Misstated Obligation Reporting - SLFRF - GOV - The Montana Governor's Office of Budget and Program Planning does not agree that this matter represents material noncompliance. As the finding itself confirms, cumulative obligations were accurate as of the federal December 31, 2024 obligation deadline....
Misstated Obligation Reporting - SLFRF - GOV - The Montana Governor's Office of Budget and Program Planning does not agree that this matter represents material noncompliance. As the finding itself confirms, cumulative obligations were accurate as of the federal December 31, 2024 obligation deadline. No evidence supports the assertion that Treasury drew any incorrect conclusions from the one-quarter reporting delay, and the statement that the federal government “may have concluded” funds would be returned is speculative rather than fact based. The Office maintained documented controls over SLFRF administration and reporting, and the assertion that the Office had “no control” for verifying current obligations is factually incorrect, as the finding itself describes multiple control activities, including portal validations, MOU delegations, SABHRS budgetary accounting limitations, and standardized form checks. Additionally, the auditors identified no unsupported obligations under these controls or from the Office's interagency agreements, demonstrating that the Office’s control environment provided adequate assurance over current obligations and that additional internal audit procedures were not warranted given the low assessed risk of noncompliance before the obligation deadline. Ultimately, the one-quarter timing difference reflected a prudent and immaterial verification of accumulating budgetary reservations under newly issued Treasury guidance and had no impact on current or future financial integrity, state or federal appropriations, federal program outcomes, or compliance with cumulative obligation reporting requirements. Responsible Party - Chet McLean, Internal Control Coordinator, Montana Office of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor Target Implementation Date - N/A