§715. Audit of accounts and operations of the District of Columbia government

(a) In addition to the audit carried out under section 455 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93–198, 87 Stat. 803; D.C. Code, §47–117), the Comptroller General each year shall audit the accounts and operations of the District of Columbia government. An audit shall be carried out according to principles, under regulations, and in a way the Comptroller General prescribes. When prescribing the procedures to follow and the extent of the inspection of records, the Comptroller General shall consider generally accepted principles of auditing, including the effectiveness of accounting organizations and systems, internal audit and control, and related administrative practices.

(b) The Comptroller General shall submit each audit report to Congress and (other than the audit reports of the District of Columbia Courts) the Mayor and Council of the District of Columbia. The report shall include the scope of an audit, information the Comptroller General considers necessary to keep Congress, the Mayor, and the Council informed of operations audited, and recommendations the Comptroller General considers advisable.

(c)(1) By the 90th day after receiving an audit report from the Comptroller General, the Mayor shall state in writing to the Council measures the District of Columbia government is taking to comply with the recommendations of the Comptroller General. A copy of the statement shall be sent to Congress.

(2) After the Council receives the statement of the Mayor, the Council may make available for public inspection the report of the Comptroller General and other material the Council considers pertinent.

(d) To carry out this section, records and property of or used by the District of Columbia government necessary to make an audit easier shall be made available to the Comptroller General. The Mayor shall provide facilities to carry out an audit.

(e) Not later than March 1 of each year, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on the District of Columbia of the House of Representatives and the Subcommittee on General Services, Federalism, and the District of Columbia of the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate a review of the report of the breakdown of the independently audited revenues of the District of Columbia for the preceding fiscal year by revenues derived from the Federal Government and revenues derived from sources other than the Federal Government that is included in the independent annual audit of the funds of the District of Columbia conducted for such fiscal year.

( Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 891 ; Pub. L. 102–102, §2(c)(2), Aug. 17, 1991, 105 Stat. 496 ; Pub. L. 105–33, title XI, §§11244(b), 11717(b), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 754 , 786.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised Section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
715(a)	31:61(a)(1st, 2d sentences).	Dec. 24, 1973, Pub. L. 93–198, §736, 87 Stat. 823 .
715(b)	31:61(b)(1).
715(c)(1)	31:61(b)(3).
715(c)(2)	31:61(b)(2).
715(d)	31:61(a)(last sentence).

In subsection (a), the words "Comptroller General" are substituted for "General Accounting Office" for consistency. The words "of Columbia" are added for clarity. The words "rules and" are omitted as surplus. The word "way" is substituted for "procedures" and "detail" to eliminate unnecessary words. The words "of the United States" are omitted as surplus. The word "records" is substituted for "vouchers and other documents" to eliminate unnecessary words.

In subsection (b), the words "of the District of Columbia" are added for clarity. The words "comments and" are omitted as surplus. The word "audited" is substituted for "to which the reports relate" for consistency and to eliminate unnecessary words. The words "with respect thereto" are omitted as surplus.

In subsection (c)(2), the words "After the Council receives the statement of the Mayor" are substituted for "After the Mayor has had an opportunity to be heard", and the words "of the Comptroller General" are added, for clarity. The word "thereto" is omitted as surplus.

In subsection (d), the words "To carry out this section" are added for clarity. The words "records and property of or used by . . . shall be made available to the Comptroller General" are substituted for 31:61(a)(last sentence 1st–30th words) for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code and to eliminate unnecessary words. The words "of Columbia government" are added for consistency. The words "The Mayor shall provide facilities to carry out an audit" are substituted for 31:61(a)(last sentence words after last comma) for clarity.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1997-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–33, §11717(b), substituted "District of Columbia Home Rule Act" for "District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–33, §11244(b), substituted "and (other than the audit reports of the District of Columbia Courts) the Mayor" for "and the Mayor".

1991-Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–102 added subsec. (e).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Governmental Affairs of Senate changed to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of Senate, effective Jan. 4, 2005, by Senate Resolution No. 445, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Oct. 9, 2004.

Effective Date of 1997 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 105–33 effective Oct. 1, 1997, except as otherwise provided in title XI of Pub. L. 105–33, see section 11721 of Pub. L. 105–33, set out as a note under section 4246 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Effective Date of 1991 Amendment

Pub. L. 102–102, §2(e), Aug. 17, 1991, 105 Stat. 496 , provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 17, 1991]."

Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103–7 (in which the requirement to submit annual audit reports to Congress under subsec. (b) of this section is listed on page 4), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, and section 1(a)(4) [div. A, §1402(1)] of Pub. L. 106–554, set out as notes under section 1113 of this title.

Abolition of House Committee on the District of Columbia

Committee on the District of Columbia of House of Representatives abolished by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Jan. 4, 1995. References to Committee on the District of Columbia treated as referring to Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of House of Representatives, see section 1(b) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Government Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 6, 1999. Committee on Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2019. Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Accountability of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.