Requiring the state auditor to appoint an inspector general to investigate Department of Transportation programs and activities and making an appropriation. (FE)

Under the bill, the inspector general must investigate fraud in DOT programs or activities and report any finding of fraud to the Department of Justice, as well as investigate waste, abuse, or inefficiency in DOT programs or activities. The inspector general must report any finding of waste, abuse, or inefficiency to the Speaker of the assembly, the senate majority leader, the joint legislative audit committee, the assembly and senate committees on transportation, and the chairpersons of standing committees whose committee jurisdiction includes oversight and accountability of government operations. In addition, in investigating waste, abuse, or inefficiency, the inspector general must endeavor to identify savings for DOT that would pay at least the costs incurred by the inspector general in carrying out the investigations.

Under the bill, the inspector general must submit an annual report of inspector general activities to the Speaker of the assembly, the senate majority leader, the joint legislative audit committee, the assembly and senate committees on transportation, and the chairpersons of standing committees whose committee jurisdiction includes oversight and accountability of government operations.

The bill provides that the Speaker of the assembly and the senate majority leader, jointly, may direct the inspector general to examine the records or programs of DOT. The chairpersons of the joint legislative audit committee, the assembly and senate committees on transportation, and the chairpersons of standing committees whose committee jurisdiction includes oversight and accountability of government operations may also direct the inspector general to examine the records or programs of DOT.

Under the bill, upon request of the inspector general, legislative service agencies must assist the inspector general in performing any of his or her duties or exercising any of his or her powers.

Finally, the bill provides that the inspector general may review claims by any person whose substantial interest has been adversely affected by a DOT action or order. A person requesting such a review must do so before the commencement of a contested case or other similar state agency review process. If the inspector general elects to review a claim, the inspector general must determine whether the DOT action or order was inconsistent with any law or administrative rule. The inspector general must report all such determinations to the Speaker of the assembly, the senate majority leader, the joint legislative audit committee, the assembly and senate committees on transportation, and the chairpersons of standing committees whose committee jurisdiction includes oversight and accountability of government operations.