State Auditor: state employee suggestion program.

Under existing law, the Department of Personnel Administration administers an employee suggestion program and may make specified monetary awards to a current or retired state employee who proposes, among other things, procedures or ideas that will result in eliminating or reducing state expenditures or improving operations, if the proposals are put into effect. Existing law establishes the Bureau of State Audits, which is headed by the State Auditor and has specified statutory duties, including the performance of statutorily mandated audits. Existing law establishes the State Audit Fund, which is continuously appropriated for the expenses of the State Auditor. This bill would require, notwithstanding the continuous appropriation and upon an appropriation by the Legislature, the State Auditor to establish a reward program for state employees who identify innovative solutions for inefficiencies in state government or methods for saving the state money. The program would provide for the review of proposals by the State Auditor and the Legislative Analyst, as prescribed, and would require a state agency or department to implement a proposal that would result in any savings to an implementing agency or department, as specified. The bill would require that the State Auditor provide a reward in the amount of 10% of the savings realized by the agency or department within the first fiscal year of implementation to both the state employee who made the proposal and to the implementing state agency or department, as specified.