; 122 Stat. 4968), as added by section 4, until the Secretary certifies that the Board has passed a resolution that— (1) reaffirms the status of the Office of Inspector General as an independent and objective unit of the Transit Authority, as established under Section 9 of Article III of the Compact; (2) provides that, for each fiscal year, the Office of Inspector General— (A) shall transmit a budget estimate and request to the Board specifying the aggregate amount of funds requested for the fiscal year for the operations of the Office; and (B) may include a request under subparagraph (A) for a program or project that is anticipated to generate obligations or liabilities beyond that fiscal year; (3) delegates to the Inspector General, to the extent possible under the Compact and in accordance with each applicable Federal law or regulation, contracting officer authority, subject to the requirement that the Inspector General exercise that authority— (A) in accordance with Section 73 of Article XVI of the Compact, after working with the Transit Authority to develop procurement procedures to facilitate compliance with that section; and (B) only as is necessary to carry out the duties of the Office of Inspector General; (4) delegates to the Inspector General, to the extent possible under the Compact— (A) the authority to select, appoint, and employ such officers and employees as may be necessary for carrying out the duties of the Office of Inspector General; (B) approving authority for policies that impact the independence of the Office of Inspector General; and (C) the authority to adopt recruiting, hiring, and personnel management policies for the Office of Inspector General as appropriate in exercising the authority delegated under subparagraph (A); (5) ensures the Inspector General shall obtain legal advice from a counsel reporting directly to the Inspector General