(a) Upon receiving a referral from a compliance officer of an institution of higher education or a sworn complaint based upon substantive information and reasonable belief as defined in Arkansas law, the Department of Inspector General shall investigate an allegation of a violation of §§ 6-60-1805 — 6-60-1807.
(b) (1) The department or compliance officer authorized by an institution of higher education may request records relevant to any reasonable suspicion of a violation of this subchapter.(2) An entity shall provide the requested records under subdivision (b)(1) of this section within ten (10) days after the request or a later date agreed to by the department.
(1) The department or compliance officer authorized by an institution of higher education may request records relevant to any reasonable suspicion of a violation of this subchapter.
(2) An entity shall provide the requested records under subdivision (b)(1) of this section within ten (10) days after the request or a later date agreed to by the department.
(c) An institution of higher education that knowingly fails to make a disclosure required under this subchapter or knowingly fails to provide records requested under subdivision (b)(1) of this section is subject to, upon a final administration finding, a civil fine of:(1) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for a first violation; or(2) Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for a subsequent violation.
(1) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for a first violation; or
(2) Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for a subsequent violation.
(d) A whistleblower who reports an undisclosed foreign gift or contract from a foreign adversary to the appropriate inspector general may also report the undisclosed gift or contract to the Attorney General and retain whistleblower protection under the Arkansas Whistle-Blower Act, § 21-1-601 et seq.
(e) Information reported under subsection (b) of this section is not confidential or exempt from examination or disclosure, except as otherwise provided by law.
(f) The governing board of an institution of higher education and the department may adopt rules to implement this section.