SECTION 1. That Section 7 of Act 100 of 1977 is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 7. The Division of Legislative Audit shall cooperate with the various Joint Interim Committees in making performance audits and/or providing summary audit information that may be requested by the several Joint Interim Committees in connection with their study and review of the various State agencies enumerated in Sections 3 through 5 of this Act. Each Joint Interim Committee requesting performance audits shall submit its request to the Legislative Auditor, and if the Legislative Auditor determines that there are more requests for performance audits than can be undertaken and completed by the available Auditing staff, he shall submit such request to the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, and said Committee shall instruct the Legislative Auditor with respect to the performance audits to be undertaken and the priorities thereof. Upon completion of performance audits and/or summary audit reports requested by the respective Joint Interim Committees, the Division of Legislative Audit shall present copies thereof to the appropriate Joint Interim Committee which has the State agency under review, and shall make itself available to such Committee for the purpose of reviewing the audit reports and/or information.

If the Joint Interim Committees to which State agencies are referred for review under the provisions of this Act shall specifically request in writing a report from the Governor containing his recommendations for continuation, abolition, or modification of each of the State agencies and the divisions and programs thereof, which are under consideration by the Joint Interim Committees, failure by the Governor to file such a report with the Committees shall not prohibit the Committees from proceeding with their duties under this Act.

SECTION 2. EMERGENCY. It is hereby found and determined that Act 100 of 1977 mandated the Division of Legislative Audit to make performance audits of the various State agencies to be reviewed by the several Joint Interim Committees under the provisions of said Act 100; that approximately one hundred twenty (120) State agencies are to be reviewed by the Joint Interim Committees during the 1977-78 biennium, and it will be impossible for the staff of the Division of Legislative Audit to make performance audits of each of these agencies; and that the immediate passage of this Act is necessary to amend Section 7 of Act 100 of 1977 to permit the Division of Legislative Audit to make performance audits when requested by the respective Joint Interim Committees, and to furnish other audit information upon request, yet relieving the Division of Legislative Audit of the responsibility of making performance audits on all such agencies; and that the immediate passage of this Act is necessary to accomplish such purpose and to expedite the work of the Joint Interim Committees during the current biennium. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act, being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.

APPROVED: August 15, 1977.