Feb. 09, 2016
HARRISBURG – The bicameral, bipartisan Legislative Audit Advisory Commission (LAAC), chaired by Rep. Mark Keller (R-Perry/Cumberland), today voted to accept the audit report of the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s finances for the 2014-15 fiscal year as conducted by an independent certified public accounting firm.
Without taking into account the spending reductions created by the recent budget impasse, the annual audit of the various legislative departments and legislative service agencies revealed a reserve of $100,374,253, as of June 30, 2015. The audit was carried out by Boyer and Ritter LLC, of Camp Hill.
“As was the case during the current and last fiscal years, maintaining an adequate reserve ensures the General Assembly will remain functional during periods of budget uncertainty,” said Keller. “The numbers in this audit are seven months out-of-date and are now much lower than reported because of the continued need to draw from the reserve funds.”
The full audit and report can be viewed on the Pennsylvania General Assembly website, www.legis.state.pa.us, or at the direct link,
http://goo.gl/jSmCKw.
“The commission continues its policy of being fully open and transparent regarding the findings of the annual audit. The 2015 audit and report, along with audits and reports from the previous eight fiscal years, are fully accessible to the public and news media online,” added Keller.
Below is a breakdown of the June 30, 2015, reserves included in the audit:
• Senate – $18,528,327.
• House of Representatives – $45,861,156.
• Legislative Reference Bureau – $7,626,544.
• Legislative Budget and Finance Committee – $1,244,926.
• Legislative Data Processing Committee – $13,099,254.
• Joint State Government Commission – $338,305.
• Local Government Commission – $463,791.
• Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control Commission – $325,259.
• LAAC – $104,650.
• Independent Regulatory Review Commission – $1,251,844.
• Capitol Preservation Committee – $3,316,970.
• Independent Fiscal Office – $2,342,384.
• Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission – $1,441,999.
• Commonwealth Mail Processing Center – $3,676,585.
• Center for Rural Pennsylvania – $752,259.
The members of the commission are: Keller, Rep. Florindo Fabrizio (D-Erie), Sen. Patrick Browne (R-Lehigh), Sen. Lawrence Farnese (D-Philadelphia), Peter Barsz (House appointee), Jeffrey Berdahl (House appointee), Merritt Reitzel (Senate appointee) and Ira Weiss (Senate appointee).
The LAAC was formed as a result of Act 151 of 1970. The commission consists of eight members, including a majority and a minority member of the House of Representatives and two public members appointed by the House speaker; and a majority and a minority member of the Senate and two public members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate.
The commission’s function is twofold. It examines the standards of audits performed under the provisions of Section 10 of Article VIII of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, and recommends measures for the improvement of pre-auditing of the financial affairs of the Commonwealth. It also reports annually recommendations and suggested legislation, if any, for the improvement of auditing in the Commonwealth, and particularly as it pertains to the Legislature.
Representative Mark Keller
86th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andy Briggs
717.260.6474
abriggs@pahousegop.com
RepKeller.com /
Facebook.com/RepKeller