HB 535 Summary

• Transfers the Office of Chief Inspector General from section 14.32 to section 20.054 and expands authority to oversee all agency inspectors general, including cabinet agencies and the Executive Office of the Governor, with the Chief Inspector General nominated by the Governor and approved by the Cabinet.

• Requires agency inspectors general to be appointed by the Chief Inspector General with agency head consent and establishes a 21-day notice period before removal, with Governor or Cabinet able to object to termination.

• Mandates that agency inspectors general be certified by the Association of Inspectors General and requires at least one investigator within each inspector general's office to be a sworn law enforcement officer.

• Establishes procedures for agency inspectors general to establish internal and external complaint mechanisms, report findings to both agency heads and the Chief Inspector General, and provides authority to bypass agency head notification in certain circumstances to protect investigation integrity.

• Creates section 287.0565 requiring the Department of Management Services to adopt purchasing card standards and directives for agency inspectors general to conduct periodic audits of purchasing card use; permits employees disclosing information resulting in fund recovery to receive up to 15 percent of recovered funds; effective July 1, 2012.