The legislative auditor must be reimbursed for covered local audit expenses, and local auditees generally must pay those costs; some district public defender offices with under $50,000 in annual funds are exempt.
§517.1. Reimbursement for local audits A. The legislative auditor, except for services provided under R.S. 24:513(A)(4)(a)(iv), shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in connection with any local government audit, audit of any public retirement system enumerated in R.S. 42:698.2(A), or audit of any municipality, public or quasi-public agency performed under the provisions of R.S. 24:513(A)(4). The Legislative Audit Advisory Council may authorize lower rates based on economic hardships to particular local auditees. B.(1) The reimbursement provided in Subsection A of this Section shall be payable to the legislative auditor by the local government, including municipalities, public and quasi-public agencies, or public retirement system auditees based upon billing procedures established by the legislative auditor. If the auditee has failed to remit payment in full for the audit services rendered within a period of ninety days from the initial billing date, the legislative auditor shall submit written notice to the auditee that payment in full will be withheld from monies accruing to the auditee within thirty days of the notice. (2) Upon its request, the auditee shall be entitled to a hearing before the Legislative Audit Advisory Council concerning the reimbursement and withholding of said monies. If such hearing is requested and the committee determines that the legislative auditor shall be reimbursed by the auditee, or if no such hearing is requested, and the legislative auditor certifies in writing to the Department of Treasury or any other state agency who is holding monies accruing to the auditee that: (a) The legislative auditor has provided local services consistent with this Section, and (b) The auditee has failed to remit payment in full for the audit services rendered within a period of ninety days from the initial billing date, the treasurer or state agency shall, from the monies accruing to the local entity, forward to the legislative auditor all or that portion of those monies necessary to reimburse the legislative auditor for the total amount of audit costs billed. C through E. Repealed by Acts 1991, No. 610, §2, eff. Dec. 31, 1991. F.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a district public defender office which receives annual funds of less than fifty thousand dollars and is audited by the legislative auditor in accordance with this Chapter shall not be required to reimburse the legislative auditor for expenses incurred in connection with the audit, nor shall the legislative auditor charge a fee in connection with said audit. (2) A district public defender office exempted by this Subsection from reimbursing the legislative auditor for audit costs shall be exempted from paying the costs of any such audit conducted after January 1, 1990. Acts 1983, No. 482, §1; Acts 1984, No. 919, §1; Acts 1986, No. 240, §1; Acts 1987, No. 432, §1; Acts 1988, No. 483, §1; Acts 1990, No. 297, §§1 and 2, eff. July 5, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 610, §§1 and 2, eff. Dec. 31, 1991; Acts 2007, No. 307, §4.