Contact: Marsha Richards, Communications Director
(360) 956-3482

Still time to implement true performance audits

While the initial round of performance audit bills didn't quite pass muster this session (neither meeting the requirements for true performance audits, nor passing out of the House and Senate), legislators still have a chance to enact meaningful accountability reforms during the special session by including performance audit language in the state budget.

Legislators did pass a transportation performance audit bill that unfortunately does not provide for true, independent and comprehensive performance audits. Under the bill, the Legislative Transportation Committee has veto power over the scope and criteria of the audit.

We suggest the following simple model language for independent, comprehensive performance audits. The language is adapted from an enacting statute that allowed the Texas Comptroller (the equivalent of our independently elected state auditor) to identify $19 billion in savings over the last decade—$9 billion of which was adopted on a bipartisan basis. It's simple and it works.

The performance audits could be funded by 2/100 of one percent (.02 percent) of the state's total general fund budget.

MODEL LANGUAGE FOR PERFORMANCE AUDITS:

Intent
Fair, independent, performance audits of state agencies by the State Auditor are essential to improving the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of state government.

Review of State Agencies
(a) The State Auditor shall periodically review and analyze the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the policies, management, fiscal affairs, and operations of state government. These performance audits shall be conducted in accordance with the U.S. General Accounting Office Government Auditing Standards.

(b) The State Auditor shall report the findings of the review and analysis to the Governor, Senate majority leader, Speaker of the House, and post it on the State Auditor's web page.

(c) The legislature must consider the State Auditor reports in connection with the legislative appropriations process. An annual report will be submitted by the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee by July 1 of each year detailing the status of the legislative implementation of the State Auditor's recommendations.

(d) State government means a state agency, department, office, officer, board commission, bureau, division, institution, or institution of higher education. This includes individual state agencies and programs as well as those programs and activities that cross agency lines. State government includes all elective offices in the executive branch of government and includes the Judicial and Legislative branches.

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org