THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY LAWRENCE, AUMENT, BAKER, BEAR, BLOOM, BOYD, CHRISTIANA, CUTLER, EMRICK, EVANKOVICH, GABLER, MAHER, MASSER, METCALFE, ROSS, SAYLOR, SIMMONS, STEPHENS, TOEPEL, TRUITT, VEREB AND PERRY, FEBRUARY 13, 2012

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 13, 2012  

AN ACT

Providing for performance audits of Commonwealth agencies and

for the powers and duties of the Auditor General.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Commonwealth

Agency Performance Audit Act.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Commonwealth agency."  Any of the following:

(1)  Any agency, board, bureau, commission, committee,

council, department, office or similar unit of the executive

branch.

(2)  Any board, commission or other agency or officer of

the Commonwealth that is not subject to the policy

supervision and control of the Governor.

(3)  Any legislative agency.

The term shall not include a State–related university or

judicial agency.

"Judicial agency."  A court of this Commonwealth or any other

entity or office of the unified judicial system.

"Legislative agency."  Any of the following:

(1)  The Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

(2)  The Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution

Control and Conservation Committee.

(3)  The Joint State Government Commission.

(4)  The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.

(5)  The Legislative Data Processing Committee.

(6)  The Independent Regulatory Review Commission.

(7)  The Legislative Reference Bureau.

(8)  The Local Government Commission.

(9)  The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing.

(10)  The Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

(11)  The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission.

"Performance audit."  A written report evaluating the

management and performance of a Commonwealth agency to determine

whether the Commonwealth agency is conducting:

(1)  Programs and activities in a manner consistent with

accomplishing the objectives intended by the General

Assembly.

(2)  Programs and activities and expending funds made

available in an efficient, economical and effective manner.

"State-related universities."  The term includes:

(1)  Temple University.

(2)  The University of Pittsburgh.

(3)  The Pennsylvania State University.

(4)  Lincoln University.

Section 3.  Auditor General.

The Auditor General shall conduct a performance audit for

each Commonwealth agency as follows:

(1)  The performance audit shall be completed within one

year of the effective date of this section.

(2)  The performance audit shall include recommendations

as to whether the Commonwealth agency should be continued,

terminated, altered or consolidated with other Commonwealth

agencies.

(3)    The performance audit shall be posted on the

PennWATCH website.

(4)  Each member of the General Assembly and the Governor

shall be notified when the performance audit is posted on the

PennWATCH website.

Section 4.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect immediately.