Independent Acting IGs Act of 2025

The Independent Acting IGs Act of 2025 would overhaul how Inspectors General (IGs) are temporarily replaced when an IG office becomes vacant. Rather than relying on a presidential appointment or the usual deputy interim, the bill creates an independent, judge-led process to appoint an acting IG. If the line-up of deputies is unavailable or unable to serve, a random appellate-court judge would appoint the acting IG from candidates selected with input from a panel of three IGs convened by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). The act also imposes eligibility conditions, tight timelines, and places the acting IG authority within a defined time frame. In short, the bill aims to ensure a rapid, independent, and formal process to maintain continuity of independent oversight across federal agencies during vacancies. Key procedural features include random selection of a circuit judge from the court of appeals where the IG headquarters is located, a three-IG advisory panel that must recommend at least two candidates, strict 14-day deadlines for convening and appointing, and the judge’s sole authority to appoint an acting IG who serves until the vacancy is filled. The act also clarifies when the first assistant to the IG should act and when the independent appointment process should be invoked, with the vacancy process authorized to operate notwithstanding other statutory provisions.