Section 8448 Of Article 21. Direct Service Contract Audit Requirements From California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 21.
8448
. As used in this article:
(a) "Financial and compliance audit" means a systematic review or
appraisal to determine each of the following:
(1) Whether the financial statements of an audited organization
fairly present the financial position and the results of financial
operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles.
(2) Whether the organization has complied with laws and
regulations that may have a material effect upon the financial
statements.
(b) "Public accountants" means certified public accountants, or
state licensed public accountants.
(c) "Independent auditors" means public accountants who have no
direct or indirect relationship with the functions or activities
being audited or with the business conducted by any of the officials
or contractors being audited.
(d) "Generally accepted auditing standards" means the auditing
standards set forth in the financial and compliance element of the
"Government Auditing Standards" issued by the Comptroller General of
the United States and incorporating the audit standards of the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
(e) "Direct service contract" means any contract with any public
or private entity for child care and development programs, resource
and referral programs, and programs contracting to provide support
services as defined in Section 8208.
(f) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization described in
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 which is
exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of that code, or any
nonprofit, scientific, or educational organization qualified under
Section 23701d of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(g) Annually, there shall be a single independent financial and
compliance audit of organizations that contract with the state under
a direct service contract. Any such audit shall include an evaluation
of the accounting and control systems of the direct service
contractor and of the activities by the contractor to comply with the
financial requirements of direct service contracts received by the
contractor from the state agency. The financial and compliance
requirements to be reviewed during the audit shall be those developed
and published by the State Department of Education in consultation
with the Department of Finance. Audits carried out pursuant to this
section shall be audits of the contractor rather than audits of
individual contracts or programs. In the case of any contractor that
receives less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per year
from any state agency, the audit required by this section shall be
conducted biennially, unless there is evidence of fraud or other
violation of state law in connection with the direct service
contract. The cost of the audit may be included in direct service
contracts.
The organization receiving funds from the state shall be
responsible for obtaining the required financial and compliance
audits of the organization and any subcontractors, except for direct
service subcontracts and other subcontracts exempt from State
Department of Education review, as agreed to by the Departments of
Finance and General Services. The audits shall be made by independent
auditors in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
The audit shall be completed by the 15th day of the fifth month
following the end of the contractor's fiscal year. A copy of the
required audit shall be filed with the State Department of Education
upon its completion. In the event an audit is not filed, the State
Department of Education shall notify the organization of the contract
violation. The audit report filed shall be an integral part of the
direct service contract file.
(h) (1) Nothing in this article limits the authority of the State
Department of Education to make audits of direct service contracts.
However, if independent audits arranged for by direct service
contractors meet generally accepted auditing standards, the State
Department of Education shall rely on those audits and any additional
audit work shall build upon the work already done.
(2) Nothing in this article precludes the state from conducting,
or contracting for the conduct of, contract performance audits which
are not financial and compliance audits.
(3) Nothing in this article limits the state's responsibility or
authority to enforce state law or regulations, procedures, or
reporting requirements arising pursuant thereto.
(4) Nothing in this article limits the responsibility of the State
Department of Education to provide an independent appeal procedure
according to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act
(Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of
Title 2) of the Government Code.