LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL ACT

Session: 104th General Assembly
Year: 2026
Bill #: SB2795
Category: Miscellaneous
Position: Under Review
Mandate?
Revenue Loss?
Authority Preemption?

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Summary as Introduced

Creates the Local Government Inspector General Act. Provides that the purpose of the Act is to establish an independent entity to which allegations of incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, corruption, or official misconduct involving units of local government, including their officers, employees, and agents, or elected or appointed local officials, may be reported and investigated with the assistance of the Attorney General. Creates the Local Government Ethics Commission and the Office of the Local Government Inspector General and provides that members of the Commission and the Inspector General shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Sets forth the procedures of investigating a complaint and the issuing of reports. Defines terms. Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Requires the appointment of at least one member of the general public to the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing an investigation. Provides that, within 60 days after receipt of a summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head that resulted in the subject of the investigation being found guilty of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance, misfeasance, malfeasance, or violations of the Act, or violations of other related laws and rules, the Legislative Inspector General (currently, Legislative Ethics Commission) shall make available to the public the report and response or a redacted version of the report and response. Allows the Legislative Inspector General to make available to the public any other summary report and response of the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head or a redacted version of the report and response without prior approval from the Legislative Ethics Commission. Makes conforming changes.

Staff Analysis

Senate Bill 2795 proposes the creation of a centralized, independent oversight body to monitor and investigate the operations of local government entities throughout the state. The primary objective of the bill is to establish the Office of the Local Government Inspector General and a corresponding Local Government Ethics Commission, both of which would be tasked with reviewing allegations of official misconduct, corruption, malfeasance, incompetence, and neglect of duty. These bodies would have the authority to investigate not only elected and appointed officials but also the employees, agents, and vendors doing business with local governments. To ensure independence, the Inspector General and the members of the Ethics Commission would be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, rather than by the local entities they oversee.

The impact on county governments is significant for those that do not currently have their own independent oversight mechanisms. Under the "Scope" section of the bill, the Act specifically applies to units of local government that do not already have their own inspector general. For these counties, the bill introduces a new layer of state-level scrutiny over their administrative and financial activities. County officials and employees would be subject to the investigative powers of the state-appointed Inspector General, who can issue reports and coordinate with the Attorney General on findings of fraud or mismanagement. Furthermore, the bill expands transparency requirements by mandating that summary reports of investigations—which find subjects guilty of misconduct—be made available to the public. While counties that maintain their own internal inspector general may be exempt from the direct jurisdiction of this new office, the legislation establishes a statewide standard for ethical conduct and accountability that effectively closes gaps in oversight for smaller or less-resourced county administrations.


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