The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) is subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (also known as the MGDPA). That law governs access to data maintained by OLA, including whether data is accessible, who may access data, and whether there is a cost associated with getting the data. OLA is also required to protect not public data under that law.
Copies of OLA reports are available online directly through OLA’s website, which contains a list of reports. You may also obtain printed copies of OLA reports by calling 651-296-4708 or emailing your request to Legislative.Auditor@state.mn.us.
Some information about OLA data and data requests to OLA is available below. You are also encouraged to review OLA’s Data Practices Policies, available here: To request data, please fill out the appropriate OLA request form:OLA maintains data collected, created, received, maintained, or disseminated or by our office. Most of this information is related to OLA audits, evaluations, and special reviews of other government agencies and the programs they administer.
If you are interested in information that OLA has about agencies and programs, we encourage you to explore our list of reports. In addition to the reports themselves, OLA maintains “workpapers” that document our work for each audit, evaluation, and special review.
In addition to data related to our work, OLA also maintains information regarding our operations and administration.
OLA does not maintain data on behalf of the Minnesota Legislature, either legislative body, other legislative entities, or any individual legislator. OLA also does not maintain data on behalf of any other governmental agency or entity. If you are interested in obtaining legislative information or information from other government entities, please contact the appropriate responsible authority for that agency or entity.
To streamline the data request process, OLA strongly recommends using the data request forms listed above. If necessary, OLA will accept other written requests for data such as emails, letters, or memoranda. OLA does not accept verbal data requests.
Your request should clearly describe what data you are seeking, for example, specific documents or date ranges. This will help OLA fulfill your request as quickly as possible.
Your request should also describe whether you would like to inspect the data , receive copies, or both. As described below, you may be charged for copies of data.
OLA cannot require anyone to identify themselves in order to request public data. However, OLA will need to be able to contact you to provide responsive data, and may need to contact you to better understand your request. If we cannot reach you about your request, we will consider your request to have been abandoned.
In addition, if you request data about yourself, your child, or a person for whom you serve as guardian, you will need to establish your identity in order to obtain private or nonpublic data. OLA’s Data Practices Policy for Data Subjects contains information about how you can verify your identity to obtain that type of data.
OLA will review your request to determine what data are being requested, and may contact you to clarify your request. If you are requesting data that might be private or nonpublic, OLA will ask you to verify your identity. OLA will then identify responsive data, and review the data to remove information that cannot be provided. After gathering and reviewing responsive information, OLA will provide the data or contact you to make arrangements to provide the data to you.
In some situations, OLA is permitted by law to charge requesters for copies of data. However, in many cases, OLA does not require payment in order to provide data. More information about this is in the policies linked above.
OLA encourages data requests to be submitted through the forms linked above. OLA’s Responsible Authority is Legislative Auditor Judy Randall.
Questions or inquiries related to data practices or data requests can be directed to OLA’s Data Practices Compliance Official and Responsible Authority Designee:
Nathan Shepherd, General Counsel
datapractices.ola@state.mn.us
Office of the Legislative Auditor
658 Cedar Street, Room 140
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-4708
