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§ 17-605. Powers and duties of the Office of the Inspector General

West's Annotated Code of MarylandPublic UtilitiesEffective: October 1, 2018

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Public Utilities (Refs & Annos)
Division II. Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission [Titles 16-29] (Refs & Annos)
Title 17. Commission (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 6. Office of the Inspector General (Refs & Annos)
Effective: October 1, 2018
MD Code, Public Utilities, § 17-605
§ 17-605. Powers and duties of the Office of the Inspector General
Currentness
In general
(a) The Office shall:
(1) assist the Commission by providing independent evaluation and recommendations regarding opportunities to:
(i) preserve the Commission's reputation; and
(ii) improve the effectiveness, productivity, or efficiency of Commission programs, policies, practices, and operations;
(2) ensure public accountability by preventing, investigating, and reporting instances of fraud, waste, and abuse of Commission property or funds;
(3) examine, evaluate, and report on the adequacy and effectiveness of the systems of internal controls and their related accounting, financial, technology, and operational policies;
(4) report noncompliance with and propose ways to improve employee compliance with applicable law, policy, and ethical standards of conduct;
(5) conduct audits as required under § 25-405 of this article; and
(6) conduct other audits related to the operation of the Commission.
Development of recommendations
(b) In developing recommendations, the Office may:
(1) conduct administrative investigations, budgetary analyses, and financial, management, or performance audits and similar reviews;
(2) provide management advisories; and
(3) utilize the assistance from any other government agency or private party to complete a project initiated by the Office.
Compliance with generally accepted government auditing standards
(c) When applicable, the inspector general shall comply with generally accepted government auditing standards.
Submission of written reports
(d)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the inspector general shall submit written reports to the Commission for publication on the Commission's website.
(2) The inspector general:
(i) may not disclose any record, report, or related information that is protected from disclosure under the Public Information Act;
(ii) may provide an oral report if appropriate under generally accepted government auditing standards; and
(iii) shall establish and follow procedures for safeguarding the identity of confidential sources and protecting privileged and confidential information.
(3) The Commission shall publish with any report submitted by the inspector general any official written comments or responses offered by the Commission's management.
(4) The inspector general shall also submit to the Commission for publication on the Commission's website periodic reports that summarize the activities, findings, recommendations, and accomplishments of the Office.
Report of allegations of serious violations of federal, State, or local law or Commission regulations
(e) If reasonable grounds exist to believe that a serious violation of federal, State, or local law or Commission regulations has occurred, the inspector general shall report the allegation to:
(1) an appropriate law enforcement agency;
(2) the State Ethics Commission;
(3) the Commission Board of Ethics; or
(4) any other agency with jurisdiction to enforce the law.
Regulations
(f) The Commission shall adopt regulations to ensure that the Office operates independently from the management of the Commission.

Credits

Added by Acts 2018, c. 130, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2018.
MD Code, Public Utilities, § 17-605, MD PUBLIC UTIL § 17-605
Current through legislation effective through May 9, 2024, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document