PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Moves the auditing job from Guam’s government comptroller to the Inspector General at the Department of the Interior. The Inspector General can audit all money, receipts, bond funds, spending, property, and trust funds for the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The Inspector General can report to the Secretary of the Interior, the High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the top leaders of those governments about money not collected or spending and uses of property that are improper or not allowed. The auditing power covers all activities of those governments and adds to the Inspector General’s other powers under chapter 4 of title 5. This change cannot be ended under section 502(a)(3) of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America (90 Stat. 263, 268). To make this work, the staff, equipment, contracts, records, debts, and unused funds tied to the Guam comptroller’s audit work are moved to the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General.

Title 48, §1681b

Territories and Insular Possessions, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Functions, powers, and duties transferred

The following functions, powers, and duties heretofore vested in the government comptroller for Guam with respect to the government of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the government of the Northern Mariana Islands are hereby transferred to the Inspector General, Department of the Interior, for the purpose of establishing an organization which will maintain a satisfactory level of independent audit oversight of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands:

(1)The authority to audit all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and of funds derived from bond issues, and the authority to audit, in accordance with law and administrative regulations, all expenditures of funds and property pertaining to the aforementioned governments including those pertaining to trust funds held by such governments.

(2)The authority to report to the Secretary of the Interior, the High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the chief executives of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands all failures to collect amounts due the governments, and expenditures of funds or uses of property which are irregular or not pursuant to law.

(b)Scope of authority transferred

The authority granted in paragraph (a) shall extend to all activities of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and shall be in addition to the authority conferred upon the Inspector General by chapter 4 of title 5. This section is not subject to termination under section 502(a)(3) of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America (90 Stat. 263, 268).

(c)Transfer of personnel, assets, etc., of office of government comptroller for Guam to Office of Inspector General, Department of the Interior

In order to carry out the provisions of this section, the personnel, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, and other funds employed, held, used, arising from, available or to be made available, of the office of the government comptroller for Guam related to its audit function, with respect to the government of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the government of the Northern Mariana Islands are hereby transferred to the Office of Inspector General, Department of the Interior.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 502(a)(3) of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, referred to in subsec. (b), is contained in section 1 of Pub. L. 94–241, set out as a note under section 1801 of this title.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1681b, acts June 30, 1954, ch. 423, § 4, as added Sept. 21, 1973, Pub. L. 93–111, § 2, 87 Stat. 354; amended Oct. 15, 1977, Pub. L. 95–134, title II, § 203(b), 91 Stat. 1162; Mar. 12, 1980, Pub. L. 96–205, title II, § 201(b), 94 Stat. 85, related to duties of government comptroller for Guam in addition to those imposed by Organic Act of Guam, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 97–357, § 203(b).

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “chapter 4 of title 5.” for “the Inspector General Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 1101), as amended.”

§1681b Transfer of Functions From Government Comptroller for Guam to Inspector General, Department of the Interior