# What This Bill Does

This bill is about making the Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog more transparent. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the federal agency responsible for things like border security, immigration, and disaster response. Like most large government agencies, DHS has an Inspector General—basically an internal auditor whose job is to investigate waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct within the department.

Right now, when the Inspector General finds serious problems, those reports often stay hidden from the public. This bill would change that by requiring the Inspector General to publish reports on a public website whenever they find evidence of misconduct by high-ranking officials or violations of whistleblower protections. The only exception is if publishing would reveal the identity of someone who reported a problem (a whistleblower) and they don't want their name made public. So if an investigation finds that a senior DHS official wasted taxpayer money or violated the law, citizens would be able to read about it instead of it staying locked away in government files.

The bill also requires the Inspector General to give Congress detailed updates twice a year about what investigations are ongoing, when they started, when they're expected to finish, and why any investigations got delayed or cancelled. Additionally, the Inspector General must report to Congress if DHS officials refuse to cooperate with investigations. These changes are designed to prevent the department from burying problems or stonewalling the watchdog's work.

Overall, this is about accountability and transparency—making sure that problems within DHS don't get hidden and that Congress and the public can see what the Inspector General is actually investigating and finding.

Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Transparency Act

Thompson, Bennie G.

<html><body>Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Transparency Act This bill addresses reports conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Specifically, the bill requires the OIG to submit to Congress any report finalized on or after 30 days after the enactment of this bill that substantiates <ul> <li>a violation of specified provisions regarding prohibited personnel practices, protected communications, or retaliatory personnel actions; </li> <li>a violation of Presidential Personnel Directive-19 (protecting whistleblowers with access to classified information); or</li> <li>an allegation of misconduct, waste, fraud, abuse, or a violation of policy within DHS involving a member of the Senior Executive Service or politically appointed official of DHS.</li> </ul> The OIG must make each report publicly available on its website, with exceptions. The bill requires the OIG's semiannual reports to include specified information regarding <ul> <li>ongoing audits, inspections, and evaluations;</li> <li>significant changes since the previous semiannual report regarding the narrative description of each such audit, inspection, or evaluation;</li> <li>any such audit, inspection, or evaluation terminated;</li> <li>certain delays; and</li> <li>data with respect to tips and complaints made to the OIG Hotline or otherwise referred to DHS.</li> </ul> The OIG must report within one year on the policies, procedures, and internal controls established that ensure compliance with the Quality Standards for Federal Offices of Inspector General from the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate such report within one year after receipt of the report.</body></html>