A bill for an act relating to investigations of state departments by the auditor of state.

HF 683 allows Iowa's auditor of state to investigate state government departments for efficiency improvements, at the auditor's discretion. These investigations would be treated as official audits under existing law, granting the auditor subpoena power and the ability to enforce subpoenas through courts or with help from county attorneys or the attorney general. The bill directly affects all state departments subject to these efficiency-focused investigations. It modifies how the auditor conducts such reviews by applying current enforcement mechanisms to these specific efficiency probes.