(a) Financial and compliance audits shall be performed in accordance with General Accounting Office standards for financial and compliance audits. The audit guide prepared by the Controller shall be used in the performance of these audits until an audit guide is adopted by the Education Audits Appeal Panel pursuant to Section 14502.1. When an audit guide is adopted by that panel, the adopted audit guide shall be used in the performance of these audits. Every audit report shall specifically and separately address each of the state program compliance requirements included in the audit guide, stating whether or not the district is in compliance with those requirements. For each state program compliance requirement included in the audit guide, every audit report shall further state that the suggested audit procedures included in the audit guide for that requirement were followed in the making of the audit, if that is the case, or, if not, what other procedures were followed. If a local education agency is not in compliance with a requirement that is a condition of eligibility for the receipt of state funds, the audit report shall include a statement of the number of units of average daily attendance, if any, that were inappropriately reported for apportionment.

(b) An independent auditor shall not engage in financial or compliance audits unless, within three years of commencing the first of the audits, and every successive three years thereafter, the auditor completes a quality control review in accordance with General Accounting Office standards. The time period between commencement of the first audit, or completion of a quality control review, and completion of a subsequent quality control review shall be calculated from the first day of the month following commencement of the audit or completion of the quality control review. Notwithstanding this subdivision, independent auditors may continue to perform any financial and compliance audits until January 1, 1994.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1128, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2003.)