Bill
HB 5997
Creates an independent Rhode Island Office of Inspector General to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and mismanagement in public funds and procurement across state programs.
Status & Procedural History
- Introduced: February 28, 2025 (House); referred to House Finance.
- Hearing(s) scheduled: 03/28/2025; Committee action: 04/09/2025 — committee recommended the measure be held for further study.
- Note: the bill text included in the materials also contains an unrelated Michigan public‑health licensure amendment; that content appears to be extraneous to this Rhode Island measure and is not summarized below.
Purpose
- Establishes an independent Office of Inspector General (OIG) for Rhode Island to prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds and in public procurement across state programs, agencies, authorities, districts, political subdivisions, and related grantees/contractors.
Key Definitions (selected)
- “Public funds”: state, federal, or local funds (appropriated or grant).
- “Procurement”, “Contract”, “Contractor”, “Services”, “Supplies”, and “Construction” are defined broadly to cover purchasing, contracts of many types (awards, fixed‑price, cost‑plus, purchase orders, leases, construction management contracts), and related functions.
Office and Inspector General — Appointment, Term, Qualifications, Removal
- Creates an Office of Inspector General and an Inspector General (IG) as the administrative head.
- Appointment: IG appointed by a majority vote of three officials — the Governor, the Attorney General, and the General Treasurer. The selection process must include at least one public forum. If no selection is made within one month of a new term, the Governor appoints.
- Term: five years (July 1 through June 30), with a two‑term limit.
- Minimum qualifications: at least five years’ experience in accounting, criminal justice, or a closely related profession and a bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting, criminal justice, or related field. The IG must be nonpartisan and not hold other public elective/appointed office while serving (and for one year prior); political activity is restricted.
- Removal: IG may be removed “for cause” by a two‑thirds vote of a specified multi‑member group (includes Governor, AG, General Treasurer, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Speaker and Minority Leader of the House, President and Minority Leader of the Senate). Reasons must be stated in writing and are public; the IG has ten days to file a public written appeal. If appealed, a two‑thirds vote of the Senate is required to dismiss.
Powers, Duties & Jurisdiction
- Investigate expenditure of public funds at state, local, and federal levels where those funds are used in state programs; investigations may include nongovernmental recipients of public funds.
- Oversight includes procurement and contracting practices, and construction projects. (Detailed investigative powers, reporting obligations, subpoena authority, or enforcement/recoupment mechanisms are not fully reproduced in the excerpt provided.)
Staffing, Budget & Reporting
- IG may appoint necessary staff (assistant IGs, counsels, auditors, investigators, etc.) and set duties/salaries, subject to overall appropriations.
- Annual personnel report required (first Wednesday in February) to the House and Senate Finance Committees listing positions, duties, salaries, and applicable personnel regulations; updates must be filed when changes occur.
- Office staff are subject to political activity restrictions similar to the IG while employed and for one year thereafter.
Potential Impact
- Creates centralized, independent oversight capacity intended to increase accountability in state spending and procurement, potentially leading to audits, investigations, recommendations for corrective action, and recoveries of misspent funds.
- A new recurring budgetary commitment will be needed to staff and operate the office; state agencies, municipalities, contractors, grantees, and recipients of public funds would be subject to review and investigation.
- The selection and removal mechanisms emphasize independence but involve multiple executive and legislative leaders, which may affect perceived independence and political dynamics.
If you would like, I can:
- Extract and summarize the bill’s specific investigative powers and reporting requirements if you provide the remainder of the text, or
- Draft a one‑page briefing for legislators or stakeholders that highlights likely budget and operational implications.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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