81-8,245. Public Counsel; powers; enumerated.

The Public Counsel shall have the power to:

(1) Investigate, on complaint or on his or her own motion, any administrative act of any administrative agency;

(2) Prescribe the methods by which complaints are to be made, received, and acted upon; determine the scope and manner of investigations to be made; and, subject to the requirements of sections 81-8,240 to 81-8,254, determine the form, frequency, and distribution of his or her conclusions, recommendations, and proposals;

(3) Conduct inspections of the premises, or any parts thereof, of any administrative agency or any property owned, leased, or operated by any administrative agency as frequently as is necessary, in his or her opinion, to carry out duties prescribed under sections 81-8,240 to 81-8,254;

(4) Request and receive from each administrative agency, and such agency shall provide, the assistance and information the counsel deems necessary for the discharge of his or her responsibilities; inspect and examine the records and documents of all administrative agencies notwithstanding any other provision of law; and enter and inspect premises within any administrative agency's control;

(5) Issue a subpoena, enforceable by action in an appropriate court, to compel any person to appear, give sworn testimony, or produce documentary or other evidence deemed relevant to a matter under his or her inquiry. A person thus required to provide information shall be paid the same fees and travel allowances and shall be accorded the same privileges and immunities as are extended to witnesses in the district courts of this state and shall also be entitled to have counsel present while being questioned;

(6) Undertake, participate in, or cooperate with general studies or inquiries, whether or not related to any particular administrative agency or any particular administrative act, if he or she believes that they may enhance knowledge about or lead to improvements in the functioning of administrative agencies;

(7) Make investigations, reports, and recommendations necessary to carry out his or her duties under the State Government Effectiveness Act;

(8) Carry out his or her duties under the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare Act. If any of the provisions of sections 81-8,240 to 81-8,254 conflict with provisions of the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare Act, the provisions of such act shall control;

(9) Carry out his or her duties under the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System Act. If any of the provisions of sections 81-8,240 to 81-8,254 conflict with the provisions of the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System Act, the provisions of such act shall control;

(10) Investigate allegations of violation of subsection (2) of section 84-908 by an administrative agency pursuant to a complaint made to his or her office and make a determination as to whether such administrative agency has violated such subsection. The Public Counsel shall report his or her determination in writing to the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Executive Board of the Legislative Council, and the director or chief executive officer of the agency. The report to the executive board shall be submitted electronically; and

(11) Investigate and address the complaint and case of:

(a) Any juvenile committed to the custody of a youth rehabilitation and treatment center; and

(b) Any juvenile released from a youth rehabilitation and treatment center for reentry into the community, while that juvenile is subject to the Community and Family Reentry Process and a service or treatment program in which the juvenile may be involved after his or her release from a youth rehabilitation and treatment center, whether that service or program is administrated by the Office of Juvenile Services or a private provider in the community. The Office of Juvenile Services and private providers in the community shall cooperate with any investigation conducted by the Public Counsel pursuant to this subdivision and provide all documentation and information requested by the Public Counsel in connection with such an investigation.

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