There is hereby created in the office of the inspector general the position of deputy inspector general for the department of transportation. The inspector general shall appoint the deputy inspector general, and the deputy inspector general shall serve at the pleasure of the inspector general. A person employed as the deputy inspector general shall have the same qualifications as those specified in section 121.49 of the Revised Code for the inspector general. The inspector general shall provide technical, professional, and clerical assistance to the deputy inspector general.

There is hereby created in the state treasury the deputy inspector general for ODOT fund . The fund shall consist of money credited to the fund for the payment of costs incurred by the deputy inspector general in performing the duties of the deputy inspector general as specified in this section. The inspector general shall use the fund to pay costs incurred by the deputy inspector general in performing the duties of the deputy inspector general as required under this section.

The deputy inspector general shall investigate all wrongful acts or omissions that have been committed or are being committed by employees of the department. In addition, the deputy inspector general shall conduct a program of random review of the processing of contracts associated with building and maintaining the state's infrastructure. The random review program shall be designed by the inspector general. The program shall be confidential and may be altered by the inspector general at any time. The deputy inspector general has the same powers and duties regarding matters concerning the department as those specified in sections 121.42, 121.43, and 121.45 of the Revised Code for the inspector general. Complaints may be filed with the deputy inspector general in the same manner as prescribed for complaints filed with the inspector general under section 121.46 of the Revised Code. All investigations conducted and reports issued by the deputy inspector general are subject to section 121.44 of the Revised Code.

All officers and employees of the department shall cooperate with and provide assistance to the deputy inspector general in the performance of any investigation conducted by the deputy inspector general. In particular, those persons shall make their premises, equipment, personnel, books, records, and papers readily available to the deputy inspector general. In the course of an investigation, the deputy inspector general may question any officers or employees of the department and any person transacting business with the department and may inspect and copy any books, records, or papers in the possession of the department, taking care to preserve the confidentiality of information contained in responses to questions or the books, records, or papers that are made confidential by law. In performing any investigation, the deputy inspector general shall avoid interfering with the ongoing operations of the department, except insofar as is reasonably necessary to complete the investigation successfully.

At the conclusion of an investigation by the deputy inspector general, the deputy inspector general shall deliver to the director of transportation and the governor any case for which remedial action is necessary. The deputy inspector general shall maintain a public record of the activities of the deputy inspector general to the extent permitted under this section, ensuring that the rights of the parties involved in each case are protected. The inspector general shall include in the annual report required by section 121.48 of the Revised Code a summary of the deputy inspector general's activities during the previous year.

No person shall disclose any information that is designated as confidential in accordance with section 121.44 of the Revised Code or any confidential information that is acquired in the course of an investigation conducted under this section to any person who is not legally entitled to disclosure of that information.

Amended by 128th General Assemblych.126, HB 2, §101.01, eff. 7/1/2009.

Effective Date: 2007 HB67 07-03-2007; 2007 HB119 06-30-2007.