DOVER – On Monday, the House passed legislation that would establish an independent Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Sponsored by Rep. Cyndie Romer and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, Senate Bill 4 would create a non-partisan agency responsible for investigating and preventing fraud, waste, mismanagement, corruption, and other abuse of government resources. The OIG would assist in the recovery of misspent or inappropriately paid funds, thereby strengthening transparency and building greater public trust in government operations.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that we as a state government are being transparent about our processes, and any of the issues that arise within them,” said Rep. Cyndie Romer, House Prime Sponsor of SB 4.
“While we try our best to show Delawareans exactly how their tax dollars are being used, and encourage public participation in the legislative process, we can’t always reach everyone. And I’m certain the same goes for other government agencies within our state. By creating an independent, non-partisan Office of the Inspector General to investigate any waste, fraud, and mismanagement within the government, we are able to ensure that everyone in state government is held accountable, and that nothing falls through the cracks.”
The OIG will be subject to the following requirements:
- Working in tandem with other investigative and law-enforcement agencies, including the Attorney General and the Auditor of Accounts.
- Recommending corrective actions and statutory revisions when possible.
- Making referrals to other law-enforcement agencies when necessary.
- Providing reports to the Governor, Attorney General, and General Assembly, and making reports available to the public on the OIG website.
As a non-partisan office, the Inspector General will not be an elected position, and will be selected through the following process:
- A Selection Panel will provide three names to the Governor for consideration.
- The Governor will select a nominee from the three names for appointment as Inspector General and submit the nominee to the Senate for confirmation.
- Once confirmed by the Senate, the Inspector General will serve one 5-year term.
“Public servants have a fundamental responsibility to act as careful stewards of taxpayer dollars,” said Sen. Sturgeon. “Delaware residents deserve transparency, and this bill ensures that State operations are conducted with the highest degree of integrity and precision.”
“We’re living through a moment in our nation’s history characterized by unprecedented partisan division,” Sturgeon said. “This bill is a major step forward in putting politics aside and building trust between elected officials and constituents. I’d like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together in support of increased transparency and accountability throughout the state we are privileged to represent.”
SB 4 now heads to Governor Matt Meyer for signature.
