Title: Inspectors General Independence Act of 2020
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Inspectors General Independence Act of 2020
This bill permits an inspector general to be removed by the President or by a federal entity before the expiration of his or her term only for permanent incapacity, inefficiency, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or conviction of a felony or conduct involving moral turpitude.
The bill provides for a seven-year term of office for each inspector general. An individual may serve for more than one term.
Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy in such position, occurring before the expiration of the term for which his or her predecessor was appointed, shall be appointed for a full seven-year term.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3664 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3664

   To enhance the independence of Inspectors General, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2020

  Mr. Murphy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To enhance the independence of Inspectors General, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Inspectors General Independence Act 
of 2020''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL ACT OF 1978.

    (a) Removal for Cause.--The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
App.) is amended--
            (1) in section 3(b), by inserting after the first sentence 
        the following: ``An Inspector General may only be removed by 
        the President before the expiration of the term of the 
        Inspector General for permanent incapacity, inefficiency, 
        neglect of duty, malfeasance, or conviction of a felony or 
        conduct involving moral turpitude.''; and
            (2) in section 8(G)(e), by adding at the end the following:
    ``(3) An Inspector General may only be removed by the head of a 
designated Federal entity before the expiration of the term of the 
Inspector General for permanent incapacity, inefficiency, neglect of 
duty, malfeasance, or conviction of a felony or conduct involving moral 
turpitude.''.
    (b) Establishment of Terms of Office.--The Inspector General Act of 
1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended--
            (1) in section 3, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h)(1) The term of office of each Inspector General shall be 7 
years. An individual may serve for more than 1 term in such office. Any 
individual appointed and confirmed to fill a vacancy in such position, 
occurring before the expiration of the term for which his or her 
predecessor was appointed, shall be appointed and confirmed for a full 
7-year term.
    ``(2) An individual may continue to serve as Inspector General 
beyond the expiration of the term for which the individual is appointed 
until a successor is appointed and confirmed, except that such 
individual may not continue to serve for more than 1 year after the 
date on which the term would otherwise expire under paragraph (1).''; 
and
            (2) in section 8G(c)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(c)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) The term of office of each Inspector General shall be 7 
years. An individual may serve for more than 1 term in such office. Any 
individual appointed to fill a vacancy in such position, occurring 
before the expiration of the term for which his or her predecessor was 
appointed, shall be appointed for a full 7-year term.''.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
        apply to any Inspector General of an establishment or a 
        designated Federal entity, as defined in sections 12 and 8G(a) 
        of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), 
        respectively, appointed before, on, or after the date of 
        enactment of this Act.
            (2) Term.--The term of office of an Inspector General 
        described in paragraph (1) serving on the date of enactment of 
        this Act is deemed to begin on such date of enactment.
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