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Government Oversight Act 2025

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Government Oversight Act (GOA)

<ref name ="SDA/> Recognising the need for impartial oversight, transparency, and accountability within SimDemocracy, this Act establishes the SimDem Independent Oversight Authority (SDIOA). The SDIOA is a fully independent agency tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct, corruption, and abuse of power across all branches of government.

Part 1: Establishment of the SDIOA

Article 1. Creation of the Authority:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA">Amended by the SimDemocracy Independent Oversight Authority Act (SDIOA) Amendment 2025</ref> §1. The SimDem Independent Oversight Authority (SDIOA) is hereby established as an independent agency of SimDemocracy.

§1. The SimDem Independent Oversight Authority (SDIOA) is hereby established as an independent agency of SimDemocracy. It consists of the Independent Ombudsman and personnel hired by them to execute the tasks of the Oversight Authority.

Article 2. Mandate:

§1. The SDIOA shall investigate:

§1.1. Allegations of misconduct or corruption within the executive and legislative branches.
§1.2. Misuse of public funds, administrative corruption, and abuse of power.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/>

§1.3. Any other matters referred to it by the Attorney General or by a joint resolution of the Senate.
§1.3. The execution of discretionary laws through the Executive or its agencies.
§1.4. Any other matters referred to it by the Attorney General or by a joint resolution of the Senate.<ref name = "SDA"/>

Article 3. Reporting:

§1. The SDIOA shall report its findings to the appropriate authorities, including but not limited to:

§1.1. The Attorney General for potential prosecution.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/>

§1.2. The Senate for legislative action.
§1.2. The Senate for legislative action.<ref name="FCSun">Amended by the Formal Committee Sunsetting Act 2026 passed by the Senate on 2 May 2026 and signed by the President on 3 May 2026.</ref>
§1.3. The judiciary for further legal review.

§2. The SDIOA shall also publish public reports on its findings, except where classified information is involved.

§2.1. The SDIOA may request the declassification of any document used or unearthed in their investigation by the President.<ref name ="SDA"/>

Part 2: Leadership and Governance

Article 1. Appointment of the Head:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. The head of the SDIOA, known as the Independent Ombudsman, shall be nominated by senators and elected through a supermajority vote (two-thirds) of the Senate.

§1. The head of the SDIOA, known as the Chief Ombudsman, shall be nominated by senators and elected through a supermajority vote (two-thirds) of the Senate.

§2. Each senator may put forward one candidate during the nomination period, which will last 24 hours.

<ref name="revolve">End the Revolving Door Amendment passed and signed on 22 September 2025.</ref>§2.1. No senator shall put forward a candidate who is currently holding or has held elected office in the 2 weeks preceding their nomination. Nor shall they be a current executive officer or former executive officer for at least seven days preceding their nomination.

§3. If the Senate fails to appoint an Ombudsman within 2 days of the nomination period closing, the process will move to a select committee vote.<ref name="FCSun"></ref>

§4. Senators shall vote a maximum of 3 (three) Senators by approval voting. The top 3 Senators in the vote shall be in the select committee.<ref name="FCSun"></ref>

§5. The select committee shall then select the Ombudsman through consensus in a public Senate hearing.<ref name="FCSun"></ref>

Article 2. Term and Renewal:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. The Independent Ombudsman shall serve a single, non-renewable term of five Senate cycles.

§1. The Chief Ombudsman shall serve a term of five Senate cycles.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §2. Renewal Exception: The Ombudsman may seek a second term only if they submit a formal letter-of-intent to continue serving as Ombudsman at least one Senate cycle prior to the end of their term.

§2. The Ombudsman may seek another term if they submit a formal request to continue serving as Ombudsman at least one Senate cycle prior to the end of their term.

§3. The Senate must confirm the renewal with a supermajority vote (two-thirds) to extend their term for an additional five cycles.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §4. If the Ombudsman does not seek renewal or fails to secure Senate approval for a second term, the process to appoint a new Ombudsman shall commence as outlined in Article 1.

§4. If the Ombudsman does not seek renewal or fails to secure Senate approval for another term, the process to appoint a new Ombudsman shall commence as outlined in Article 1

Article 3. Staff and Resources:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. The SDIOA shall have the authority to hire staff, including investigators, legal experts, and administrative personnel, as needed to fulfil its mandate.

§1. The SDIOA shall have the authority to hire staff, including investigators, legal experts, and administrative personnel, as needed to fulfill its mandate. The scope of tasks assigned to each shall be determined by the Ombudsman.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §2. The agency’s budget shall be fixed by law and protected from reductions intended to undermine its independence.

§2. The agency’s budget shall be determined by the Ombudsman and protected from reductions intended to undermine its independence. The budget may not be reduced in such a manner that the Ombudsman becomes incapable of fulfilling the SDIOA’s tasks.

§3. The SDIOA may create the necessary channels and roles to ensure its operation.<ref name ="SDA"/>

<ref name="politicians">Keep Politicians out of the SDIOA Amendment 2026 passed 9 January 2026 and signed 11 January 2026.</ref>§4. The SDIOA may not actively employ nor offer employment to any individual who serves as Senator, President, Vice President or Executive Officer, or has served in any such position any time within the 14 days prior to their intended hiring.

<ref name="politicians" />§5. Should the Chief Ombudsman see it fit to require the assistance of an external contractor or an otherwise non-formal employee to fulfill a particular task, they must provide adequate justification to the Senate as to why:

§5.1. The task being assigned to them cannot already be fulfilled by the SDIOA’s present workforce.
§5.2. Hiring such an individual as a formal employee of the SDIOA is either impossible, or not beneficial to the task.

Part 3: Jurisdiction and Procedures

Article 1. Scope of Jurisdiction:

§1. The SDIOA shall have jurisdiction over:

§1.1. Members of the executive branch, including agencies under its control.
§1.2. Members of the legislative branch, including the Senate and its Senators.<ref name="FCSun"></ref>
§1.3. Other Committees and Officers of the State as established by Law or the Constitution.<ref name ="SDA"/>
<ref name="judicial">Amendment to the Government Oversight Act 2025 passed and signed 10 December 2025.</ref>§1.4. Members of the judicial branch, including the Supreme Court and lower courts.


Repealed<ref name="judicial" />

Repealed<ref name="lfid">Law for the Investigation of FoI Denial’s 2025 (LFID) passed and signed 1 December 2025.</ref>

§2. The SDIOA shall not investigate the judiciary. Judicial accountability shall remain within the purview of established judicial oversight mechanisms to preserve the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.

<ref name="lfid" />§2. The SDIOA shall not investigate the judiciary except where specific subject matter jurisdiction is conferred by statute. Judicial accountability shall remain within the purview of established judicial oversight mechanisms to preserve the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.

<ref name="contractor">SDIOA Jurisdiction Act passed by the Senate and signed by the President on 25 August 2025.</ref>§2. The SDIOA need not be given access to the internal channels of the private contractors employed by the executive, but the SDIOA shall maintain investigative jurisdiction over them.

Article 2. Investigative Powers:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. The SDIOA shall have the authority to access government documents, regardless of their classification level, to ensure comprehensive investigations. This authority cannot be overridden by executive orders or decisions to classify materials.

§1. The SDIOA shall have the authority to access government channels and documents, regardless of their classification level, to ensure comprehensive investigations. This authority cannot be overridden by executive orders or decisions to classify materials.

§1.1. This authority shall be exercised and delegated by the Ombudsman within SDIOA as they wish.

Repealed <ref name="search">SDIOA Search Warrant Act 2025</ref>

§2. The SDIOA may subpoena documents, records, and testimony relevant to its investigations.

<ref name="search" />§2. The SDIOA may issue a search warrant for documents, records, and testimony relevant to its investigations.

§2.1. For a search warrant to have legal repercussions for non-compliance, it must have been signed by a Judge or Justice before being issued.
§2.2. The SDIOA must present the search warrant to the Judge or Justice in a channel named #sdioa-judiciary in order to get it signed by them.

Repealed<ref name="judicial" />

§2.3. A Judge or Justice may sign the search warrant only if there is probable cause for misconduct or a crime to have been committed.
<ref name="judicial" />§2.3. A Judge or Justice may sign the search warrant only if there is probable cause for misconduct or a crime to have been committed. If the matter is concerning an official within the judicial branch, the SDIOA may request the Senate or relevant senatorial committee issue a subpoena for the necessary information.

§3. The SDIOA may issue recommendations for disciplinary or legal action based on its findings.

Article 3. Reporting Requirements:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. The SDIOA shall produce biweekly public reports summarizing its activities, findings, and recommendations.

§1. The SDIOA shall produce public reports every four weeks summarizing its activities, findings, and recommendations.

§2. The SDIOA shall also produce reports at the conclusions of investigations, public notices at the beginnings of investigations, and may provide updates during them.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §2. Classified information shall be handled in accordance with national security protocols and disclosed only to authorized officials.

§3. Classified information shall be handled in accordance with national security protocols and disclosed only to authorized officials.<ref name ="SDA"/>

Part 4: Safeguards for Independence

Article 1. Funding:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. The SDIOA’s budget shall be allocated as a fixed percentage of the total government budget to ensure operational independence.

§1. The SDIOA’s budget shall be allocated as requested by the Ombudsman to ensure operational independence.

§2. The Senate may not reduce the SDIOA’s funding without a supermajority vote.

Article 2. Oversight Panel:

§1. A multipartisan oversight panel composed of representatives from the Senate, executive branch, and judiciary shall review the SDIOA’s performance annually.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §2. The panel shall have no authority to interfere with ongoing investigations but may recommend procedural improvements.

§2. The panel shall have no authority to interfere with ongoing investigations, but may recommend procedural improvements. The Panel shall have the full cooperation of the SDIOA to conduct its work.

Article 3. Transparency:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. All non-classified hearings and findings of the SDIOA shall be made publicly available through official channels.

§1. All non-classified hearings and findings of the SDIOA shall be made publicly available through a dedicated official channel.

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §2. Citizens shall have the right to submit complaints to the SDIOA, which must be reviewed impartially.

§2. Citizens shall have the right to submit complaints to the SDIOA, which must be reviewed impartially. Every report must be answered either through a report or through a notice of procedural closure.

Part 5: Checks and Balances

Article 1. Judicial Review:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. Any party named in an SDIOA investigation may appeal its findings to the judiciary to ensure due process.

§1. Any party named in an SDIOA referral may appeal its findings to the judiciary to ensure due process.

§2. In cases of overlapping jurisdiction with other agencies (e.g., the SDBI), the Ombudsman shall determine which agency leads the investigation to avoid duplication of effort.<ref name ="SDA"/>

Article 2. Referral Mechanism:

Repealed <ref name = "SDA"/> §1. In cases of overlapping jurisdiction with other agencies (e.g., the SDBI), the Attorney General shall determine which agency leads the investigation to avoid duplication of effort.

§2. In cases of overlapping jurisdiction with other agencies (e.g., the SDBI), the Ombudsman shall determine which agency leads the investigation to avoid duplication of effort.

Article 3. Limitations and Clarifications:

<ref name ="SDA"/>§1 The SDIOA shall not conduct undercover operations.

Names of Articles and Parts changed per the Random Constitutional Fixes Amendment 2

References

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