Senate Bill 0400er

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  1

  2         An act relating to state financial

  3         accountability; creating the Florida Single

  4         Audit Act; providing intent and findings;

  5         creating s. 216.3491, F.S.; providing purposes

  6         of the act; providing definitions; providing

  7         duties of the Executive Office of the Governor,

  8         the Comptroller, and state agencies that award

  9         state funds to nonstate agencies to carry out

10         state projects; providing conditions on

11         nonstate agencies' receipt of state funds;

12         requiring recipients and subrecipients of state

13         funds to obtain audits; prescribing standards

14         for such audits; prescribing duties of

15         auditors; providing for access to records;

16         prescribing duties of the Auditor General;

17         repealing s. 216.349, F.S., relating to

18         financial review of grants and aids

19         appropriations; amending s. 265.2861, F.S., to

20         conform; providing applicability; providing an

21         effective date.

22

23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

24

25         Section 1.  The intent of this act is to establish

26  state audit and accountability requirements for state

27  financial assistance provided to nonstate entities. The

28  Legislature finds that federal financial assistance passed

29  through the state to nonstate entities is subject to mandatory

30  federal audit requirements. The Legislature also recognizes

31  that significant amounts of state financial assistance are


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  1  provided to nonstate entities to carry out state projects and

  2  heretofore have not been subject to state audit requirements

  3  that parallel federal audit requirements. It is the intent of

  4  this act that state audit and accountability requirements, to

  5  the extent possible, parallel the federal audit requirements.

  6         Section 2.  Section 216.3491, Florida Statutes, is

  7  created to read:

  8         216.3491  Florida Single Audit Act.--

  9         (1)  The purposes of the section are to:

10         (a)  Establish uniform state audit requirements for

11  state financial assistance provided by state agencies to

12  nonstate entities to carry out state projects.

13         (b)  Promote sound financial management, including

14  effective internal controls, with respect to state financial

15  assistance administered by nonstate entities.

16         (c)  Promote audit economy and efficiency by relying to

17  the extent possible on already required audits of federal

18  financial assistance provided to nonstate entities.

19         (d)  Provide for identification of state financial

20  assistance transactions in the appropriations act, state

21  accounting records, and recipient organization records.

22         (e)  Promote improved coordination and cooperation

23  within and between affected state agencies making state awards

24  and nonstate entities receiving state awards.

25         (f)  Ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that state

26  agencies monitor, use, and follow up on audits of state

27  financial assistance provided to nonstate entities.

28         (2)  Definitions; as used in this section, the term:

29         (a)  "Audit threshold" means the amount to use in

30  determining when a state single audit of a nonstate entity

31  shall be conducted in accordance with this section. Each


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  1  nonstate entity that expends a total amount of state awards

  2  equal to or in excess of $300,000 in any fiscal year of such

  3  nonstate entity shall be required to have a state single audit

  4  for such fiscal year in accordance with the requirements of

  5  this section. Every 2 years the Auditor General, after

  6  consulting with the Executive Office of the Governor, the

  7  Comptroller, and all state agencies that provide state

  8  financial assistance to nonstate entities, shall review the

  9  amount for requiring audits under this section and may adjust

10  such dollar amount consistent with the purpose of this

11  section.

12         (b)  "Auditing standards" means the auditing standards

13  as stated in the rules of the Auditor General as applicable to

14  for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, or local

15  governmental entities.

16         (c)  "Catalog of State Financial Assistance" means a

17  listing of all major state projects and other state projects.

18  The Catalog of State Financial Assistance shall be issued by

19  the Executive Office of the Governor after conferring with the

20  Comptroller and all state agencies that provide state

21  financial assistance to nonstate entities. The Catalog of

22  State Financial Assistance shall include for each listed state

23  project:  the responsible state agency; standard state project

24  number identifier; official title; legal authorization; and

25  description of the state project, including objectives,

26  restrictions, application and awarding procedures, and other

27  relevant information determined necessary.

28         (d)  "Financial reporting package" means the nonstate

29  entities' financial statements, Schedule of State Financial

30  Assistance, auditor's reports, management letter, auditee's

31  written responses or corrective action plan, correspondence on


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  1  follow-up of prior years' corrective actions taken, and such

  2  other information determined by the Auditor General to be

  3  necessary and consistent with the purposes of this section.

  4         (e)  "Federal financial assistance" means financial

  5  assistance from federal sources passed through the state and

  6  provided to nonstate entities to carry out a federal program.

  7  "Federal financial assistance" includes all types of federal

  8  assistance as defined in applicable U.S. Office of Management

  9  and Budget circulars.

10         (f)  "For-profit organization" means any organization

11  or individual that received a state award but is not a local

12  governmental entity or a nonprofit organization.

13         (g)  "Independent auditor" means an external state or

14  local government auditor or a certified public accountant who

15  meets the independence standards.

16         (h)  "Internal control over state projects" means a

17  process, effected by an entity's management and other

18  personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding

19  the achievement of objectives in the following categories:

20         1.  Effectiveness and efficiency of operations.

21         2.  Reliability of financial operations.

22         3.  Compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

23         (i)  "Local governmental entity" means a county agency,

24  municipality, or special district or any other entity (other

25  than a district school board or community college), however

26  styled, which independently exercises any type of governmental

27  function.

28         (j)  "Major state project" means any state project

29  meeting the criteria as stated in the rules of the Executive

30  Office of the Governor. Such criteria shall be established

31  after consultation with the Comptroller and appropriate state


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  1  agencies that make state awards and shall consider the amount

  2  of state project expenditures or expenses or inherent risks.

  3  Each major state project shall be audited in accordance with

  4  the requirements of this section.

  5         (k)  "Nonprofit organization" means any corporation,

  6  trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that:

  7         1.  Is operated primarily for scientific, educational

  8  service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public

  9  interest;

10         2.  Is not organized primarily for profit;

11         3.  Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand

12  the operations of the organization; and

13         4.  Has no part of its income or profit distributable

14  to its members, directors, or officers.

15         (l)  "Nonstate entity" means a local governmental

16  entity, nonprofit organization, or for-profit organization

17  that receives a state award.

18         (m)  "Recipient" means a nonstate entity that receives

19  a state award directly from a state awarding agency.

20         (n)  "Schedule of State Financial Assistance" means a

21  document prepared in accordance with the rules of the

22  Comptroller and included in each financial reporting package

23  required by this section.

24         (o)  "State award" means state financial assistance

25  provided to a nonstate entity to carry out a state project.

26         (p)  "State awarding agency" means the state agency

27  that provided state financial assistance to the nonstate

28  entity for purposes of carrying out a state project.

29         (q)  "State financial assistance" means financial

30  assistance from state resources, not including federal

31  financial assistance, provided to nonstate entities to carry


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  1  out a state project. "State financial assistance" includes all

  2  types of state assistance as stated in the rules of the

  3  Executive Office of the Governor established in consultation

  4  with the Comptroller and appropriate state agencies that make

  5  state awards. It includes state awards made directly by state

  6  awarding agencies or indirectly by recipients of state awards

  7  or subrecipients. It does not include procurement contracts,

  8  under state awards, used to buy goods or services from

  9  vendors. Audits of such procurement contracts with vendors are

10  outside of the scope of this section. Also, audits of

11  contracts to operate state government owned and contractor

12  operated facilities are excluded from the audit requirements

13  of this section.

14         (r)  "State matching" means state awards provided to

15  nonstate entities to be used to meet federal financial

16  participation matching requirements of federal programs.

17         (s)  "State project" means all state awards to a

18  nonstate entity assigned a single state project number

19  identifier in the Catalog of State Financial Assistance.

20         (t)  "State Projects Compliance Supplement" means a

21  document issued by the Executive Office of the Governor, in

22  consultation with the Comptroller and all state agencies that

23  make state awards. The State Projects Compliance Supplement

24  shall identify each major state project and other state

25  projects, the significant compliance requirements, eligibility

26  requirements, matching requirements, suggested audit

27  procedures, and other relevant information determined

28  necessary.

29         (u)  "State project-specific audit" means an audit of

30  one state project in accordance with the requirements of this

31  section.


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  1         (v)  "State single audit" means an audit of a nonstate

  2  entity's financial statements and state awards. Such audits

  3  shall be conducted in accordance with the auditing standards

  4  as stated in the rules of the Auditor General.

  5         (w)  "Subrecipient" means a nonstate entity that

  6  receives a state award through another nonstate entity, but

  7  does not include an individual who receives state financial

  8  assistance through such state awards.

  9         (x)  "Vendor" means a dealer, distributor, merchant, or

10  other seller providing goods or services that are required for

11  the conduct of a state project. These goods or services may be

12  for an organization's own use or for the use of beneficiaries

13  of the state project.

14         (3)  The Executive Office of the Governor shall:

15         (a)  Upon conferring with the Comptroller and all state

16  agencies that make state awards, adopt rules necessary to

17  provide appropriate guidance to state awarding agencies,

18  recipients and subrecipients, and independent auditors of

19  state financial assistance relating to the requirements of

20  this section, including:

21         1.  The types or classes of financial assistance

22  considered to be state financial assistance which would be

23  subject to the requirements of this section. This would

24  include guidance to assist in identifying when the state

25  agency or recipient has contracted with a vendor rather than

26  with a recipient or subrecipient.

27         2.  The criteria for identifying a major state project.

28         3.  The criteria for selecting state projects for

29  audits based on inherent risk.

30         (b)  Be responsible for coordinating the initial

31  preparation and subsequent revisions of the Catalog of State


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  1  Financial Assistance after consultation with the Comptroller

  2  and all state agencies that award state financial assistance

  3  to nonstate entities.

  4         (c)  Be responsible for coordinating the initial

  5  preparation and subsequent revisions of the State Projects

  6  Compliance Supplement, after consultation with the comptroller

  7  and all state agencies that award state financial assistance

  8  to nonstate entities.

  9         (4)  The Comptroller shall:

10         (a)  Make enhancements to the state's accounting system

11  to provide for the:

12         1.  Recording of state financial assistance and federal

13  financial assistance appropriations and expenditures as

14  separate categories within the state awarding agencies'

15  operating funds.

16         2.  Recording of state project number identifiers, as

17  provided in the Catalog of State Financial Assistance, for

18  state awards.

19         3.  Establishment and recording of an identification

20  code for each financial transaction, including state agencies'

21  awards of state financial assistance and federal financial

22  assistance, as to the corresponding type or organization that

23  is party to the transaction (e.g., other governmental

24  agencies, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit

25  organizations).

26         (b)  Upon conferring with the Executive Office of the

27  Governor and all state agencies that make state awards, adopt

28  rules necessary to provide appropriate guidance to state

29  awarding agencies, recipients and subrecipients, and

30  independent auditors of state financial assistance relating to

31  the format for the Schedule of State Financial Assistance.


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  1         (c)  Perform any inspections, reviews, investigations,

  2  or audits of state financial assistance considered necessary

  3  in carrying out the Comptroller's legal responsibilities for

  4  state financial assistance or to comply with the requirements

  5  of this section.

  6         (5)  Each state agency that makes state awards shall:

  7         (a)  Provide for each state award to a recipient

  8  information needed by the recipient to comply with the

  9  requirements of this section, including:

10         1.  The audit and accountability requirements for state

11  projects as stated in this section and applicable rules of the

12  Executive Office of the Governor, rules of the Comptroller,

13  and rules of the Auditor General.

14         2.  Information from the Catalog of State Financial

15  Assistance, including the standard state project number

16  identifier; official title; legal authorization; and

17  description of the state project including objectives,

18  restrictions, and other relevant information determined

19  necessary.

20         3.  Information from the State Projects Compliance

21  Supplement, including the significant compliance requirements,

22  eligibility requirements, matching requirements, suggested

23  audit procedures, and other relevant information determined

24  necessary.

25         (b)  Require the recipient, as a condition of receiving

26  state financial assistance, to allow the state awarding

27  agency, the Comptroller, and the Auditor General access to the

28  recipient's records and the recipient's independent auditor's

29  working papers as necessary for complying with the

30  requirements of this section.

31


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  1         (c)  Notify the recipient that this section does not

  2  limit the authority of the state awarding agency to conduct or

  3  arrange for the conduct of additional audits or evaluations of

  4  state financial assistance or limit the authority of any state

  5  agency inspector general, the Auditor General, or any other

  6  state official.

  7         (d)  Be provided one copy of each financial reporting

  8  package prepared in accordance with the requirement of this

  9  section.

10         (e)  Review the recipient financial reporting package,

11  including the management letters and corrective action plans,

12  to the extent necessary to determine whether timely and

13  appropriate corrective action has been taken with respect to

14  audit findings and recommendations pertaining to state awards

15  made by the state agency.

16         (6)  As a condition of receiving state financial

17  assistance, each recipient that provides state financial

18  assistance to a subrecipient shall:

19         (a)  Provide for each state award to a subrecipient

20  information needed by the subrecipient to comply with the

21  requirements of this section, including:

22         1.  Identification of the state awarding agency.

23         2.  The audit and accountability requirements for state

24  projects as stated in this section and applicable rules of the

25  Executive Office of the Governor, rules of the Comptroller,

26  and rules of the Auditor General.

27         3.  Information from the Catalog of State Financial

28  Assistance, including the standard state project number

29  identifier; official title; legal authorization; and

30  description of the state project, including objectives,

31  restrictions, and other relevant information.


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  1         4.  Information from the State Projects Compliance

  2  Supplement including the significant compliance requirements,

  3  eligibility requirements, matching requirements, and suggested

  4  audit procedures, and other relevant information determined

  5  necessary.

  6         (b)  Review the subrecipient audit reports, including

  7  the management letters, to the extent necessary to determine

  8  whether timely and appropriate corrective action has been

  9  taken with respect to audit findings and recommendations

10  pertaining to state awards made by the state agency.

11         (c)  Perform such other procedures as specified in

12  terms and conditions of the written agreement with the state

13  awarding agency including any required monitoring of the

14  subrecipient's use of state financial assistance through

15  on-site visits, limited scope audits, or other specified

16  procedures.

17         (d)  Require subrecipients, as a condition of receiving

18  state financial assistance, to permit the independent auditor

19  of the recipient, the state awarding agency, the Comptroller,

20  and the Auditor General access to the subrecipient's records

21  and the subrecipient's independent auditor's working papers as

22  necessary to comply with the requirements of this section.

23         (7)  Each recipient or subrecipient of state financial

24  assistance shall obtain an audit that complies with the

25  following:

26         (a)  Each nonstate entity that receives state awards

27  and meets audit threshold requirements, in any fiscal year of

28  the nonstate entity, as stated in the rules of the Auditor

29  General, shall have a state single audit conducted for such

30  fiscal year in accordance with the requirements of this act

31  and with additional requirements established in rules of the


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  1  Executive Office of the Governor, rules of the Comptroller,

  2  and rules of the Auditor General. If only one state project is

  3  involved in a nonstate entity's fiscal year, the nonstate

  4  entity may elect to require only a state project-specific

  5  compliance audit of the state project for that fiscal year.

  6         (b)  Each nonstate entity that receives state awards

  7  and does not meet the threshold requirements, in any fiscal

  8  year of the nonstate entity, as stated in this law or the

  9  rules of the Auditor General is exempt for such fiscal year

10  from the state single audit requirements of this section.

11  However, such nonstate entity must meet terms and conditions

12  specified in the written agreement with the state awarding

13  agency.

14         (c)  Regardless of the amount of the state award, the

15  provisions of this section do not exempt a nonstate entity

16  from compliance with provisions of law relating to maintaining

17  records concerning state awards to such nonstate entity or

18  allowing access and examination of those records by the state

19  awarding agency, the Comptroller, or the Auditor General.

20         (d)  Audits conducted pursuant to this section shall be

21  performed annually.

22         (e)  Audits conducted pursuant to this section shall be

23  conducted by independent auditors in accordance with auditing

24  standards as stated in rules of the Auditor General.

25         (f)  Upon completion of the audit as required by this

26  section, a copy of the recipient's financial reporting package

27  shall be filed with the state awarding agency and the Auditor

28  General. Upon completion of the audit as required by this

29  section, a copy of the subrecipient's financial reporting

30  package shall be filed with the recipient that provided the

31  state financial assistance. The financial reporting package


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  1  shall be filed in accordance with the rules of the Auditor

  2  General.

  3         (g)  All financial reporting packages prepared pursuant

  4  to the requirements of this section shall be available for

  5  public inspection.

  6         (h)  If an audit conducted pursuant to this section

  7  discloses any significant audit findings relating to state

  8  financial assistance, including material noncompliance with

  9  individual major state project compliance requirements or

10  reportable conditions in internal controls of the nonstate

11  entity, the nonstate entity shall submit as part of the audit

12  package to the state awarding agency a plan for corrective

13  action to eliminate such audit findings or a statement

14  describing the reasons that corrective action is not

15  necessary.

16         (i)  An audit conducted in accordance with this section

17  is in addition to any audit of federal awards required by the

18  Federal Single Audit Act and other federal laws and

19  regulations. To the extent that such federally required audits

20  provide the state awarding agency with information it requires

21  to carry out its responsibilities under state law or other

22  guidance, a state agency shall rely upon and use that

23  information.

24         (j)  This section does not prohibit the state awarding

25  agency from including terms and conditions in the written

26  agreement which require additional assurances that state

27  awards meet the applicable requirements of laws, regulations,

28  and other compliance rules.

29         (k)  A state awarding agency that provides state awards

30  to nonstate entities and conducts or arranges for audits of

31  state awards that are in addition to the audits conducted


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  1  under this act shall, consistent with other applicable law,

  2  arrange for funding the full cost of such additional audits.

  3         (8)  The independent auditor when conducting a state

  4  single audit of recipients or subrecipients shall:

  5         (a)  Determine whether the nonstate entity's financial

  6  statements are presented fairly in all material respects in

  7  conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.

  8         (b)  Determine whether state awards shown on the

  9  Schedule of State Financial Assistance are presented fairly in

10  all material respects in relation to the nonstate entity's

11  financial statements taken as a whole.

12         (c)  With respect to internal controls pertaining to

13  each major state project:

14         1.  Obtain an understanding of internal controls;

15         2.  Assess control risk;

16         3.  Perform tests of controls unless the controls are

17  deemed to be ineffective; and

18         4.  Determine whether the nonstate entity has internal

19  controls in place to provide reasonable assurance of

20  compliance with the provisions of laws, regulations, and other

21  rules pertaining to state awards that have a material effect

22  on each major state project.

23         (d)  Determine whether each major state project

24  complied with the provisions of laws, rules, and guidelines as

25  identified in the State Projects Compliance Supplement, or

26  otherwise identified by the state awarding agency, which have

27  a material effect on each major state project. When major

28  state projects are less than 50 percent of the nonstate

29  entity's total expenditures for all state awards, the auditor

30  shall select and test additional state projects as major state

31  projects as necessary to achieve audit coverage of at least 50


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  1  percent of the expenditures for all state awards to the

  2  nonstate entity. Additional state projects needed to meet the

  3  50-percent requirement may be selected on an inherent risk

  4  basis as stated in the rules of the Executive Office of the

  5  Governor.

  6         (e)  Report on the results of any audit conducted

  7  pursuant to this section in accordance with the rules of the

  8  Executive Office of the Governor, rules of the Comptroller,

  9  and rules of the Auditor General. Audit reports shall include

10  summaries of the auditor's results regarding the nonstate

11  entity's financial statements, Schedule of State Financial

12  Assistance, internal controls, and compliance with laws,

13  rules, and other compliance guidance.

14         (f)  Issue a management letter as prescribed in the

15  rules of the Auditor General.

16         (g)  Upon notification by the nonstate entity, make

17  available the working papers relating to the audit conducted

18  pursuant to the requirements of this section to the state

19  awarding agency, Comptroller, or the Auditor General for

20  review or copying.

21         (9)  The Auditor General shall:

22         (a)  Have the authority to audit state financial

23  assistance provided to any nonstate entity when determined

24  necessary by the Auditor General or when directed by the

25  Legislative Auditing Committee.

26         (b)  Adopt rules that state the auditing standards that

27  independent auditors are to follow for audits of nonstate

28  entities required by this section.

29         (c)  Adopt rules that describe the contents and the

30  filing deadlines for the financial reporting package.

31


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  1         (d)  Provide technical advice upon request of the

  2  Comptroller, Executive Office of the Governor, and state

  3  agencies relating to financial reporting and audit

  4  responsibilities contained in this section.

  5         (e)  Be provided one copy of each financial reporting

  6  package prepared in accordance with the requirements of this

  7  section.

  8         (f)  Perform ongoing reviews of a sample of financial

  9  reporting packages filed pursuant to the requirements of this

10  section to determine compliance with the reporting

11  requirements of this section and applicable rules of the

12  Executive Office of the Governor, rules of the Comptroller,

13  and rules of the Auditor General.

14         Section 3.  Section 216.349, Florida Statutes, is

15  repealed.

16         Section 4.  Paragraph (f) of subsection (2) of section

17  265.2861, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

18         265.2861  Cultural Institutions Program; trust fund.--

19         (2)  CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM.--

20         (f)  Each organization shall cause an annual postaudit

21  or independent attestation of its financial accounts, as

22  specified in s. 216.349, to be conducted by an independent

23  certified public accountant.  The annual audit report must be

24  submitted to the Department of State for review. The

25  department may require and receive from the recipient

26  institution, or from its independent auditor, any detail or

27  supplemental data relative to the operation of such

28  institution.

29         Section 5.  This act applies to any nonstate entity

30  fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2000.

31         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.


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