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Read. Follow. Verify.Connecticut General Assembly Establishes the Office of Government Oversight to Investigate State Fraud and Waste
Last action · April 27, 2026: Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, SenateSponsors: Rob Sampson and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
To establish the Office of Government Oversight to investigate fraud and waste in government.
State agencies, quasi-public entities, and large state contractors face new mandatory oversight, investigatory subpoena procedures, and strict whistleblower retaliation penalties involving civil penalties of up to 20% of contract value.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State Agencies and Quasi-Public Agencies
State and quasi-public agencies must submit internal audit programs for executive director approval, comply with reporting mandates, and post whistleblower notices.
Large State Contractors
Contractors are subject to investigative inquiries, record access requirements, whistleblower protection compliance, and civil penalties of up to 20% of contract value for retaliation.
Auditors of Public Accounts
The auditors are tasked with appointing the executive director and receiving notification of unauthorized or irregular fund handling.
Key Facts
- Establishes the independent Office of Government Oversight effective October 1, 2026, within the Joint Committee on Legislative Management for administrative purposes only.
- Creates the position of executive director, appointed by the Auditors of Public Accounts with legislative confirmation to a five-year term.
- Grants the executive director authority to conduct preemptive inspections, inquiries, and investigations regarding state funds, property, and regulatory compliance.
- Authorizes the executive director to apply to the Superior Court for subpoenas to compel witness attendance or document production.
Show all 9 facts
- Requires the executive director to report findings and recommendations to the Chief State's Attorney, Office of State Ethics, Attorney General, or United States Attorney when law violations or civil recovery are indicated.
- Mandates an annual report of office activities to the Governor and relevant legislative committees beginning October 31, 2027.
- Maintains confidentiality of oversight records during active investigations until conclusion or final adjudication.
- Expands whistleblower protections, allowing state, quasi-public, and large contractor employees to file complaints with the Chief Human Rights Referee for retaliatory personnel actions.
- Establishes civil penalties for large state contractors of up to $5,000 per offense and a maximum of 20% of contract value for retaliatory personnel actions against employees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary function of the Office of Government Oversight?
Who appoints the executive director of the Office of Government Oversight?
Are the records of the Office of Government Oversight public?
What protections exist for whistleblowers reporting to the new office?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Tabled in the Senate.
Procedural history
16 actions- Apr 27, 2026SenateFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
- Apr 27, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyNo New File by Committee on Appropriations
- Apr 27, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyReported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
- Apr 24, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyFiled with Legislative Commissioners' Office
- Apr 24, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyJoint Favorable
- Apr 21, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyImmediate Transmittal
Show 10 earlier actions
- Apr 21, 2026SenateReferred by Senate to Committee on Appropriations
- Apr 9, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyFile Number 569
- Apr 9, 2026SenateSenate Calendar Number 335
- Apr 9, 2026SenateFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
- Apr 9, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyReported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
- Apr 2, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyReferred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/08/26 5:00 PM
- Mar 23, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyFiled with Legislative Commissioners' Office
- Mar 23, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyJoint Favorable
- Mar 9, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyPublic Hearing 03/13
- Mar 6, 2026Connecticut General AssemblyCommitteeReferred to Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Consolidation of Oversight and Whistleblower Functions
The bill shifts numerous statutory reporting and investigative responsibilities previously held by the Auditors of Public Accounts to the newly created Office of Government Oversight.
Connected Entities
Sources
cga.ct.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment15Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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