This bill establishes a specific, court-appointed process for filling vacancies in Senate-confirmed Inspector General positions when the designated first assistant is unavailable.
Steve Cohen
Representative
TN-9
The Independent Acting IGs Act of 2025 establishes a clear, multi-step process for appointing temporary Inspectors General (IGs) when a permanent position becomes vacant. If the designated first assistant cannot serve, a special procedure is triggered where a randomly selected Circuit Court judge appoints an acting IG from a list recommended by a committee of other IGs. This ensures continuity of oversight by setting specific timelines and roles for temporary leadership appointments.
New IG Vacancy Rules Shift Appointment Power to Judges, Requiring Deputies to Hit 180-Day Service Mark
The “Independent Acting IGs Act of 2025” is a procedural bill that might sound dull, but it deals with who holds the reins of the federal government’s internal watchdogs—the Inspectors General (IGs). These are the folks who audit agencies like the Department of Defense, the IRS, or the Department of Energy, making sure your tax dollars aren't wasted and the rules are followed. This bill changes the rules for filling those IG jobs temporarily when the permanent, Senate-confirmed position is vacant.
The New 180-Day Rule for the Automatic Backup
Right now, if an IG job opens up, the first assistant (usually the Principal Deputy or Deputy IG) automatically steps in as the acting IG. This bill puts a new, specific requirement on that automatic succession. Under Section 2, the Deputy can only step up if they have served in that role for at least 180 days out of the previous 365 days. Think of it like a minimum experience requirement for the temporary promotion. The idea is to ensure the person stepping in isn't brand new, but it also means that a highly qualified deputy who just started six months ago might be disqualified from automatically assuming the role, potentially creating unnecessary instability.
When the Courts Step In: The Judicial Appointment Loop
Here’s where the bill gets interesting and potentially controversial: If the automatic backup person is unavailable, disqualified by the new 180-day rule, or refuses the job, the power to select the acting IG shifts completely out of the executive branch. A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge will be randomly selected to make the appointment. This judge gets a list of at least two candidates from a committee of three other existing IGs (members of CIGIE, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency). The judge then has the sole authority to pick the acting IG from that list.
Real-World Impact: Who Holds the Power?
This new process is a big deal because it fundamentally changes the balance of power. Currently, the President or agency head often has a say in who serves as the acting IG when the automatic successor isn't available. This bill (Section 2) explicitly supersedes those existing vacancy laws, meaning the President loses the ability to designate a temporary IG in these specific circumstances. For an everyday person, this means the head of the IRS or the Department of Veterans Affairs won't be able to pick their own temporary watchdog; instead, a federal judge and a committee of peers will. While this could increase the independence of the acting IG by shielding them from political pressure, it also introduces a judicial branch official into an executive branch appointment process, which is a significant structural shift. The judge’s decision is final, and the criteria they use to choose between the recommended candidates are not specified, leaving a lot of room for interpretation in a process that moves quickly—the whole judicial selection process is mandated to happen within about 42 days.