§522. Louisiana Performance Audit Program

A. The Louisiana Performance Audit Program is hereby established. This program is created to identify and plan for the state's long-term needs in addition to finding solutions to present fiscal problems.

B. For purposes of this program, "state agency" means any state agency, office, department, board, commission, institution, division, committee, program, or legal entity, heretofore existing or hereafter created within the legislative or executive branch of state government, including an institution of higher education, but does not include any agency, governing body, or officer of any local government or political subdivision of the state.

C. In accordance with this program and the powers and duties otherwise provided by law, including approval of the Legislative Audit Advisory Council, the legislative auditor shall provide the legislature with evaluation and audit of the functions and activities of the agencies of state government. Such evaluations and audits shall be based on standards appropriate for each evaluation or audit. To accomplish this, the legislative auditor may:

(1) Evaluate the basic assumptions underlying any and all state agencies and the programs and services provided by the state to assist the legislature in identifying those that are vital to the best interests of the people of the state of Louisiana and those that no longer meet that goal.

(2) Evaluate the programs, policies, services, and activities administered by the agencies of state government and identify overlapping functions, outmoded programs or methodologies, areas needing improvement, and/or programs amenable to privatization.

(3) Evaluate the impact, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of all state agencies and of their programs, services, and activities.

(4) Evaluate the efficiency with which state agencies operate the programs under their jurisdictions and fulfill their duties.

(5) Evaluate methods agencies use to maximize the amount of federal and private funds received by the state for its programs in order to ensure that the people of Louisiana receive a fair share of the taxes which they pay to the United States government and to provide for the effective efficient use of private resources.

(6) Evaluate the management of state debt.

(7) Evaluate the assessment, collection, and application of user fees.

(8) Make recommendations each year relative to the programs and services the various state agencies provide as well as recommendations for elimination of or reduction in funding for agencies, programs, or services based on the results of performance audits. Such recommendations shall be submitted in a report to each member of the legislature no later than February fifteenth each year.

(9) Make annual recommendations to the appropriate oversight committees of the legislature and the Legislative Audit Advisory Council as to amendments to statutory and constitutional provisions that will improve the efficiency of state government, including, if appropriate, recommendations concerning the reorganization or consolidation of state agencies.

(10) Evaluate the methods used by each agency in the estimation, calculation, and reporting of its performance, and evaluate the actual outcomes of each agency's performance with regard to its performance indicators as defined in R.S. 39:2 and provide agencies with information relative to the methods used to evaluate such performance.

D.(1) All state agencies and their officials and staff shall assist the legislative auditor in his work and furnish such information, reports, aid, services, and assistance as he may request, all without any cost or charge of any nature to the legislative auditor.

(2) All state agencies shall develop specific goals and objectives for each of their programs to include measures of performance. They shall report on program goals and objectives in developing annual budgets and shall submit such information to the legislature as a part of the appropriations process.

E. The legislative auditor may request assistance, including the use of personnel from the state treasurer, the commissioner of administration, and administrators of the various state agencies which may be necessary to enable him to accomplish the purposes of this Section.

F. The legislative auditor shall complete such audits which have statewide and/or program implications and include them as part of the legislative auditor's audit of the state of Louisiana's 1996 financial statements.

G. The annual audits of the legislative branch of state government shall include performance audit issues consistent with the legislative auditor's audits of the executive branch of state government.

H. State employee involvement shall be encouraged by the reward and recognition policy approved by the State Civil Service Commission.

I. Repealed by Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 44, §1.

J. All provisions relating to judicial strategic planning, performance budgeting, the judicial appropriation bill, and judicial performance reporting and auditing shall be strictly governed by the provisions of Part I-A of Chapter 2 of Title 13 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, R.S. 13:81 et seq.

K. The legislative auditor shall establish a schedule for execution of performance audits which shall ensure the completion and publishing of the audits of no less than two different agencies from at least two different executive departments in each year, with such audits published no later than thirty days prior to commencement of the regular session of the legislature. Such schedule shall be constructed to ensure that within the seven-year period beginning with the 1997-98 Fiscal Year at least one performance audit shall be completed and published for each of the twenty departments of the executive branch of state government.

Acts 1995, No. 1100, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 1465, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 1162, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1169, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1176, §2, eff. July 9, 1999; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 44, §§1, 2.

NOTE: SEE ACTS 1995, NO. 1100, §2.