COLUMBIA, S.C. - A government restructuring bill that Gov. Mark Sanford is pushing has passed the House.

The bill, now before the Senate, would create:

_ A Department of Administration accountable to the governor.

_ A Division of the State Chief Information Officer to develop and implement a statewide plan for information technology.

_ An Office of the State Inspector General to identify and stop fraud and waste in executive branch agencies.

Tuesday's House approval is "a significant step toward having a government that's more efficient and accountable to the taxpayers," Sanford spokesman Will Folks said.

The measure missed last week's Senate deadline to consider new House bills. That means it faces procedural hurdles to come up for debate before the Legislature adjourns in four weeks, including a two-thirds vote to even be considered.

"If the legislative will exists, we can all get a win on restructuring this session," Folks said.