127th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1349		LR 58(01)
	An Act To Establish the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services
	Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement for Original Bill
	Sponsor: Rep. Dion of Portland
	Committee: Health and Human Services
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill creates the Office of the Inspector General within the Department of Health and Human Services to be operated and funded independently of the department. The bill does not provide or identify a source of funding for the newly created office. The bill assumes the new office will take over functions of existing Department of Health and Human Services offices including the Division of Audit and possibly some of the functions of the Department of the Attorney General. Transferring these functions may allow for the transfer of some existing funds to the new office but would also likely require the appropriation and allocation of additional funds. The amount of funding required for the new office cannot be determined at this time.
	This fiscal note further assumes additional costs to the Legislature's Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability to conduct an audit of the Inspector General upon complaint or on an as-needed basis will be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.