplinary action, 
     within 30 days (to the maximum extent practicable) after the 
     completion of the investigation, to the Executive Chairperson 
     of the Council and to the President (in the case of a report 
     relating to an Inspector General of an establishment or any 
     employee of that Inspector General) or the head of a 
     designated Federal entity (in the case of a report relating 
     to an Inspector General of such an entity or any employee of 
     that Inspector General) for resolution; and
       ``(iii) submit to the congressional committees of 
     jurisdiction an executive summary of such report and 
     recommendations within 30 days after the submission of such 
     report to the Executive Chairperson under clause (ii).
       ``(B) Disposition.--The Executive Chairperson of the 
     Council shall report to the Integrity Committee the final 
     disposition of the matter, including what action was taken by 
     the President or agency head.
       ``(9) Annual report.--The Council shall submit to Congress 
     and the President by December 31 of each year a report on the 
     activities of the Integrity Committee during the preceding 
     fiscal year, which shall include the following:
       ``(A) The number of allegations received.
       ``(B) The number of allegations referred to other agencies, 
     including the number of allegations referred for criminal 
     investigation.
       ``(C) The number of allegations referred to the Chairperson 
     of the Integrity Committee for investigation.
       ``(D) The number of allegations closed without referral.
       ``(E) The date each allegation was received and the date 
     each allegation was finally disposed of.
       ``(F) In the case of allegations referred to the 
     Chairperson of the Integrity Committee, a summary of the 
     status of the investigation of the allegations and, in the 
     case of investigations completed during the preceding fiscal 
     year, a summary of the findings of the investigations.
       ``(G) Other matters that the Council considers appropriate.
       ``(10) Requests for more information.--With respect to 
     paragraphs (8) and (9), the

[[Page 6668]]

      Council shall provide more detailed information about 
     specific allegations upon request from any of the following:
       ``(A) The chairperson or ranking member of the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
       ``(B) The chairperson or ranking member of the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
     Representatives.
       ``(C) The chairperson or ranking member of the 
     congressional committees of jurisdiction.
       ``(11) No right or benefit.--This subsection is not 
     intended to create any right or benefit, substantive or 
     procedural, enforceable at law by a person against the United 
     States, its agencies, its officers, or any person.''.
       (b) Allegations of Wrongdoing Against Special Counsel or 
     Deputy Special Counsel.--
       (1) Definitions.--In this section--
       (A) the term ``Integrity Committee'' means the Integrity 
     Committee established under section 11(d) of the Inspector 
     General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App), as amended by this Act; 
     and
       (B) the term ``Special Counsel'' refers to the Special 
     Counsel appointed under section 1211(b) of title 5, United 
     States Code.
       (2) Authority of integrity committee.--
       (A) In general.--An allegation of wrongdoing against the 
     Special Counsel or the Deputy Special Counsel may be 
     received, reviewed, and referred for investigation by the 
     Integrity Committee to the same extent and in the same manner 
     as in the case of an allegation against an Inspector General 
     (or a member of the staff of an Office of Inspector General), 
     subject to the requirement that the Special Counsel recuse 
     himself or herself from the consideration of any allegation 
     brought under this paragraph.
       (B) Coordination with existing provisions of law.--This 
     subsection does not eliminate access to the Merit Systems 
     Protection Board for review under section 7701 of title 5, 
     United States Code. To the extent that an allegation brought 
     under this subsection involves section 2302(b)(8) of that 
     title, a failure to obtain corrective action within 120 days 
     after the date on which that allegation is received by the 
     Integrity Committee shall, for purposes of section 1221 of 
     such title, be considered to satisfy section 1214(a)(3)(B) of 
     that title.
       (3) Regulations.--The Integrity Committee may prescribe any 
     rules or regulations necessary to carry out this subsection, 
     subject to such consultation or other requirements as might 
     otherwise apply.
       (c) Existing Executive Orders.--Executive Order 12805, 
     dated May 11, 1992, and Executive Order 12993, dated March 
     21, 1996, shall have no force or effect.
       (d) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Inspector general act of 1978.--The Inspector General 
     Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended--
       (A) in sections 2(1), 4(b)(2), and 8G(a)(1)(A) by striking 
     ``section 11(2)'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``section 12(2)''; and
       (B) in section 8G(a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
     (1), by striking ``section 11'' and inserting ``section 12''.
       (2) Separate appropriations account.--Section 1105(a) of 
     title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
     first paragraph (33) and inserting the following:
       ``(33) a separate appropriation account for appropriations 
     for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and 
     Efficiency, and, included in that account, a separate 
     statement of the aggregate amount of appropriations requested 
     for each academy maintained by the Council of the Inspectors 
     General on Integrity and Efficiency.''.

     SEC. 8. SUBMISSION OF BUDGET REQUESTS TO CONGRESS.

       Section 6 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f)(1) For each fiscal year, an Inspector General shall 
     transmit a budget estimate and request to the head of the 
     establishment or designated Federal entity to which the 
     Inspector General reports. The budget request shall specify 
     the aggregate amount of funds requested for such fiscal year 
     for the operations of that Inspector General and shall 
     specify the amount requested for all training needs, 
     including a certification from the Inspector General that the 
     amount requested satisfies all training requirements for the 
     Inspector General's office for that fiscal year, and any 
     resources necessary to support the Council of the Inspectors 
     General on Integrity and Efficiency. Resources necessary to 
     support the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity 
     and Efficiency shall be specifically identified and justified 
     in the budget request.
       ``(2) In transmitting a proposed budget to the President 
     for approval, the head of each establishment or designated 
     Federal entity shall include--
       ``(A) an aggregate request for the Inspector General;
       ``(B) amounts for Inspector General training;
       ``(C) amounts for support of the Council of the Inspectors 
     General on Integrity and Efficiency; and
       ``(D) any comments of the affected Inspector General with 
     respect to the proposal.
       ``(3) The President shall include in each budget of the 
     United States Government submitted to Congress--
       ``(A) a separate statement of the budget estimate prepared 
     in accordance with paragraph (1);
       ``(B) the amount requested by the President for each 
     Inspector General;
       ``(C) the amount requested by the President for training of 
     Inspectors General;
       ``(D) the amount requested by the President for support for 
     the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and 
     Efficiency; and
       ``(E) if the Inspector General concludes that the budget 
     submitted by the President would substantially inhibit the 
     Inspector General from performing the duties of the office, 
     any comments of the affected Inspector General with respect 
     to the proposal.''.

     SEC. 9. SUBPOENA POWER.

       Section 6(a)(4) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``in any medium (including electronically 
     stored information, as well as any tangible thing)'' after 
     ``other data''; and
       (2) by striking ``subpena'' and inserting ``subpoena''.

     SEC. 10. PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES ACT.

       Section 3801(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (E), by adding ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) a designated Federal entity (as such term is defined 
     under section 8G(a)(2) of the Inspector General Act of 
     1978).''.

     SEC. 11. LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY FOR DESIGNATED FEDERAL 
                   ENTITIES.

       Section 6(e) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``appointed under section 
     3''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(9) In this subsection the term `Inspector General' means 
     an Inspector General appointed under section 3 or an 
     Inspector General appointed under section 8G.''.

     SEC. 12. APPLICATION OF SEMIANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 
                   WITH RESPECT TO INSPECTION REPORTS AND 
                   EVALUATION REPORTS.

       Section 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App.) is amended--
       (1) in each of subsections (a)(6), (a)(8), (a)(9), (b)(2), 
     and (b)(3)--
       (A) by inserting ``, inspection reports, and evaluation 
     reports'' after ``audit reports'' the first place it appears; 
     and
       (B) by striking ``audit'' the second place it appears; and
       (2) in subsection (a)(10) by inserting ``, inspection 
     reports, and evaluation reports'' after ``audit reports''.

     SEC. 13. INFORMATION ON WEBSITES OF OFFICES OF INSPECTORS 
                   GENERAL.

       (a) In General.--The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended by inserting after section 8K the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 8L. INFORMATION ON WEBSITES OF OFFICES OF INSPECTORS 
                   GENERAL.

       ``(a) Direct Links to Inspectors General Offices.--
       ``(1) In general.--Each agency shall establish and maintain 
     on the homepage of the website of that agency, a direct link 
     to the website of the Office of the Inspector General of that 
     agency.
       ``(2) Accessibility.--The direct link under paragraph (1) 
     shall be obvious and facilitate accessibility to the website 
     of the Office of the Inspector General.
       ``(b) Requirements for Inspectors General Websites.--
       ``(1) Posting of reports and audits.--The Inspector General 
     of each agency shall--
       ``(A) in accordance with section 552a of title 5, United 
     States Code (commonly referred to as the Privacy Act), not 
     later than 3 working days after any report or audit (or 
     portion of any report or audit), that is subject to release 
     under section 552 of that title (commonly referred to as the 
     Freedom of Information Act), is made publicly available, post 
     that report or audit (or portion of that report or audit) on 
     the website of the Office of the Inspector General; and
       ``(B) ensure that any posted report or audit (or portion of 
     that report or audit) described under subparagraph (A)--
       ``(i) is easily accessible from a direct link on the 
     homepage of the website of the Office of the Inspector 
     General;
       ``(ii) includes a summary of the findings of the Inspector 
     General; and
       ``(iii) is in a format that--

       ``(I) is searchable and downloadable; and
       ``(II) facilitates printing by individuals of the public 
     accessing the website.

       ``(2) Reporting of fraud, waste, and abuse.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Inspector General of each agency 
     shall establish and maintain a direct link on the homepage of 
     the website of the Office of the Inspector General for 
     individuals to report fraud, waste, and abuse. Individuals 
     reporting fraud, waste, or abuse using the direct link 
     established under this paragraph shall not be required to 
     provide personally identifying information relating to that 
     individual.

[[Page 6669]]

       ``(B) Anonymity.--The Inspector General of each agency 
     shall not disclose the identity of any individual making a 
     report under this paragraph without the consent of the 
     individual unless the Inspector General determines that such 
     a disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the 
     investigation.''.
       (b) Implementation.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the head of each agency and the 
     Inspector General of each agency shall implement the 
     amendment made by this section.

     SEC. 14. OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITIES.

       (a) In General.--Section 6(d) of the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(d)(1)(A) For purposes of applying the provisions of law 
     identified in subparagraph (B)--
       ``(i) each Office of Inspector General shall be considered 
     to be a separate agency; and
       ``(ii) the Inspector General who is the head of an office 
     referred to in clause (i) shall, with respect to such office, 
     have the functions, powers, and duties of an agency head or 
     appointing authority under such provisions.
       ``(B) This paragraph applies with respect to the following 
     provisions of title 5, United States Code:
       ``(i) Subchapter II of chapter 35.
       ``(ii) Sections 8335(b), 8336, 8344, 8414, 8468, and 
     8425(b).
       ``(iii) All provisions relating to the Senior Executive 
     Service (as determined by the Office of Personnel 
     Management), subject to paragraph (2).
       ``(2) For purposes of applying section 4507(b) of title 5, 
     United States Code, paragraph (1)(A)(ii) shall be applied by 
     substituting `the Council of the Inspectors General on 
     Integrity and Efficiency (established by section 11 of the 
     Inspector General Act) shall' for `the Inspector General who 
     is the head of an office referred to in clause (i) shall, 
     with respect to such office,'.''.
       (b) Authority of Treasury Inspector General for Tax 
     Administration To Protect Internal Revenue Service 
     Employees.--Section 8D(k)(1)(C) of the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by striking ``and the 
     providing of physical security''.

     SEC. 15. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORTS.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Submission.--Not later than 360 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Government Accountability Office 
     shall submit a report examining the adequacy of mechanisms to 
     ensure accountability of the Offices of Inspector General 
     to--
       (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Government Reform of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall examine--
       (A) the practices, policies, and procedures of the 
     Integrity Committee of the Council of the Inspectors General 
     on Integrity and Efficiency (and its predecessor committee); 
     and
       (B) the practices, policies, and procedures of the Offices 
     of Inspector General with respect to complaints by and about 
     employees of any Office of Inspector General that are not 
     within the jurisdiction of the Integrity Committee.
       (b) Pay of Inspectors General.--Not later than 270 days 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Government 
     Accountability Office shall submit a report to the 
     congressional committees of jurisdiction on the 
     implementation of section 4.

                          ____________________