PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Gives the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General the power to check the Surface Transportation Board’s money handling, property, and business operations. The review focuses on internal accounting and control systems and whether the Board follows federal laws, rules, and regulations. The Inspector General must keep the Chairman of the Board, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure fully and promptly informed about problems, issue findings and recommendations, and send regular reports to the two committees on progress fixing the problems. The IG may use the powers in 5 U.S.C. 406(a) and (c). Money can be appropriated for these activities, and if no appropriation is made, the IG and the Board must agree to reimburse the costs.

Title 49, §1326

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—

The Inspector General of the Department of Transportation, in accordance with the mission of the Inspector General to prevent and detect fraud and abuse, shall have authority to review only the financial management, property management, and business operations of the Surface Transportation Board, including internal accounting and administrative control systems, to determine the Board’s compliance with applicable Federal laws, rules, and regulations.

(b)Duties.—

In carrying out this section, the Inspector General shall—

(1)keep the Chairman of the Board, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives fully and currently informed about problems relating to administration of the internal accounting and administrative control systems of the Board;

(2)issue findings and recommendations for actions to address the problems referred to in paragraph (1); and

(3)submit periodic reports to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that describe any progress made in implementing actions to address the problems referred to in paragraph (1).

(c)Access to Information.—

In carrying out this section, the Inspector General may exercise authorities granted to the Inspector General under subsections (a) and (c) of section 406 of title 5.

(d)Authorization of Appropriations.—

(1)Funding.—

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for use by the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation such sums as may be necessary to cover expenses associated with activities pursuant to the authority exercised under this section.

(2)Reimbursable agreement.—

In the absence of an appropriation under this subsection for an expense referred to in paragraph (1), the Inspector General and the Board shall have a reimbursement agreement to cover such expense.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “subsections (a) and (c) of section 406 of title 5.” for “subsections (a) and (b) of section 6 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).”

§1326 Authority of the Inspector General

Summary

Title 49, §1326

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata