Performance audit bill unanimously passes in Ohio Senate

OSCPA-supported legislation mandating performance audits for state agencies passed the Ohio Senate in a unanimous vote.

The Senate vote followed the “Forum for a Strong Ohio,” an OSCPA-sponsored event that provided specific details to members of the Ohio General Assembly on recommendations in the Ohio Budget Advisory Task Force Report. One of those recommendations encouraged implementing performance audits of government entities to help Ohio achieve operational efficiencies..

Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, Senate Bill 4 sponsor, applauded OSCPA for both developing the Task Force’s report and for continuing to drive the messages it contained. Multiple cosponsors signed onto the bill after the floor vote.

In his testimony before the Senate State and the Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee last week, OSCPA Chair Matt Yuskewich, CPA stressed OSCPA’s support for SB 4 because it is in line with recommendations in the report.

“Performance audits of the top Ohio state agencies will clearly show whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in the most fiscally responsible manner,” Yuskewich said. “Many other states already conduct such audits routinely. Ohio needs to be more proactive in this area as a first step in fixing its long-term financial problems.”

The proposed legislation would require the Auditor of State to conduct performance audits of state agencies in Ohio, starting with  the Ohio Department of Health, Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. These particular agencies were identified by a bipartisan legislative Regulatory Reform Task Force as having particularly burdensome and/or bureaucratic practices in place.

OSCPA members are encouraged to read the Budget Advisory Task Force report and share their thoughts at government@ohio-cpa.com.

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