Sec. 309. Establishment of the Office of the Public Advocate

314 words·~1 min read·/bill/115/s/3357/is/section-309

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Section 401 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by adding at the end the following: There is established in the Office of Public Integrity an office to be known as the Office of the Public Advocate . The Office of the Public Advocate shall be under the supervision of an official to be known as the National Public Advocate , who shall— be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; report to the Director of the Office of Public Integrity; not be an employee of the Federal Government; be entitled to compensation at the same rate as the highest rate of basic pay established for the Senior Executive Service under section 5382 of title 5, United States Code; have a background in customer service, consumer protection, and administrative law; have experience representing the public in cases involving rules (as defined in section 551 of title 5, United States Code); not have worked as an officer or employee in any Federal agency during the 2-year period preceding appointment under this subparagraph; and agree not to accept an offer of employment with a Federal agency for not less than 5 years after ceasing to serve as the National Public Advocate.

The duties of the Office of the Public Advocate shall include— assisting individuals in resolving conflicts with agencies; assisting agencies in soliciting public participation in the rulemaking process; assisting individuals in participating in the rulemaking process; and identifying areas in which the public has problems in dealing with agencies and proposing changes to mitigate those problems. Not later than 180 days after the date on which the National Public Advocate is appointed under this subsection or 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, whichever is later, the National Public Advocate shall propose regulations to carry out this subsection. .