What happens after the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA) receives a report?
When local auditee reports are received through the web portal (see Submitting a Report to the Legislative Auditor), they undergo a preliminary administrative review. The administrative review determines, for example, that the report that was submitted was for the correct engagement, and that another document was not submitted in error in the place of the report.
After the report has undergone the administrative review it goes into the part of the portal where it may be retrieved by an LLA report reviewer. Based on the information entered by the certified public accountant (CPA) when the report was submitted, or other matters identified by LLA, the report may undergo an expedited review, or it may undergo a more thorough review.
If there are no pending items, such as allegations for which the CPA has not responded, or fraud or misappropriations that have not been included in the report, the report review is finalized and the report issued.
LLA will contact the CPA if there are questions about a report, or if a report needs to be revised. CPAs should respond to LLA within five working days on any request for additional information or a report revision.
Legislative Auditor Report Review
The Louisiana Governmental Audit Guide (LAGAG) is authorized by Louisiana Revised Statute 24:513 A. (5) (a) (i) to set forth the standards by which the engagements of local governments and quasi-public organizations (local auditees) are to be performed. The LAGAG is jointly produced by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA) and the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants.
Although the LAGAG is intended to assist CPAs in performing their audits and other engagements for local auditees, it does not include a detailed analysis of the professional auditing and accounting standards a CPA must consider during his or her audit, review/attestation or compilation engagements; nor is it a substitute for professional judgment. CPAs must reach their own conclusions through research of all applicable auditing and accounting standards, in addition to the LAGAG, in the performance of their local auditee engagements.
In addition, although the LAGAG is intended to assist local auditees, it does not include all the legal and accounting information an agency needs to perform its operations; nor is it a substitute for professional, legal or accounting advice; or professional or personal judgment. Local auditees should use the information in the LAGAG, in conjunction with the guidance of the professionals most familiar with the particular facts and circumstances regarding their agency, in the performance of their operations.
For questions and comments about the LAGAG, please contact LLA at (225) 339-3800.