the Director may appoint and fix the pay of such other staff as the Director considers necessary to carry out the duties of the Office, except that no such staff may be compensated at an annual rate exceeding the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in effect for grade GS–15 of the General Schedule. (d) Duties The duties of the Office are as follows: (1) Administration of Program The Director shall administer the Program, in consultation with the Election Assistance Commission and the Federal Election Commission, including by holding quarterly meetings of representatives from such Commissions. (2) Oversight of Trust Fund The Director shall oversee the operation of the Trust Fund and monitor its balances, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury. The Director may hold funds in reserve to cover the expenses of the Office and to preserve the solvency of the Trust Fund. (3) Reports Not later than 180 days after the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in 2026 and each succeeding regularly scheduled general election for Federal office thereafter, the Director shall submit to the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate a report on the activities carried out under the Program and the amounts deposited into and paid from the Trust Fund during the two most recent fiscal years. (e) Coverage under Inspector General Act of 1978 for conducting audits and investigations (1) In general Section 415(a)(1)(A) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting the Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation, after Election Assistance Commission, . (2) Effective date The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect 180 days after the appointment of the Director. (f) Coverage under Hatch Act Clause (i) of section 7323(b)(2)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking or at the end of subclause (XIII)