Source: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?111+ful+SB1477S1
Timestamp: 2018-01-24 07:40:21
Document Index: 705821776

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 37', '§ 53', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 9', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 59', '§ 53', '§ 66', '§ 2', '§ 23', '§ 53', '§ 2', '§ 37', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 37', '§ 53', '§ 2']

11105061D
SENATE BILL NO. 1477 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Senate Committee on General laws and Technology on February 2, 2011) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Stosch) A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-211, 2.2-3014, 2.2-3705.3, 2.2-3705.6, 2.2-3706, 2.2-3802, 2.2-4344, 32.1-127.1:03, 32.1-283, and 58.1-202.2 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 2.2 a chapter numbered 3.2, containing articles numbered 1 through 5, consisting of sections numbered 2.2-307 through 2.2-320; and to repeal Chapter 16 (§§ 2.2-1600 through 2.2-1602) of Title 2.2, Article 3 (§§ 37.2-423 through 37.2-425) of Chapter 4 of Title 37.2, and §§ 53.1-16 and 66-3.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the creation of the Office of the State Inspector General; consolidation of certain inspectors general.
1. That §§ 2.2-211, 2.2-3014, 2.2-3705.3, 2.2-3705.6, 2.2-3706, 2.2-3802, 2.2-4344, 32.1-127.1:03, 32.1-283, and 58.1-202.2 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 2.2 a chapter numbered 3.2, containing articles numbered 1 through 5, consisting of sections numbered 2.2-307 through 2.2-320, as follows:
"Nonstate agency" means any public or private foundation, authority, institute, museum, corporation, or similar organization that is not a unit of state government or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth as established by general law or special act. "Nonstate agency" shall not include any such entity that receives state funds as a subgrantee of a state agency or through a state grant-in-aid program authorized by law.
A. There is hereby created the Office of the State Inspector General, which shall be headed by a State Inspector General appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The State Inspector General shall be appointed for a four-year term. The State Inspector General shall have at least five years of demonstrated experience or expertise in accounting, public administration, or audit investigations, including a certified public accountant or a certified internal auditor. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term and shall be effective until 30 days after the next meeting of the ensuing General Assembly and, if confirmed, thereafter for the remainder of such term. The Governor may remove the State Inspector General from office for malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, misconduct, neglect of duty, absenteeism, conflict of interests, or failure to carry out the policies of the Commonwealth as established in the Constitution or by the General Assembly. The Governor shall set forth in a written public statement his reasons for removing the State Inspector General at the time the removal occurs.
3. Receive complaints from whatever source that allege fraud, waste, abuse, or corruption by a state agency or nonstate agency or by any officer or employee of the foregoing and determine whether the complaints give reasonable cause to investigate;
4. Investigate the management and operations of state agencies and nonstate agencies to determine whether acts of fraud, waste, abuse, or corruption have been committed or are being committed by state officers or employees or any officers or employees of a nonstate agency, including any allegations of criminal acts affecting the operations of state agencies or nonstate agencies;
5. Develop and maintain internal audit programs in state agencies and nonstate agencies in order to ensure that the Commonwealth's assets are subject to appropriate internal management controls and assess the condition of the accounting, financial, and administrative controls of state agencies and nonstate agencies. "Appropriate internal management controls" include safeguarding assets, ensuring accurate accounting and reporting of financial transactions, and providing effective and efficient management;
7. Provide timely notification to the appropriate attorney for the Commonwealth whenever the State Inspector General has reasonable grounds to believe there has been a violation of state criminal law;
11. Ensure that citizens have access to the services provided by the State Inspector General and that the citizens receive timely responses from the State Inspector General or his representatives to the inquiries;
12. Conduct performance reviews of state agencies and prepare a detailed report for each performance review detailing any findings or recommendations for improving the efficiency of state agencies, including recommending changes in the law to the Governor and the General Assembly that are necessary to address such findings; and
13. Administer the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund created pursuant to § 2.2-3014.
B. The State Inspector General may enter upon the premises of any state agency at any time, without prior announcement, if necessary to the successful completion of an investigation. In the course of an investigation, the State Inspector General may question any officer or employee serving in, and any person transacting business with, the state agency and may inspect and copy any books, records, or papers in the possession of the state agency. The State Inspector General shall preserve the confidentiality of any information obtained from a state agency during the course of an investigation in accordance with applicable state and federal law.
§ 2.2-311. Subpoenas.
B. The State Inspector General may make an ex parte application to the circuit court for the city or county wherein evidence sought is kept, for the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum in furtherance of an investigation or to request production of any relevant records, documents, and physical or other evidence of any person, partnership, association, or corporation located in the Commonwealth. The court may issue and compel compliance with such a subpoena upon a showing of reasonable cause. Upon determining that reasonable cause exists to believe that evidence may be destroyed or altered, the court may issue a subpoena duces tecum requiring the immediate production of evidence.
B. The State Inspector General shall report immediately to the Governor's chief of staff whenever the Office becomes aware of problems, abuses, or deficiencies relating to the management or operation of a state agency or nonstate agency.
C. The State Inspector General shall keep the appropriate Secretaries advised of the Office's activities as it relates to each respective Secretary on at least a quarterly basis, any problems, abuses, or deficiencies relating to the management or operation of a state agency within each such Secretary's area of responsibility. However, when the State Inspector General becomes aware of problems, abuses, or deficiencies relating to the management or operation of a Secretary's office, the State Inspector General shall report the same immediately to the Governor's chief of staff.
§ 2.2-313. Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
§ 2.2-315. Additional powers and duties of State Inspector General.
B. The State Inspector General and such members of the investigations unit of the Office as may be designated by the State Inspector General shall be law-enforcement officers as defined in § 9.1-101. Investigators so designated shall receive the training required by the Department of Criminal Justice Services for law-enforcement personnel before exercising such powers.
§ 2.2-316. Definitions.
§ 2.2-317. Additional powers and duties.
§ 2.2-318. Definitions.
§ 2.2-319. Additional powers and duties.
A. The State Inspector General shall (i) assess the condition of agency accounting, financial, and administrative controls; (ii) conduct investigations to resolve allegations of fraudulent, illegal, or inappropriate activities; (iii) prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse; and (iv) coordinate with federal and state law-enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. The State Inspector General shall also promote integrity, accountability, and process improvements in the Department of Transportation. The State Inspector General shall manage special projects and provide advisory services and technical assistance to management; as well as conduct business performance reviews, and coordinate and monitor Department of Transportation action plans in response to external audits and reviews.
22. Trade secrets, as defined in the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (§ 59.1-336 et seq.), including, but not limited to, financial records, including balance sheets and financial statements, that are not generally available to the public through regulatory disclosure or otherwise, and revenue and cost projections supplied by a private or nongovernmental entity to the Office of the State Inspector General of the Virginia Department, State Inspector General of Transportation for the purpose of an audit, special investigation, or any study requested by the State Inspector General's Office in accordance with law.
3. Reports submitted in confidence to (i) state and local law-enforcement agencies, (ii) investigators authorized pursuant to § 53.1-16 or § 66-3.1 Chapter 3.2 (§ 2.2-307 et seq.) of this title, and (iii) campus police departments of public institutions of higher education established pursuant to Chapter 17 (§ 23-232 et seq.) of Title 23;
11. Maintained by the Department of Corrections or the Office of the State Inspector General that deal with investigations and intelligence gathering by persons acting under the provisions of § 53.1-16Chapter 3.2 (§ 2.2-307 et seq.) of this title;
D. The State Inspector General for Behavioral Health and Developmental Services may enter into contracts without competition to obtain the services of licensed health care professionals or other experts to assist in carrying out the duties of the Office of the Inspector GeneralState Inspector General for Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
26. To the Office of the State Inspector General for Behavioral Health and Developmental Services pursuant to Article 3 (§ 37.2-423 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 37.2 pursuant to Chapter 3.2 (§ 2.2-307 et seq.)of Title 2.2;
2. That Chapter 16 (§§ 2.2-1600 through 2.2-1602) of Title 2.2, Article 3 (§§ 37.2-423 through 37.2-425) of Chapter 4 of Title 37.2, and §§ 53.1-16 and 66-3.1 of the Code of Virginia are repealed.
3. That, effective July 1, 2012, the Office of the State Inspector General created by this act shall be deemed the successor in interest to the (i) Office of the Inspector General for Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, (ii) Inspector General for the Department of Corrections, (iii) Inspector General of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and (iv) Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to the extent that this act transfers powers and duties. All rights, title, and interest in and to any real or tangible personal property vested in the Inspector General for Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Inspector General for the Department of Corrections, the Inspector General of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation to the extent that this act transfers powers and duties as of July 1, 2011, shall be transferred to and taken as standing in the name of the Office of the State Inspector General created by this act.
5. That the Office of the State Inspector General created by this act shall complete an implementation plan for the transfer of internal audit programs from the State Internal Auditor.
6. That any regulations adopted by the State Internal Auditor that are in effect as of the effective date of this act and which pertain to the subject of this act shall remain in full force and effect until altered, amended, or rescinded by the State Inspector General.
7. That the provisions of this act shall become effective on July 1, 2012, except that the provisions of Article 5 (§ 2.2-320) of Chapter 3.2 of Title 2.2 of this act relating to transportation shall become effective on July 1, 2014.