1. (A) The department shall be audited by a certified public accountant or firm of certified public accountants once each year to be designated by the State Auditor. The designated accountant or firm of accountants shall issue audited financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and such financial statements must be made available annually by October fifteenth to the General Assembly. The costs and expenses of the audit must be paid by the department out of its funds.
2. (B) The Materials Management Office of the State Fiscal Accountability Authority annually must audit the department's internal procurement operation to ensure that the department has acted properly with regard to the department's exemptions contained in Section 11-35-710. The audit must be performed in accordance with applicable state law, including, but not limited to, administrative penalties for violations found as a result of the audit. The results of the audit must be made available by October fifteenth to the Department of Transportation Commission, the State Auditor, the Governor, the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and Transportation Committees, and the Chairmen of the House of Representatives Ways and Means and Education and Public Works Committees. The costs and expenses of the audit must be paid by the department out of its funds.
3. (C) The Legislative Audit Council shall contract for an independent performance and compliance audit of the department's finance and administration division, mass transit division, and construction engineering and planning division. This audit must be completed by January 15, 2010. The Legislative Audit Council may contract for follow-up audits or conduct follow-up audits as needed based upon the audit's initial findings. The costs of these audits, including related administrative and management expenses of the Legislative Audit Council, are an operating expense of the department. The department shall pay directly to the Legislative Audit Council the cost of the audits.
4. (D) Copies of every audit conducted pursuant to this section must be made available to the Department of Transportation Commission, the State Auditor, the Governor, the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and Transportation Committees, and the Chairmen of the House of Representatives Ways and Means and Education and Public Works Committees.

HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1505; 2007 Act No. 114, Section 5, eff June 27, 2007; 2016 Act No. 275 (S.1258), Section 4, eff July 1, 2016.

Editor's Note

2007 Act No. 114, Section 7, provides as follows:

"The initial procurement audit required by Section 5 of this act must be transmitted to the chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee and the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on or before October 15, 2008, and then annually thereafter as provided in Section 57-1-490."