§ 54-35-02.2 — Powers and duties of the legislative audit and fiscal review committee

North Dakota § 54-35-02.2

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota
• Title 54: State Government
• Ch. 54-35: Legislative Management

Text

The legislative audit and fiscal review committee shall study and review audit reports as
selected by the committee from those submitted by the state auditor, confer with the auditor and
deputy auditors in regard to such reports, and when necessary, confer with representatives of
the department, agency, or institution audited in order to obtain full and complete information in

regard to any and all fiscal transactions and governmental operations of any department,
agency, or institution of the state. The committee shall meet at least once each calendar quarter
during each interim. Each department, agency, or institution shall furnish to the committee such
aid, information, and assistance in regard to fiscal transactions and governmental operations as
it may from time to time request. Whenever the committee may determine or have reason to
believe that there may have been a violation of law relating to the receipt, custody, or
expenditure of public funds by any state officer or employee, the committee shall present such
evidence or information as may be in its possession to the attorney general. The attorney
general shall receive and accept such evidence or information and shall immediately commence
such additional investigation as the attorney general determines necessary. Upon completion of
the investigation, if the evidence supplied by the committee and through the investigation
indicates the probability of a violation of law by any state official or employee, the attorney
general immediately shall prosecute such official or employee as provided by law. Whenever the
committee may determine that a state agency, department, or institution has failed to correct an
audit finding within two bienniums which the committee determines critically important, the
committee may recommend the legislative assembly reduce the state agency, department, or
institution's appropriation as compared with the amount appropriated to the agency, department,
or institution for the previous biennium. The legislative management, through its committee on
legislative audit and fiscal review, or such persons as may be directed or employed by the
legislative council, is authorized, within the limits of legislative appropriations, to make such
audits, examinations, or studies of the fiscal transactions or governmental operations of
departments, agencies, or institutions of the state as the legislative management may determine
necessary.