State Auditor Issues Update on High-Risk Audit Program

Late last week, California State Auditor Elaine Howle issued an update to Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders on statewide issues and state agencies that represent a high risk to California or its residents. By way of background, the State Auditor’s Office maintains a “High Risk Government Agency Audit Program” that enables the auditor to take specified actions to prevent an adverse outcome among an agency or department that is at risk of suffering, producing waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement or major challenges associated with economy, efficiency, or effectiveness.

In her office’s latest update, Auditor Howle identifies seven high-risk statewide issues that include aspects of water infrastructure, information security, and state management of federal COVID-19 funds. Five state agencies also met the established criteria for posing a high risk:

• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
• California Department of Technology (CDT)
• California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
• California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)

State agencies with high-risk issues were provided an opportunity to respond to the State Auditor’s report. The full update from State Auditor Howle is available here.