SB 01009 Summary

• Establishes the Office of Governmental Accountability effective July 1, 2011, consolidating the Office of State Ethics, State Elections Enforcement Commission, Freedom of Information Commission, Judicial Review Council, and State Contracting Standards Board under a single executive director appointed by the Governor.

• Creates three internal divisions within the new office: legal affairs and enforcement division (investigating complaints and providing advisory opinions), public affairs and services division (contract management and ethics education), and business operations division (administrative functions).

• Transfers all functions, personnel, contracts, and records from the five predecessor agencies to the Office of Governmental Accountability, with the Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board remaining as a separate nine-member body within the new office.

• Replaces the independent State Contracting Standards Board with the board operating as part of the Office of Governmental Accountability's public affairs division, while maintaining the board's authority over state procurement processes and certification of agency compliance.

• Requires the executive director to submit annual reports to the Governor and General Assembly and adopt regulations to implement the office's duties related to ethics, freedom of information, elections enforcement, judicial conduct review, and state contracting standards.