The state Assembly on Wednesday passed a scaled back version of legislation that would require regular audits of the Administrative Office of the Courts and trial courts.
As originally introduced, Assembly Bill 2521 would have required the state controller to review the books at the AOC and California’s 58 superior courts every year starting in 2012. But to address the AOC’s concerns that annual audits would be too invasive, the bill was amended late last week.
The controller would now be required to launch a pilot program in 2012 to audit six trial courts. In 2013 the audit program would expand to review all local courts at least once every four years.
The revised bill also decreases the AOC’s audit schedule to once every two years. Audits would start in 2013.
The bill passed 42-0 with Assembly Republicans abstaining from the vote.
UPDATE 6/3: While the initial vote tally on AB 2521 was indeed 42-0, 30 Assembly members — mostly Republicans — later added their "yes" votes to the bill bringing the final count to 72-0. Assembly Republican Caucus spokesman Seth Unger said a lot of members were simply "off the floor" when the first vote took place.
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