Audit 396358

REPORTING Reference Number: 2025-004 (2024-006) Category of Finding: Reporting Type of Finding: Material Noncompliance and Material Weakness State Administering Department: Homeland Security and Emergency Management Assistance Listing Number: 93.036 Federal Program Title: Disaster Grants – Public Assistance Federal Award Numbers and Years: 5184DRNMP5SNM500 4529DRNMP5SNM500 4625DRNMP5SNM500 5281DRNMP5SNM500 5430DRNMP5SNM500 4795DRNMP5SNM500 4843DRNMP5SNM500 5461DRNMP5SNM500 Assistance Listing Number: 93.039 Federal Program Title: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Federal Award Numbers and Years: 5184FMNMP5SNM500 4529FMNMP5SNM500 4625FMNMP5SNM500 5281FMNMP5SNM500 5430FMNMP5SNM500 4795FMNMP5SNM500 4843FMNMP5SNM500 5461FMNMP5SNM500 Assistance Listing Number: 93.042 Federal Program Title: Emergency Management Performance Grant Federal Award Numbers and Years: EMT2023EP00002; 2023 EMT2024EP05014; 2024 Assistance Listing Number: 93.067 Federal Program Title: Homeland Security Grant Program Federal Award Numbers and Years: EMW2023SS00015; 2023 EMW2024SS05231; 2024 Criteria Title 2 - Grants and Agreements, Subtitle A - Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements, Chapter II - Office of Management and Budget Guidance, Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements, Standards for Financial and Program Management, §200.328 Financial Reporting (2 CFR 200.328):(c) The recipient or subrecipient must submit financial reports as required by the Federal award. Reports submitted annually by the recipient or subrecipient must be due no later than 90 calendar days after the reporting period. Reports submitted quarterly or semi-annually must be due no later than 30 calendar days after the reporting period. Title 2 - Grants and Agreements, Subtitle A - Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements, Chapter II - Office of Management and Budget Guidance, Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements, Standards for Financial and Program Management, §200.302 Financial Management (2 CFR 200.302): (a) Each State must expend and account for the Federal award in accordance with State laws and procedures for expending and accounting for the State's funds. All recipient and subrecipient financial management systems, including records documenting compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award, must be sufficient to permit the preparation of reports required by the terms and conditions; and tracking expenditures to establish that funds have been used in accordance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award Condition The Department did not submit the required SF-425 financial status reports by the required submission date, 30 calendar days from the end of the reporting period as follows: • 97.036 Disaster Grants Public Assistance, 4 of 8 reports sampled were not submitted timely. • 97.039 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, 2 of 8 reports sampled were not submitted timely. • 97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants, 2 of 4 reports sampled were not submitted timely. • 97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program, 3 of 5 reports sampled were not submitted timely. Management made some progress. Identification as a Repeat Finding Finding 2024-006 is repeated and modified. Cause The Department experienced a high level of turnover in financial division personnel, during which time the processes in place did not allow for the timely preparation and submission of required quarterly SF-425 Financial reports. Effect Untimely report submissions can result in ineffective oversight by the federal oversight agency. Questioned Costs Questioned costs were not identified. Context The Department is required to submit financial status reports quarterly for all federal grant programs. The turnover in staffing resulted in delayed submissions for approximately half of the fiscal year, primarily impacting reporting periods ended March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2025. Recommendation The Department should ensure that as part of the revisions to policies and procedures over the financial reporting of the Department’s federal grants, there are practices in place that provide for alternate personnel that can compile, review and submit financial status reports in the event of unexpected vacancies or absences from the positions designated primary reporting responsibilities.