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[ Introduced ] | [ Engrossed ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
90_SB0682enr 705 ILCS 105/27.7 new Amends the Clerks of Courts Act. Requires the county board, beginning in fiscal years ending in 1999 and all fiscal years thereafter, to cause an audit of the office of the circuit clerk to be made annually at the close of the county's fiscal year by a licensed public accountant. Provides that a listing of applicable legal requirements shall be compiled by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and made available to auditors for their compliance testing. Requires the audits to be completed in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards and generally accepted auditing standards. Requires the audit to be completed within 6 months after the end of the fiscal year. Allows the county board to grant an extension of up to 6 months for the completion of the audit. Provides that the expenses of conducting and filing the audit be paid by the county unless another person or entity agrees, in writing, to pay the expenses. Requires the audit to be filed with the Auditor General, the State Comptroller, the circuit clerk, and the county board within one month of the completion of the audit. Requires the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts to disseminate auditing guidelines to the county boards and the circuit clerks. Requires the Auditor General's Office, with the assistance of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, to update the auditing guidelines as necessary from time to time. Provides that revised guidelines shall be available to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts for dissemination to the county boards and the circuit clerks. Allows the audit to be included with the annual county audit. States that the Section is intended to require a comprehensive audit of the circuit clerk and to eliminate duplicative audits of the circuit clerk. States that the audit shall be available to the public. Effective January 1, 1998. LRB9001004DNmbA SB682 Enrolled LRB9001004DNmbA 1 AN ACT to amend the Clerks of Courts Act by adding 2 Section 27.7. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Clerks of Courts Act is amended by adding 6 Section 27.7 as follows: 7 (705 ILCS 105/27.7 new) 8 Sec. 27.7. Annual audit. 9 (a) Beginning with fiscal years ending in 1999 and all 10 fiscal years thereafter, in addition to any other audits 11 required by law, the county board of each county shall cause 12 an audit of the office of the circuit clerk to be made 13 annually at the close of the county's fiscal year by a 14 licensed public accountant. The county auditor and his or 15 her staff may assist with the audit. The audit shall consist 16 of a letter report that expresses an opinion on the financial 17 statements of the circuit clerk, a letter report that 18 expresses an opinion on internal controls of the circuit 19 clerk, a letter report on the circuit clerk's compliance with 20 applicable statutes, rules, and procedures relating to 21 assessment, collection, and distribution of funds, including 22 the timeliness of those actions, any documentation or 23 statements necessary to support the findings and opinions of 24 the auditors, and any supplemental schedules or other 25 documents required by the audit guidelines. A listing of 26 applicable legal requirements shall be compiled by the 27 Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and made 28 available to auditors for their compliance testing. 29 The county board may include additional requirements in 30 the audit. 31 (b) The audits shall be completed in accordance with SB682 Enrolled -2- LRB9001004DNmbA 1 generally accepted government auditing standards and 2 generally accepted auditing standards. The audit shall be 3 completed within 6 months after the end of the fiscal year. 4 The county board may grant an extension of up to 6 months for 5 the completion of the audit. 6 (c) The expenses of conducting and filing the audit 7 shall be paid by the county from the circuit clerk's 8 appropriations, and the county board shall make provisions 9 for the payment unless another person or entity agrees, in 10 writing, to pay the expenses. 11 (d) The audit shall be filed with the Administrative 12 Office of the Illinois Courts, the State Comptroller, the 13 circuit clerk, and the county board within one month after 14 the completion of the audit. 15 (e) The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts 16 shall disseminate auditing guidelines to the county boards 17 and the circuit clerks. The Auditor General's Office shall 18 update, with the assistance of the Administrative Office of 19 the Illinois Courts, the auditing guidelines as necessary 20 from time to time. Revised guidelines shall be available to 21 the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts for 22 dissemination to the county boards and the circuit clerks. 23 (f) The auditing requirements of this Section may be 24 included in the audit required by Section 6-31003 of the 25 Counties Code. 26 (g) This Section is intended to require a comprehensive 27 audit of the circuit clerks and to eliminate duplicative 28 audits of the circuit clerk. The audit performed under this 29 Section shall be available, upon request, to the public. 30 Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding 31 Section 8.21 as follows: 32 (30 ILCS 805/8.21 new) SB682 Enrolled -3- LRB9001004DNmbA 1 Sec. 8.21. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 2 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required 3 for the implementation of any mandate created by this 4 amendatory Act of 1997. 5 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on 6 January 1, 1998.