42-9.4-5. Jurisdiction -- Powers and duties.

(a) The inspector general shall have jurisdiction over any official, officer, employee, or

agency in the executive branch of state government.

(b) The inspector general shall have the following duties:

(1) Investigate the management and operation of agencies to determine if there has been

evidence of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, or any other abuse of governmental resources

that harms the public interest, whether through acts or omissions;

(2) Investigate retaliation claims regarding whistleblowers;

(3) Report suspected acts of fraud, waste, abuse or mismanagement against or within an

agency to the governor and, as appropriate to other state entities with jurisdiction over the matter;

(4) Conduct special investigations and management reviews of agencies at the request of

the governor;

(5) Establish procedures to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints, including

recommending whether disciplinary action or further investigation by appropriate local, state, or

federal agencies is warranted and taking further action as appropriate;

(6) Instruct and educate agencies on the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, abuse,

and mismanagement; conduct evaluations of relevant agency policies and procedures implicated

by any investigation and create a remedial action plan to prevent recurrences of fraud, waste, abuse,

or mismanagement that harm the public interest; and close an investigation when the inspector

general concludes there is insufficient evidence that a violation has occurred. Closure of any

investigation by the inspector general shall not bar the reopening of the investigation should

circumstances warrant;

(7) Act as a liaison to agencies to promote accountability, integrity, and efficiency in state

government;

(8) Maintain a statewide-toll-free telephone number, website, email address, and physical

mailing address for the receipt of complaints and inquiries;

(9) Work collaboratively, including through any memoranda of understanding, for the

purposes of efficiency, coordination, and avoidance of duplicative work with the attorney general,

local, state or federal law enforcement, the ethics commission, and the auditor general;

(10) Enter into contracts for audits or specialists needed to perform the duties outlined

herein. Provided, further, the inspector general shall coordinate with the auditor general to ensure

efficient utilization of available audit resources; and

(11) When formally requested by a municipal government through a city or town council

resolution, the inspector general may accept a request from a municipality to investigate concerns

regarding fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of state or municipal government funds. All the

powers, duties and procedures of the inspector general set forth in this chapter for investigation of

agencies shall apply to any investigation related to a municipality.