38 U.S.C. § 312 — Inspector General

(a) There's an Inspector General in the Department^*, appointed by the President with Senate confirmation, under chapter 4 of Title 5. The Inspector General does the job and has the powers that law gives.

(b) (1) The Secretary^* must provide at least 40 more full-time Inspector General positions than existed on March 15, 1989. (2) Each year's budget request to Congress must include enough money for at least that many positions - the March 15, 1989 count, plus 40.

(c) (1) Whenever the Inspector General finishes a "work product" under chapter 4 of Title 5, the Inspector General must: (A) send it to the Secretary; the Senate Veterans' Affairs, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Appropriations Committees; the House Veterans' Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform, and Appropriations Committees; whoever requested it, if someone other than the Inspector General asked for it; and any member of Congress who asks; (B) also send final work products to the requester (if any) and to any member of Congress who asks; and (C) post the final work product online within 3 days of sending it to the Secretary. (2) None of this allows publicly releasing information some other law says must stay private.

(d) (1)(A) On top of powers already in the Inspector General Act of 1978, and following the rules in this subsection, the Inspector General can subpoena witnesses to testify, as needed for the job - and a court can enforce that subpoena if someone refuses to comply. (B) But the Inspector General cannot subpoena testimony from a current federal employee, or from anyone as part of a criminal case. (2) This subpoena power can't be handed off to anyone else. (3)(A) The Inspector General must tell the Attorney General before issuing a subpoena. (B) Within 10 days, the Attorney General can object in writing if the subpoena would interfere with an ongoing investigation - and if so, the Inspector General can't issue it. (C) If the Attorney General doesn't object within those 10 days, the Inspector General can issue the subpoena. (4) Before subpoenaing a witness, the Inspector General must, as much as practical, tell the witness a subpoena is coming and give them a chance to testify voluntarily instead. (5) When a subpoena is issued, the Inspector General must, as much as practical, travel to the witness rather than making the witness travel. (6)(A) Every six months, alongside the regular report required under the Inspector General Act, the Inspector General must report on how this subpoena power was used. (B) That report must cover, for the past six months: how many subpoenas were issued and how many people were interviewed under them; how many proposed subpoenas the Attorney General objected to; any challenges or concerns with using this power; and anything else the Inspector General thinks is relevant. (7)(A) This subpoena power ends September 30, 2026. (B) But subpoenas issued before that date stay enforceable even after the power ends.