Bill > S2270

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Governor to appoint a Chief Accountability Officer who will report directly to the Governor. The officer shall be a person qualified by education, training, and prior work experience to perform the duties and functions and fulfill the responsibilities of the position. The officer will be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and will serve for a term of five years. The Chief Accountability Officer will establish a system to ensure that the officers named in this bill conduct their duties, audits, investigations, and reviews in consultation, coordination, and cooperation with the Chief Accountability Officer. The Chief Accountability Officer will ensure that the duties, audits, investigations, and reviews of the officers named in this bill are conducted in accordance the laws, rules, and regulations of this State and in accordance with any prevailing national and professional standards, rules, and practices relating to such duties, audits, investigations, and reviews in government environments. The Chief Accountability Officer will supervise the activities of the following officers of the State government: Inspector General, Department of Transportation Director of the Division of Internal Audit, New Jersey Transit Corporation Ombudsman, Board of Public Utilities Insurance Claims Ombudsman, Department of Banking and Insurance New Jersey Special Education Ombudsman, Department of Education Student Loan Ombudsman, Department of Banking and Insurance NJ ESSA Nonpublic Ombudsman Smart Growth Ombudsman, Department of Community Affairs Small Business Ombudsman, Department of State Executive Director, State Agriculture Development Committee Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and their Families, Department of Human Services State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Department of Human Services Office of Corrections Ombudsperson, Department of Corrections Military and Defense Economic Ombudsman, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Compliance Review Officer, State Ethics Commission State Comptroller, Department of the Treasury Command Inspector General, New Jersey National Guard The Chief Accountability Officer will establish the internal organizational structure of the office in a manner appropriate to carrying out the duties and functions, and fulfilling the responsibilities, of the office. Each department, office, division and agency of this State is required to cooperate with the office and furnish the office with the assistance necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The Chief Accountability Officer is required to meet at periodic intervals, but at least twice annually, with the officers named in this bill for the purpose of consulting, coordinating, and cooperating with those officers in the conduct of their duties, responsibilities, and functions. The focus of all parties during such meetings will be to: facilitate communication and exchange information on completed, current, and future audits, investigations, and reviews; avoid duplication and fragmentation of efforts; optimize the use of resources; avoid divisiveness and organizational uncertainty; promote effective working relationships; and avoid the unnecessary expenditure of public funds. The Chief Accountability Officer will provide periodic reports to the Governor and issue an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature, which will be available to the public.

Committee Categories

Nick Scutari (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document