Report of Investigation into Irregularities in the FY 2022 Operating Plan Vote

CPSC staff should ensure the Commissioners are aware of the OIG’s report and recommendations. The Commissioners should then determine whether they wish to revise the Decision Making Procedures to better conform with current agency needs.

The Commissioners should then determine whether the Decision Making Procedures should be published in order to ensure transparency when conducting Commission business. In the
Report of Investigation into Irregularities in the FY 2022 Operating Plan Vote 14
alternative, if the decision is made to not publish them, the rationale for this decision should be recorded.

The Commission and the General Counsel should review the Secretary’s position at the agency and consider implementing a more robust role for the Secretary regarding the implementation of the Decision Making Procedures.

The position description for the Secretary should be revised to reflect the actual duties performed by the Secretary.

If changes are made to the Decision Making Procedures, relevant staff should be trained on the new Decision Making Procedures.

The General Counsel retract, or in some other way clarify, the status of the legal review nullifying the Commissioners’ vote on the FY 2022 Operating Plan. It should be made clear that the legal review does not constitute an accurate summation of the General Counsel’s views on the legal issues involved or a precedent for future vote nullifications.

The CPSC expand its existing training concerning information protection to include the prohibition on the release of privileged information and the possible consequences of same.