text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``White House Inspector General Act of 
  1996''.
  
  SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE 
                PRESIDENT.
  
      (a) Establishment of Office.--Section 11 of the Inspector General 
  Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended--
              (1) in paragraph (1) by inserting ``the President (with 
          respect only to the Executive Office of the President),'' after 
          ``means''; and
              (2) in paragraph (2) by inserting ``the Executive Office of 
          the President,'' after ``means''.
      (b) Appointment of Inspector General.--Not later than 120 days 
  after the effective date of this Act, the President shall nominate an 
  individual as the Inspector General of the Executive Office of the 
  President pursuant to the amendments made by subsection (a).
  
  SEC. 3. SPECIAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE 
                EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT.
  
      The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended--
              (1) by redesignating the second section 8G (regarding a 
          rule of construction) as section 8I; and
              (2) by inserting after the first section 8G (regarding 
          requirements for Federal entities and designated Federal 
          entities) the following:
  
  ``SEC. 8H. SPECIAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE 
                EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT.
  
      ``(a) Authority, Direction, and Control of President.--
  Notwithstanding the last 2 sentences of section 3(a), the Inspector 
  General of the Executive Office of the President shall be under the 
  authority, direction, and control of the President with respect to 
  audits or investigations, or the issuance of subpoenas, which require 
  access to information concerning--
              ``(1) ongoing criminal investigations or proceedings;
              ``(2) undercover operations;
              ``(3) the identity of confidential sources, including 
          protected witnesses;
              ``(4) deliberations and decisions on policy matters, 
          including documented information used as a basis for making 
          policy decisions;
              ``(5) intelligence or counterintelligence matters; or
              ``(6) other matters the disclosure of which would 
          constitute a serious threat to the national security, or would 
          cause significant impairment to the national interests 
          (including interests in foreign trade negotiations), of the 
          United States.
      ``(b) Prohibiting Activities of Inspector General.--With respect to 
  information described in subsection (a), the President may prohibit the 
  Inspector General of the Executive Office of the President from 
  carrying out or completing any audit or investigation, or issuing any 
  subpoena, after the Inspector General has decided to initiate, carry 
  out, or complete such audit or investigation or to issue such subpoena, 
  if the President determines that--
              ``(1) the disclosure of that information would interfere 
          with the core functions of the constitutional responsibilities 
          of the President; and
              ``(2) the prohibition is necessary to prevent the 
          disclosure of that information.
      ``(c) Notice.--
              ``(1) Notice to inspector general.--If the President makes 
          a determination referred to in subsection (b)(1) or (2), the 
          President shall within 30 days notify the Inspector General in 
          writing stating the reasons for that determination.
              ``(2) Notice to congress.--Within 30 days after receiving a 
          notice under paragraph (1), the Inspector General shall 
          transmit a copy of the notice to each of the Chairman and the 
          ranking minority party member of the Committee on Government 
          Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives, the 
          Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and other 
          appropriate committees or subcommittees of the Congress.
      ``(d) Semiannual Reports.--
              ``(1) Information to be included.--The Inspector General of 
          the Executive Office of the President shall include in each 
          semiannual report to the President under section 5, at a 
          minimum--
                      ``(A) a list of the title or subject of each 
                  inspection, investigation, or audit conducted during 
                  the reporting period;
                      ``(B) a statement of whether corrective action has 
                  been completed on each significant recommendation 
                  described in previous semiannual reports, and, in a 
                  case where corrective action has been completed, a 
                  description of such corrective action;
                      ``(C) a certification that the Inspector General 
                  has had full and direct access to all information 
                  relevant to the performance of functions of the 
                  Inspector General;
                      ``(D) a description of all cases occurring during 
                  the reporting period in which the Inspector General 
                  could not obtain documentary evidence relevant to any 
                  inspection, audit, or investigation due to a 
                  determination of the President under subsection (b); 
                  and
                      ``(E) such recommendations as the Inspector General 
                  considers appropriate concerning legislation to promote 
                  economy and efficiency in the administration of 
                  programs and operations undertaken by the Executive 
                  Office of the President, and to detect and eliminate 
                  fraud, waste, and abuse in such programs and 
                  operations.
              ``(2) Transmission to congress.--Within 30 days after 
          receiving a semiannual report under section 5 from the 
          Inspector General of the Executive Office of the President, the 
          President shall transmit the report to each of the Chairman and 
          the ranking minority party member of the Committee on 
          Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives 
          and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate with 
          any comments the President considers appropriate.''.
  
  SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
  
      This Act shall take effect on January 21, 1997.
target: White House Inspector General Act of 1996 - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to:  (1) establish an Office of Inspector General (IG) in the Executive Office of the President; (2) require the IG to serve under the President's authority, direction, and control with respect to matters concerning ongoing criminal investigations, policy making, and national security (unless the President notifies the IG that disclosure of pertinent information would interfere with the core functions of the President's constitutional responsibilities); and (3) require the IG to comply with the same semiannual reporting requirements that all other IGs are subject to and, at a minimum, supply additional specified information as well.
feat_title: White House Inspector General Act of 1996