October 1, 2002–March 31, 2003
Office of the Inspector General
The IG Act directs the OIG to review proposed legislation and regulations relating to the programs and operations of the Department. Although the Department's Office of Legislative Affairs reviews all proposed or enacted legislation that could affect the Department's activities, the OIG independently reviews proposed legislation that affects it or legislation that relates to waste, fraud, or abuse in the Department's programs or operations. During this reporting period, the OIG reviewed a variety of legislative initiatives, including draft appropriations bills and legislation creating the DHS.
In addition, the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act (P.L. 107-273), enacted on November 2, 2002, codified in statute the OIG's authority to investigate allegations of misconduct throughout the Department, including in the FBI. The Act also directed the IG to develop a plan for oversight of the FBI to include audits of the FBI's financial, information technology, and computer security systems as well as a plan to investigate allegations of misconduct by FBI personnel. The OIG submitted its oversight plan to the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary on December 2, 2002.