The bill establishes a new Chapter 9.4 in Title 42 of the General Laws, creating the Office of Inspector General as an independent administrative agency in Rhode Island. This office is charged with preventing and detecting fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds across all state programs, including those involving federal, state, and local funds. The Inspector General will be appointed for a five-year term by a majority vote of key state officials, including the governor, attorney general, general treasurer, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, speaker and minority leader of the house of representatives, and the president and minority leader of the senate. The appointee must possess relevant experience and qualifications in areas such as accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, investigation, and criminal justice administration.

The bill outlines the powers and responsibilities of the Inspector General, which include supervising, coordinating, and conducting audits, criminal, civil, and administrative investigations, and inspections related to the programs and operations specified in the bill. The Inspector General is authorized to issue subpoenas for the production of records and testimony necessary for investigations.

The appointment and removal processes for the Inspector General and their staff are detailed in the bill, ensuring that they cannot hold political office or engage in political campaigns during their tenure. The Inspector General may appoint and remove employees as necessary and is responsible for determining their salaries within the appropriated budget.

The bill mandates the establishment of an anonymous hotline for reporting potential wrongdoing and emphasizes confidentiality for individuals who report such activities. The Inspector General is required to coordinate with other state agencies, report findings to the attorney general or the United States Attorney when there are reasonable grounds to believe a violation of federal or state criminal law has occurred, and prepare annual and interim reports summarizing the office's activities. These reports will be made public while protecting the identities of individuals involved in ongoing investigations. The act will take effect upon passage.