CHAPTER 15a
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY

      Sec. 1-300. Office of Governmental Accountability. Independent decision making authority of offices, commissions, council and boards. (a) There is established the Office of Governmental Accountability. The executive administrator of the office shall serve as the administrative head of the office, who shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of section 1-301.

      (b) The Office of Governmental Accountability shall provide personnel, payroll, affirmative action and administrative and business office functions and information technology associated with such functions for the following: The Office of State Ethics established under section 1-80, State Elections Enforcement Commission established under section 9-7a, Freedom of Information Commission established under section 1-205, Judicial Review Council established under section 51-51k, Judicial Selection Commission established under section 51-44a, Board of Firearms Permit Examiners established under section 29-32b, Office of the Child Advocate established under section 46a-13k, Office of the Victim Advocate established under section 46a-13b and State Contracting Standards Board established under section 4e-2. The personnel, payroll, affirmative action and administrative and business office functions of said offices, commissions, council and boards shall be merged and consolidated within the Office of Governmental Accountability pursuant to the plan developed and implemented under the provisions of section 1-302.

      (c) The executive administrator may employ necessary staff to carry out the administrative functions of the Office of Governmental Accountability, within available appropriations. Such necessary staff of the Office of Governmental Accountability shall be in classified service.

      (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or limit the independent decision-making authority of the Office of State Ethics, State Elections Enforcement Commission, the Freedom of Information Commission, Judicial Review Council, Judicial Selection Commission, Board of Firearms Permit Examiners, Office of the Child Advocate, Office of the Victim Advocate or the State Contracting Standards Board. Such decision-making authority includes, but is not limited to, decisions concerning budgetary issues and concerning the employment of necessary staff to carry out the statutory duties of each such office, commission, council or board.

      (P.A. 11-48, S. 58.)

      History: P.A. 11-48 effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 1-301. Governmental Accountability Commission. Executive administrator. (a)(1) There shall be a Governmental Accountability Commission, within the Office of Governmental Accountability established under section 1-300, that shall consist of nine members as follows: (A) The chairperson of the Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board established under section 1-80, or the chairperson's designee; (B) the chairperson of the State Elections Enforcement Commission established under section 9-7a, or the chairperson's designee; (C) the chairperson of the Freedom of Information Commission established under section 1-205, or the chairperson's designee; (D) the executive director of the Judicial Review Council established under section 51-51k, or the executive director's designee; (E) the chairperson of the Judicial Selection Commission established under section 51-44a, or the chairperson's designee; (F) the chairperson of the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners established under section 29-32b, or the chairperson's designee; (G) the Child Advocate appointed under section 46a-13k, or the advocate's designee; (H) the Victim Advocate appointed under section 46a-13b, or the advocate's designee; and (I) the chairperson of the State Contracting Standards Board established under section 4e-2, or the chairperson's designee. The Governmental Accountability Commission shall select a chairperson who shall preside at meetings of the commission. Said commission shall meet for the purpose of making recommendations to the Governor for candidates for the executive administrator of the Office of Governmental Accountability pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, or for the purpose of terminating the employment of the executive administrator.

      (2) The commission established under subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not be construed to be a board or commission within the meaning of section 4-9a.

      (b) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection concerning deadlines for recommendations for and appointment of an executive administrator of the Office of Governmental Accountability, not later than September 1, 2011, the Governor, with the approval of the General Assembly pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection, shall appoint a person as the executive administrator of the Office of Governmental Accountability established under section 1-300. Such person shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the administrative duties of the office. The initial appointment shall be made from a list prepared by the Governmental Accountability Commission pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, except in the case of such initial appointment, such list shall be of not fewer than three persons. Not later than August 1, 2011, the commission shall submit such list to the Governor. If the Governmental Accountability Commission has not submitted such list to the Governor on or before August 1, 2011, then on or after August 2, 2011, the Governor shall appoint an acting executive administrator who shall serve until a successor is appointed and confirmed in accordance with the provisions of this section.

      (2) Upon any vacancy in the position of executive administrator of the Office of Governmental Accountability, the commission shall meet to consider and interview successor candidates and shall submit to the Governor a list of not fewer than five and not more than seven of the most outstanding candidates, not later than sixty days after the occurrence of said vacancy. Such list shall rank the candidates in the order of commission preference. Upon receipt of the list of candidates from the commission, the Governor shall designate a candidate for the executive administrator of the Office of Governmental Accountability from among the choices not later than eight weeks after receiving such list. If at any time any candidate withdraws from consideration prior to confirmation by the General Assembly pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection, the Governor shall designate a candidate from the remaining candidates on the list.

      (3) The candidate designated by the Governor, or if, not later than eight weeks after receiving such list, the Governor fails to designate a candidate on the list, the candidate ranked first on the list, shall be referred to either house of the General Assembly for confirmation. If such house of the General Assembly is not in session, the referred candidate shall serve as acting executive administrator and be entitled to the compensation and shall carry out the duties of the executive administrator until such house meets to take action on said appointment. The person appointed executive administrator shall serve for a term of four years and may be reappointed or shall continue to hold office until such person's successor is appointed and qualified. The Governmental Accountability Commission may terminate the term of an executive administrator in accordance with the provisions of this section.

      (P.A. 11-48, S. 59.)

      History: P.A. 11-48 effective July 1, 2011.

      Sec. 1-302. Plan for Office of Governmental Accountability merger. Recommendations for further action. (a) Not later than November 1, 2011, the executive administrator appointed under section 1-301 shall develop and implement a plan for the Office of Governmental Accountability to merge and provide for personnel, payroll, affirmative action and administrative and business office functions and information technology associated with such functions for the Office of State Ethics established under section 1-80, State Elections Enforcement Commission established under section 9-7a, Freedom of Information Commission established under section 1-205, Judicial Review Council established under section 51-51k, Judicial Selection Commission established under section 51-44a, Board of Firearms Permit Examiners established under section 29-32b, Office of the Child Advocate established under section 46a-13k, Office of the Victim Advocate established under section 46a-13b and State Contracting Standards Board established under section 4e-2.

      (b) Not later than January 2, 2012, the executive administrator of the Office of Governmental Accountability, in conjunction with (1) the executive director, or the executive director's designee, of each of the following: The Office of State Ethics, the Freedom of Information Commission, the State Elections Enforcement Commission and the Judicial Review Council, (2) the chairperson or the chairperson's designee of each of the following: The Judicial Selection Commission, the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners, and the State Contracting Standards Board, (3) the Child Advocate or the advocate's designee, and (4) the Victim Advocate or the advocate's designee shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, government administration, the judiciary, children, public safety and human services concerning (A) the status of the merger described in subsection (a) of this section, and (B) any recommendations for further legislative action concerning such merger, including, but not limited to, recommendations to further consolidate and merge functions performed by the offices, commissions, boards and council within the Office of Governmental Accountability such as those concerning best use of staff, elimination of redundancies and cross-training of staff for the purpose of using staff to perform functions across such offices, commissions, boards and council.

      (P.A. 11-48, S. 60.)

      History: P.A. 11-48 effective July 1, 2011.