Division of Local Assistance Office Bulletin (DLA-OB) 14–05:

Process reviews of the Local Assistance Program conducted by FHWA, Caltrans and local agency staff identified the need for additional Caltrans oversight, including District review and approval of local agency progress invoices prior to payment. Invoice review had previously been performed entirely by Local Programs Accounting (LPA). To address FHWA concerns and improve Caltrans oversight of the Local Assistance Program, local agency project sponsors are now required to submit ALL progress and final invoices and support documentation (to verify eligibility and reasonableness of costs invoiced) directly to the Caltrans District Local Assistance Engineer (DLAE) for review and concurrence prior to payment.

Effective October 1, 20141, local agencies will be required to include the following new documents with their invoices and supporting documents:

  1. Local Agency Invoice Review Checklist (DLA-OB 14–05 Attachment A) and
  2. Billing Summary (DLA-OB 14–05 Attachments B).

Depending on the phase of work, additional documents may be required per the Local Agency Invoice Review Checklist.

With the Highway Trust Fund expected to become insolvent by the end of August, it’s even more important to submit complete invoice packages to avoid delays in reimbursement. If you have other members on your project team preparing invoices, be sure to share DLA-OB 14–05 with them.