Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §1541, sub-§10-A, ¶F, as amended by PL 2003, c. 600, §3, is further amended to read:

F. Access to resources and records must be limited to authorized individuals as determined by the state agency or department head, except that the powers and duties of the State Auditor may not be limited by this subsection. Restrictions on access to resources depend upon the vulnerability of the resource and the perceived risk of loss, both of which must be periodically assessed. The state agency or department head is responsible for maintaining accountability for the custody and use of resources and shall assign qualified individuals for that purpose. Periodic comparison must be made between the resources and the recorded accountability of the resources to reduce the risk of unauthorized use or loss and protect against waste and wrongful acts. The vulnerability and value of the state agency or department resources determine the frequency of this comparison.

Within each state agency or department there must be a qualified employee whose responsibility, in addition to the employee's regularly assigned duties, is to ensure that the state agency or department has written documentation of its internal accounting and administrative control system on file. The employee shall, annually, or more often as conditions warrant, evaluate the effectiveness of the state agency's or department's internal control system and establish and implement changes necessary to ensure the continued integrity of the system. The employee shall:

(1) Ensure that the documentation of all internal control systems is readily available for examination by the State Controller, Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services and State Auditor;

(2) Certify to the State Controller that the appropriate updates have been made and implemented by the state agency or department;

(3) Ensure that the results of audits and recommendations to improve state agency or department internal controls are promptly evaluated by the state agency or department management;

(4) Ensure that timely and appropriate corrective actions are effected by the state agency or department management in response to an audit;