The Ombudsman Act

Alaska · Legislature and Lobbying · §§ 24.55.010 to 24.55.340 · 35 sections

Overview

The Ombudsman Act creates an independent office of the ombudsman empowered to investigate complaints against government agencies, and it sets the terms on which that office operates — appointment, qualifications and restrictions on political activity, term, removal, compensation, and the authority to hire and delegate to staff. It defines the ombudsman's jurisdiction and the kinds of agency conduct that are appropriate subjects for investigation, permits investigations to be opened on a complaint or on the ombudsman's own motion, and prescribes the procedure that follows: notice to the complainant and the affected agency, investigative powers and the handling of privileged communications, consultation, findings and recommendations that may be published, referral of misconduct by agency personnel, and an annual report. To keep the office independent, the act grants the ombudsman immunity and a privilege not to testify or disclose documents, protects correspondence to and from the office, provides a penalty provision and limited judicial review, and extends the ombudsman's reach to local bodies such as municipalities and school districts.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.

Sections covered

AS 24.55.010Office of the ombudsman
AS 24.55.020Appointment of the ombudsman
AS 24.55.030Qualifications; prohibition against political activity
AS 24.55.040Term of office
AS 24.55.050Removal
AS 24.55.060Compensation
AS 24.55.070Staff and delegation
AS 24.55.080Office facilities and administration
AS 24.55.090Procedure
AS 24.55.100Jurisdiction
AS 24.55.110Investigation of complaints
AS 24.55.120Investigation on the ombudsman's motion
AS 24.55.130Notice to complainant
AS 24.55.140Notice to the agency
AS 24.55.150Appropriate subjects for investigation
AS 24.55.160Investigation procedures; privileged communications
AS 24.55.170Powers
AS 24.55.180Consultation
AS 24.55.190Procedure after investigation
AS 24.55.200Publication of recommendations
AS 24.55.210Notice to the complainant
AS 24.55.220Misconduct by agency personnel
AS 24.55.230Annual report
AS 24.55.240Judicial review
AS 24.55.250Immunity of the ombudsman
AS 24.55.260Ombudsman's privilege not to testify or disclose documents
AS 24.55.270Letters to or from ombudsman
AS 24.55.275Procurement procedures
AS 24.55.280Time for judicial review of agency action
AS 24.55.290Penalty
AS 24.55.300Administrative Procedure Act
AS 24.55.310Conflict of interest. [Repealed, § 42 ch 127 SLA 1992.]
AS 24.55.320Municipalities and school districts
AS 24.55.330Definitions
AS 24.55.340Short title

Enacted in other states

Iowa

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