The following functions, powers, and duties heretofore vested in the government comptroller for Guam with respect to the government of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the government of the Northern Mariana Islands are hereby transferred to the Inspector General, Department of the Interior, for the purpose of establishing an organization which will maintain a satisfactory level of independent audit oversight of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands:

(1) The authority to audit all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and of funds derived from bond issues, and the authority to audit, in accordance with law and administrative regulations, all expenditures of funds and property pertaining to the aforementioned governments including those pertaining to trust funds held by such governments.

(2) The authority to report to the Secretary of the Interior, the High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the chief executives of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands all failures to collect amounts due the governments, and expenditures of funds or uses of property which are irregular or not pursuant to law.

The authority granted in paragraph (a) shall extend to all activities of the governments of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and shall be in addition to the authority conferred upon the Inspector General by the Inspector General Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 1101), as amended. This section is not subject to termination under section 502(a)(3) of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America (90 Stat. 263, 268).

In order to carry out the provisions of this section, the personnel, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, and other funds employed, held, used, arising from, available or to be made available, of the office of the government comptroller for Guam related to its audit function, with respect to the government of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the government of the Northern Mariana Islands are hereby transferred to the Office of Inspector General, Department of the Interior.

(June 30, 1954, ch. 423, § 4, as added Pub. L. 97–357, title II, § 203(b), Oct. 19, 1982, 96 Stat. 1707.)