§ 44.23 - How does the Department certify payment computations?

§ 44.23 How does the Department certify payment computations?

(a) The Department will certify a payment computation only after receiving a statement showing all land revenue sharing payments that each local government received from the State during the previous fiscal year. As used in this paragraph, “land revenue sharing payments” means payments made from revenues derived from the payment laws listed under 31 U.S.C. 6903(a)(1). The statement must:

(1) Be signed by the Governor or a designated official of the State in which the local government is located; and

(2) Be accompanied by a certification, signed by a State Auditor, an independent Certified Public Accountant, or an independent public accountant, that the statement has been audited in accordance with:

(i) Auditing standards established by the U.S. Comptroller General in Standards of Audit of Governmental Organizations, Programs, Activities and Function, (available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402); and

(ii) The Audit Guide for Payments in Lieu of Taxes issued by the Department of the Interior.

(b) The Department's Office of the Inspector General will assist the Department, under the provisions of sections 4 and 6 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. Appendix), to implement and administer the audit requirements in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(c) The Office of the Inspector General will:

(1) Develop appropriate audit guidelines that State auditors, independent Certified Public Accountants, or independent public accountants must use to audit the statements of the Governors or their designated officials and to certify the audits; and

(2) Furnish copies of the guides to the Governor or designated official each year. You should send questions on the use or application of this guide to the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.

(d) The Department may waive the requirement to certify audits if the General Accounting Office or the Office of the Inspector General verifies the information in statements the Governor or designated official furnishes or if the Department determines it is not necessary. Payments to Local Governments for Acquisitions or Interest in Lands Acquired for Addition to the National Park System or National Forest Wilderness Areas (31 U.S.C. 6904).