(a) If the person found to have violated this chapter is or was a legislative employee, the committee's recommendations shall be forwarded to the appropriate appointing authority which shall, as soon as is reasonably possible, determine the sanctions, if any, to be imposed. The appointing authority may not question the committee's findings of fact. The appointing authority shall assume the validity of the committee's findings and determine and impose the appropriate sanctions. The appointing authority has the power to impose a sanction recommended by the committee or to impose a different sanction. The appointing authority shall enforce the sanction and shall report to the committee at a time specified by the committee concerning the employee's compliance with the sanction.

(b) In this section, “appointing authority” means

(1) the legislative council for employees of the Legislative Affairs Agency and of the legislative council and for legislative employees not otherwise covered under this subsection;

(2) the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee for the legislative fiscal analyst and employees of the division of legislative finance, the legislative auditor and employees of the division of legislative audit, and employees of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee;

(3) the appropriate finance committee for employees of the senate or house finance committees;

(4) the appropriate rules committee for employees of

(A) standing committees of the legislature, other than the finance committees;

(B) the senate secretary's office and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives; and

(C) house records and senate records;

(5) the legislator who made the hiring decision for employees of individual legislators; however, the legislator may request the appropriate rules committee to act in the legislator's stead;

(6) the ombudsman for employees of the office of the ombudsman, other than the ombudsman;

(7) the legislature for the ombudsman;

(8) the victims' advocate for employees of the office of victims' rights, other than the victims' advocate;

(9) the legislature for the victims' advocate.