This section assigns the joint legislative audit committee and the auditor general specific sunset-review duties and timelines for agencies scheduled to terminate.
41-2953 - Joint legislative audit committee; sunset powers and duties; report by auditor general and committees of reference; sunset review reports; performance audits 41-2953. Joint legislative audit committee; sunset powers and duties; report by auditor general and committees of reference; sunset review reports; performance audits A. The joint legislative audit committee shall designate the chairperson of each committee of reference and shall assign agencies to the respective committees of reference according to subject matter for performance review. B. The auditor general shall provide to the joint legislative audit committee a list of agencies scheduled for termination in the next sunset termination schedule, plus an estimate of the audit hours necessary to conduct a sunset review of each agency at least twenty months before the termination date for such agencies. At least nineteen months before the termination date, the joint legislative audit committee shall meet to review the information submitted by the auditor general, shall select which agencies are subject to sunset review by the auditor general and which agencies are subject to sunset review by the committees of reference and shall determine the priority of review by the auditor general or the committees of reference, except that the Arizona criminal justice commission established by section 41-2404 is subject to sunset review by the auditor general. If the auditor general or the committees of reference are unable to complete the sunset review of a selected agency, the joint legislative audit committee shall oversee the preparation of proposed legislation to place the agency in the following sunset termination schedule and is responsible for the introduction of the legislation. Those agencies not selected for sunset review by the joint legislative audit committee shall terminate pursuant to article 2 of this chapter unless otherwise continued by the legislature. C. The joint legislative audit committee shall initiate the sunset review at least seventeen months before the termination date for each agency that is selected pursuant to subsection B of this section and scheduled for termination pursuant to article 2 of this chapter. The draft sunset review report shall be completed at least eleven months before the date established by article 2 of this chapter for termination. Before the report is submitted, the state agency affected shall be given an opportunity to review the draft report and submit written comments or rebuttal, which shall be included in the preliminary sunset review report. The agency shall have not more than forty calendar days to review the draft report for comment or rebuttal. The preliminary sunset review report shall be submitted to the governor, to each member of the joint legislative audit committee, to the committee of reference and to the affected agency by October 1 of the year before the scheduled termination date of the agency. D. The joint legislative audit committee may direct the auditor general or the committees of reference to conduct a performance audit as defined in section 41-1278 or a special performance audit of any agency. E. If an agency is continued, the joint legislative audit committee may direct the auditor general or the committees of reference to conduct a follow-up review of the agency to determine how the agency has performed its statutory functions or corrected deficiencies of prior sunset review, or both.