Name of Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Name: Early Head Start (EHS) Assistance Listing Number 93.600 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: 04CH011372-04 - 2023 04CH011372-05 - 2024 Name of Pass-through Entity: N/A Criteria Program regulations and contracts require timely submission of SF-425 FFR reports to the regulatory agent as specified in 2 CFR section 200.328. Condition Durham’s Partnership for Children did not submit timely SF-425 FFR reports related to ongoing 2023 and 2024 EHS grants. Cause Management does not have controls in place to ensure timely data compilation and reporting. Effect or Potential Effect Management is not in compliance with the program guidelines requiring timely reporting to the regulatory agent. Questioned Costs: None Context During testing of the reporting compliance requirement for EHS, it was noted that there were severe delays in submission of all required reports for the current year. Identification of Repeat Finding: This finding is a repeat finding (see prior year finding number 2024-002). Recommendation Management should implement procedures to ensure timely submission of required reports to the regulatory agent. Reporting Views of Responsible Officials The Partnership has hired a new Chief Financial Officer with experience in federal grant management and reporting, including Early Head Start. All reporting requirements for the continuing EHS grants have been completed and submitted timely. Head Start system alerts are reviewed as they are received, and the CFO actively monitors upcoming reporting due dates on a monthly basis to ensure continued compliance. In addition, for fiscal year 2025–26 the Chief Financial Officer has updated financial policies and procedures, re-established a Finance Committee for oversight, and implemented monthly financial reporting to the Board of Directors. These actions strengthen governance, improve compliance monitoring, and are expected to result in the finding being fully resolved in future audits.
Finding Number: 2025-001 Federal Program: YouthBuild Grants Federal Award Identification Number and Year: YB-38198-22-60-A-39, 2024 & YB-000086-01-60-A- 24, 2025 Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 17.274 Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Compliance Requirement: Reporting – Quarterly Financial Reports Pass-through Entity: N/A Repeat Finding: Yes Prior Audit Finding Number: 2024-001 Significant Deficiency and Noncompliance – Timely Submission of Quarterly Financial Reports Criteria: 2 C.F.R. § 200.328 Financial Reporting states, in part, the Federal agency or pass-through entity must collect financial reports no less than annually. The Federal agency or pass-through entity may not collect financial reports more frequently than quarterly unless a specific condition has been implemented in accordance with § 200.208. To the extent practicable, the Federal agency or pass-through entity should collect financial reports in coordination with performance reports. The recipient must submit financial reports as required by the Federal award. In the YouthBuild Grant Condition of Award, U.S. Department of Labor, Section 12 Administrative Requirements, Part L, Reports, Section A, Quarterly Financial Reports, all ETA grant award recipients are required to report financial data on the ETA-9130 Financial Report. ETA-9130 reports are due no later than 45 calendar days after the end of each specified reporting quarter. Condition: The School did not submit the quarter ending September 30, 2024 ETA-9130 Quarterly Financial Report until November 20, 2024, six days after the deadline of November 14, 2024. Questioned Costs: None. Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed: N/A Context: Auditor reviewed the ETA-9130 Quarterly Financial Report for period ending September 30, 2024 via submission through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Payment Management System, and noted the School did not submit the report until November 20, 2024, which was six days after the deadline of November 14, 2024. Cause and Effect: The School did not have procedures in place to review and submit the ETA-9130 Quarterly Financial Report timely. As a result, the School filed the Quarter Ending September 30, 2024 ETA-9130 Quarterly Financial Report after the required due date. Recommendation: We recommend that the School implement a process to ensure that future Quarterly Financial Reports are filed by the required due date. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan: See Corrective Action Plan.
Section 3 – Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs Finding 2025-001 Identification of Federal Program: Department of Housing and Urban Development AL Number: 14.251 – Economic Development Initiative, Community Project Funding, and Miscellaneous Grants. Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance - Reporting. Criteria / Requirement: 2 CFR section §200.303 requires that non-federal entities receiving federal awards establish, document and maintain internal control over the federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the nonfederal entity is managing the federal awards in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal awards. Per the program requirements and 2 CFR §200.328, non-federal entities must submit accurate and complete federal financial reports in accordance with the terms and conditions of the federal award. Condition / Context: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires a Performance Report to be submitted, which must include a completed Federal Financial Report as an attachment. The required Progress Report was filed timely and accepted by HUD, however the required Federal Financial Report was omitted from the submission. Cause: The entity did not have adequate controls in place to ensure that required reports were submitted in their entirety. Effect: Failure to submit required the required Federal Financial Report results in noncompliance with federal program requirements and limits the federal awarding agency’s ability to monitor program performance and use of federal funds. Questioned Costs: None. Recommendation: The entity should implement and document internal controls to ensure all required reports are prepared, reviewed, and submitted in accordance with federal award requirements. Management’s Response: Management concurs with the audit finding regarding the omission of the Federal Financial Report (FFR) from the Performance Report submission. We acknowledge that while the narrative Progress Report was submitted promptly, the accompanying financial data was inadvertently excluded due to a lapse in our final review process.
Finding No. 2025-002: Reporting – Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance Agency: Economic Development Administration ALN: 11.307 Federal Award Identification Number: ED22HDQ3070127 Criteria: Under the Committee of Sponsoring Organization framework, control activities are established through policies and procedures that help ensure that management’s directives to mitigate risks to the achievement of objectives are carried out. Segregation of duties is typically built into the selection and development of control activities. Furthermore, according to Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administration Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), sections 200.327 and 200.328, recipients of federal awards are required to submit performance and financial reports by the due dates specified in the terms and conditions of the federal award. Context and Condition: There was an overall lack of segregation of duties surrounding the preparation and submission of reports to the awarding agency as the member of management performed this function with no review and approval for the period from July 2024 through March 2025. In addition, three of the four reports selected and tested were not submitted by the reporting due dates. Cause: The District failed to maintain a system of controls and procedures to ensure segregation of duties and appropriate review and approval process as well as submission within the required reporting timeframes. Effect: Due to the lack of adequate review and oversight over grant reporting and failure to submit required reports within the required dates may result in the District being noncompliant with 2 CFR 200.327 and 200.328. Repeat Finding: Yes, previously reported under ALN 17.289 Recommendation: We recommend that the District establish internal controls and procedures to incorporate segregation of duties and ensure that all reporting requirements are being adhered to and the reports are being submitted within the specified due dates. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: See attached corrective action plan. Questioned Costs: None
FINDING 2025-004 Subject: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund - Cash Management Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID - 19 - Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.425D, 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D210013, S425U200013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Cash Management Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-009. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the Cash Management compliance requirement. Reimbursement requests for the program were prepared by one employee and reviewed by another employee; however, the supporting documentation that was provided to the reviewer did not give a clear distinction as to what expenditures were included in the reimbursement. As the documentation provided was not adequate that accompanied the reimbursement request, and the reimbursement requests, as noted below, did not agree to the ledger, the reviewer could not have ensured expenses were paid prior to requesting reimbursement. For 5 of 25 expenditures tested, the School Corporation was unable to provide supporting documentation traceable to the reimbursement request. There were 2 of those expenditures, totaling $1,715, that were for ESSER II's final reimbursement which requested the remainder of the grant award and expenses could not be traced to the documentation provided for the reimbursement amount. There were 3 of the expenditures, totaling $6,665, that were not traceable to an ESSER III reimbursement request. Therefore, as the expenditure could not be traced to a reimbursement request, it could not be determined if the School Corporation paid for the expense prior to requesting reimbursement. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 21 SILVER CREEK SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Additionally, 1 of 25 expenditures tested, for $154, was an expense that occurred after the School Corporation requested reimbursement. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period for ESSER II and ESSER III. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.305(b) states in part: "For non-Federal entities other than states, payments methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury or the pass-through entity and the disbursement by the non-Federal entity whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfer, or issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payment by other means. . . . (3) Reimbursement is the preferred method when the requirements in this paragraph (b) cannot be met, when the Federal awarding agency sets a specific condition per § 200.208, or when the non-Federal entity requests payment by reimbursement. . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. The School Corporation had not developed any policies that would have ensured compliance or that supporting documentation would have been maintained and available for audit related to the Cash Management compliance requirement. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 22 SILVER CREEK SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Effect The failure to retain and provide appropriate supporting documentation prevented the determination of the School Corporation's compliance with the Cash Management compliance requirement. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Cash Management compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish a system of internal controls to ensure that documentation will be maintained and available for audit and comply with the grant agreement and the Cash Management compliance requirement. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
Name: Airport Improvement Program, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Programs, and COVID-19 Airport Programs; ASL#: 20.106; Federal Grantor: U.S. Department of Transportation; Pass Through Entity: State Department of Transportation; Award No.: 3-06-0193-020, 3-06-0193-021; Year: 2024/2025; Compliance Requirement: Reporting; Criteria: 2CFR 200.328 (Monitoring and Reporting Program Performance) and the FAA AIP Grant Assurances. Reports must be submitted by the deadlines specified in the grant agreement.; Condition: The City did not submit the required Federal Financial Reports (SF-425) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025.; Cause: The entity was not aware of the requirement.; Effect: Noncompliance with reporting requirements can lead to delayed closeout of federal funds, and in extreme cases, the withholding of future grant funds.; Questioned Cost: No questioned costs were identified as a result of our procedures.; Context: Our sample testing included four AIP projects, and for two, the annual SF-425 reporting packages were not submitted.; Repeat Finding: This is not a repeat finding.; Recommendation: We recommend that the City establish a tracking system to monitor all required reports and their due dates to ensure timely submission.; Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: Refer to separate Management’s Corrective Action Plan for views of responsible officials and management’s responses.
Finding Reference 2025-005 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pass-Through Agency: Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency of Puerto Rico (COR3) Program: Disaster Grants – Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disaster) (ALN 97.036) Compliance Requirement: Reporting (L) Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Controls (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) This finding is similar to prior-year finding 2023-005 and 2024-005. Statement of Condition In our Reporting Test, we evaluated the Quarterly Progress Reports of a total of eleven (11) projects for two quarters of fiscal year 2024-2025. During our audit procedures, we noted that the reports did not agree with the accounting and project records. Criteria 2 CFR 200.302 (a) stated that the state’s and the other non-Federal entity’s financial management system, 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Also, 2 CFR 200.302 (b) (2) states that the financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. Cause of Condition The Municipality accounting controls and procedures fail to ensure accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of federal assisted activities. Effect of Condition The expenses reported in the Quarterly Progress Reports do not agree with the accounting records. Recommendation We recommend that Program Administrators reconcile the differences between the quarterly report and the accounting records before the submission of the next submission to the pass-through entity. Questioned Cost None Prior Year Finding Yes. This finding is similar to prior-year finding 2023-005 and 2024-005. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action We concur with the finding. We understand that only two reports did not agree with the accounting records. We have consultants that are responsible for the preparation of these reports. Instructions were given to the consultants in order to correct the reports that do not agree with the accounting records. There was a misunderstanding with the reports, in which the pass-through entity instructed that purchase orders and expenditures incurred should be reported. As subsequently clarified, only the expenditures incurred should be reported as expended. Implementation Date: June 30, 2026 Responsible Person: Meyleen Hernández Rivera Finance Director
Federal Program: The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) / Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Assistance Listing (CFDA) Numbers: 10.187 and 93.558 Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pass-Through Entity: Ohio Association of Foodbanks (OAF) Compliance Requirement: Reporting Finding Type: Material Weakness in Compliance 2025-001 Inaccurate Federal Reporting Due to Insufficient Reconciliation Controls Criteria: Uniform Guidance (2 CFR §200.303 and §200.328) requires non-federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal control over federal awards and to ensure that required reports are accurate, complete, and supported by underlying accounting records. The OMB Compliance Supplement identifies Reporting as a direct and material compliance requirement. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks (OAF) prescribes specific data elements for monthly reporting, including counties served, member agencies, distribution activity, and service statistics. Condition: During testing of reporting compliance for major federal programs, we selected three of twelve monthly OAF reports submitted during the fiscal year. For each month tested, reported amounts did not reconcile to MOFC’s internal Poundage Distribution reports and Product Code – Agencies by County reports. Specifically, we identified material variances between the OAF reports and internal distribution records, including: - October 2024: ACP distributions were omitted from the OAF report, resulting in a variance of approximately 821,528 pounds (projected dollar impact of $262,889). - January 2025: VA/Holiday Purchase distributions were omitted from the OAF report, resulting in a variance of approximately 310,898 pounds (projected dollar impact of $155,449). - June 2025: Donated distributions, primarily Direct Retail Pickup (DRP) quantities, were omitted from the OAF report, resulting in a variance of approximately 933,505 pounds (projected dollar impact of $1,764,324). Additional differences were noted in purchased distributions at 40,399 pounds (projected dollar impact of $16,968. Although management provided explanations indicating that certain distributions were omitted in error or excluded due to differences in reporting scope, MOFC did not maintain documented reconciliations supporting the reported amounts. Evidence of review and approval demonstrating that differences were identified, investigated, and resolved prior to report submission was not provided. Cause of Condition: MOFC did not have formalized, documented reconciliation procedures to ensure that internal distribution reports were reconciled to amounts reported to OAF. In addition, management review controls over the preparation and approval of OAF reports were not sufficiently designed or documented to detect and prevent reporting errors prior to submission. Potential Effect of Condition: As a result, OAF reports submitted during the fiscal year were not fully supported by underlying records, increasing the risk of inaccurate reporting to the passthrough entity. This condition resulted in noncompliance with Uniform Guidance reporting requirements and may affect MOFC’s continued eligibility for federal funding. Based on the magnitude and frequency of the variances identified, this condition represents a material weakness in compliance for the reporting compliance requirement. Context: The materiality thresholds for assessing material noncompliance for the major programs were $217,800 for TEFAP (CFDA 10.187) and $301,000 for TANF (CFDA 93.558). Questioned Costs: No questioned costs were identified for this finding, as the variances relate to reporting accuracy rather than unsupported or ineligible expenditures. Recommendation: We recommend that MOFC implement formal, documented reconciliation procedures between internal distribution reports and the OAF report. Such procedures should include: 1. Preparation of a detailed supporting schedule used in compiling OAF reports 2. Documentation of reconciling items and explanations for differences between internal reports and amounts reported to OAF 3. Evidence of management review and approval prior to report submission Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: MOFC management acknowledged the reporting differences and stated that certain variances resulted from omitted distributions and differences in reporting scope. Management indicated plans to enhance internal review procedures and improve documentation supporting the preparation and submission of OAF reports.
FINDING NUMBER 2025-004 FEDERAL AGENCY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PASS-THROUGH AGENCY CENTRAL OFFICE OF RECOVERY, RECONSTRUCTION AND RESILIENCY OF PUERTO RICO (COR3) FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) FEDERAL PROGRAM DISASTER GRANTS – PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) (ALN 97.036) REQUIREMENT REPORTING (L) TYPE OF FINDING SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY (SD) / NONCOMPLIANCE (NC) CONDITION In our Reporting Test, we evaluated the Quarterly Progress Reports of a total of eleven (11) projects for two quarters of fiscal year 2024-2025. During our audit procedures, we noted that the reports did not agree with the accounting and project records. CRITERIA 2 CFR 200.302 (a) states that the states’ and other non-Federal entities’ 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Also, 2 CFR 200.302 (b) (2) states that the financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. CAUSE The Municipality’s accounting controls and procedures fail to ensure accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of federal assisted activities. EFFECT The expenses reported in the Quarterly Progress Reports do not agree with the accounting records. RECOMMENDATION We recommend the Program Administrators reconcile the differences between the quarterly report and the accounting records before the submission to the pass-through entity. QUESTIONED COST None. PRIOR YEAR FINDING No. VIEWS OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS AND PLANNED CORRECTIVE We concur with the auditors’ finding. The Municipality acknowledges the differences identified between the expenses reported in the Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) and the accounting records. To address this issue, the Municipality will implement a reconciliation process between the accounting records and the QPRs prior to their submission to the pass-through entity. Additionally, management will perform a supervisory review to ensure that the reported expenses agree with the accounting records and supporting documentation. Implementation Date: Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Responsible Person: Miguel Fonseca, Federal Programs Director
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration Assistance Listing 20.325, CRISI Windsor Extension Systems Agreement Number: 69A36519400600CRSCA, Federal Identifying Number: FR-CRS-0013, Award year: 2019, amended 2022 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria: Title 2 CFR §200.302 requires non‑Federal entities to establish and maintain internal control over Federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the entity is managing Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Title 2 CFR §200.328 and the terms and conditions of the award require recipients to submit financial reports in the form and manner prescribed by the Federal awarding agency, including the Federal Financial Report (SF‑425), prepared in accordance with the form’s instructions. The SF‑425 instructions require federal cash receipts and disbursements to be reported on a cumulative basis and require accurate identification of the basis of accounting. Condition: We identified an instance in which one quarterly SF‑425 did not reflect cumulative federal cash receipts and disbursements as required by the SF‑425 instructions. Instead, the report reflected only current‑quarter federal cash activity. No additional cash reporting errors were identified by the audit, and the other SF-425 lines were prepared correctly. Cause: The condition resulted from limitations in the consistency of review procedures over SF‑425 preparation, particularly during periods of staff absence. While a reporting process was in place, review controls did not consistently ensure that all SF‑425 data elements, including cumulative cash presentation, were verified prior to submission. Effect: The condition resulted in the submission of federal financial reports that did not fully conform to SF‑425 reporting instructions. The errors did not affect allowable costs, cash drawdowns, reimbursements, or the maximum Federal share under the award. However, incomplete or inaccurate reporting increases the risk that federal agencies may rely on information that does not fully reflect the recipient’s financial status for monitoring purposes. Questioned Costs: No questioned costs are associated with this matter. Context/Sampling: No sampling was used. We tested four of four SF-425 reports. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): No Recommendation: We recommend that management continue to strengthen review procedures over SF‑425 preparation, including documented review of cumulative cash reporting and verification of all report attributes, particularly during periods when backup personnel are responsible for report preparation. Views of Responsible Officials: See the separately issued Corrective Action Plan.
Finding Reference 2025-004 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pass-Through Agency: Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency of Puerto Rico (COR3) Program: Disaster Grants – Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disaster) (ALN 97.036) Compliance Requirement: Reporting (L) Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Controls (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) It is not a prior-year finding. Statement of Condition In our Reporting Test, we evaluated the Quarterly Progress Reports of a total of five (5) projects for two quarters of fiscal year 2024-2025. During our audit procedures, we noted that the reports of two (2) projects did not agree with the accounting and project records. Criteria 2 CFR 200.302 (a) stated that the state’s and the other non-Federal entity’s financial management system, 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Also, 2 CFR 200.302 (b) (2) states that the financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. Cause of Condition The Municipality’s accounting controls and procedures fail to ensure accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of federal assisted activities. Effect of Condition The expenses reported in the Quarterly Progress Reports do not agree with the accounting records. Recommendation We recommend that Program Administrators reconcile the differences between the quarterly report and the accounting records before the submission of the next submission to the pass-through entity. Questioned Cost None Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action We concur with the finding. During the testing of reports, the Quarterly Progress Reports of five (5) projects, corresponding to two (2) quarters of fiscal year 2024-2025, were evaluated. It was found that in two (2) projects, the quarterly reports did not match the accounting records or the project documentation. Therefore, for the purposes of this audit, the municipal accounting controls and procedures did not ensure that the reported information was accurate, up-to-date, and fully reconciled with the financial records. In light of the above, the reports will be reconciled with the accounting records, and the discrepancies found will be identified, documented, and adjusted in the system where the error originated, as appropriate. Furthermore, from this point forward, once the Quarterly Reports (QPR) are issued, a copy must be sent to the Program Accountant, the Finance Director, and myself for validation and reconciliation prior to official filing, thus preventing situations like this to occur. This process will form part of the internal control required to ensure that the reported information is accurate, current, complete, and consistent with the accounting records, in accordance with applicable federal requirements. Implementation Date: From March 2026. Full implementation is expected in fiscal year 2026-2027. Responsible Person: Mrs. Natasha Vázquez Federal Programs Director
Federal Agency: Department of Treasury Federal Program Name: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: 1505-0271 - 2021 Award Period: March 3, 2021 December 31, 2024, liquidated by December 31, 2026 Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Compliance, Material Non-Compliance (Modified Opinion) Criteria or Specific Requirement: Under 2 CFR 200.302 and 2 CFR 200.328, recipients of federal funds must maintain accurate financial records and ensure that all reports submitted to federal agencies are complete, accurate, and supported by the accounting system. In addition, Treasury guidance requires that expenditures reported in the Project and Expenditure (P&E) Report be accurate and properly classified. Condition: During the audit, it was noted that certain expenditures reported in the Treasury Project and Expenditure (P&E) Report were inaccurate. Specifically, expenditures included in the P&E Report had been reimbursed under another federal or pass-through grant and therefore should not have been reported as expenditures under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program. The Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) was reviewed and found to be accurately stated in all material respects and properly reconciled to the general ledger. The inaccuracy was limited to the P&E Report submitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and did not impact the SEFA. Questioned Cost: None. Context: $520,252 of expenditures reported in the P&E Report submitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury were reimbursed by another grant. Cause: The Town did not have adequate review procedures in place to ensure that amounts reported in the Project and Expenditure Report were reconciled to the accounting system prior to submission and not reported elsewhere. Effect: As a result, expenditures reported in the Treasury P&E Report were overstated. While this did not affect the accuracy of the SEFA or the basic financial statements, inaccurate reporting to the federal awarding agency increases the risk of noncompliance and may result in the need for corrections, repayments, or increased federal oversight. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that the Town implement stronger internal controls over federal reporting, including establishing a formal reconciliation process between the general ledger and the Project and Expenditure Report, requiring Town Administrators review and approval of all federal reports prior to submission, and providing additional training to staff on Federal reporting requirements. View of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with this finding.
FINDING 2025-004 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service Program for Children, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555, 10.559, 10.582 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023-2024, FY 2024-2025 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirements: Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would have included appropriate segregation of duties, that would have likely been effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance. The School Corporation transferred $313,369 from the School Lunch fund into the Operations fund. This transfer was labeled as an indirect cost transfer; however, indirect costs were not approved to be charged to the program. This transfer was also not approved by the School Board. The issue was identified and corrected by the current Treasurer prior to June 30, 2025. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance over allowable activities was an isolated instance. Criteria 2 CFR 200.302 states in part: "(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 own funds. In addition, the state's and the other non-Federal entity's 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. . . . (b) The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (1) Identification, in its accounts, of all Federal awards received and expended and the Federal programs under which they were received. Federal program and Federal award identification must include, as applicable, the Assistance Listings title and number, Federal award identification number and year, name of the Federal agency, and name of the pass-through entity, if any. (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . . (3) Records that identify adequately the source and application of funds for federallyfunded activities. These records must contain information pertaining to Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, assets, expenditures, income and interest and be supported by source documentation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (4) Effective control over, and accountability for, all funds, property, and other assets. . . ." 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.400 states in part: "The application of these cost principles is based on the fundamental premises that: (a) The non-Federal entity is responsible for the efficient and effective administration of the Federal award through the application of sound management practices. (b) The non-Federal entity assumes responsibility for administering Federal funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, program objectives, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. (c) The non-Federal entity, in recognition of its own unique combination of staff, facilities, and experience, has the primary responsibility for employing whatever form of sound organization and management techniques may be necessary in order to assure proper and efficient administration of the Federal award. . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.404 states in part: "A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost. The question of reasonableness is particularly important when the non- Federal entity is predominantly federally-funded. In determining reasonableness of a given cost, consideration must be given to: . . . (e) Whether the non-Federal entity significantly deviates from its established practices and policies regarding the incurrence of costs, which may unjustifiably increase the Federal award's cost." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.508 states in part: "The auditee must: . . . (d) Provide the auditor with access to personnel, accounts, books, records, supporting documentation, and any other information as needed for the auditor to perform the audit required by this part." Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 18 states in part: "Treasury has divided the Restriction on Use section into . . . (B) other restrictions on use, which include (1) debt service and replenishing reserves, (2) settlements and judgements, and (3) general restrictions. These restrictions apply to all eligible use categories. . . ." Cause The School Corporation had not developed a system of internal controls that would have ensured that all activities and costs were in compliance with the Activities Allowed or Unallowed and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirements. Effect Without the proper design or implementation of the components of a system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system was not capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance as identified in the Condition and Context. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure all activities are allowable. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2025-006 Subject: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies Assistance Listings Number: 84.010 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S010A220014, S010A230014 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirements: Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation did not have effective internal controls in place to ensure all costs paid from Title I funds and submitted for reimbursement were for allowable activities or allowable costs. As a result, the following compliance issues were noted: On May 26, 2023, a check for $886 was issued for which supporting documentation could not be provided. As a result, it could not be determined if the expense was for an allowable activity or an allowable cost. On August 16, 2024, seven stipends were paid to non-Title I administrative staff from Title I grant funds. Two employees received $5,000 each and five employees received $3,000 each. On December 20, 2024, three stipends for $918 each were paid from Title I grant funds to employees who had previously received a stipend payment on August 16, 2024. These stipends were determined to not be an allowable activity or an allowable cost. The current Treasurer identified the stipend errors. The School Corporation requested and received reimbursement from the seven employees who received these stipends. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 27 PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Criteria 2 CFR 200.302 states in part: "(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 own funds. In addition, the state's and the other non-Federal entity's 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. . . . (b) The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (1) Identification, in its accounts, of all Federal awards received and expended and the Federal programs under which they were received. Federal program and Federal award identification must include, as applicable, the Assistance Listings title and number, Federal award identification number and year, name of the Federal agency, and name of the pass-through entity, if any. (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . . (3) Records that identify adequately the source and application of funds for federallyfunded activities. These records must contain information pertaining to Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, assets, expenditures, income and interest and be supported by source documentation. (4) Effective control over, and accountability for, all funds, property, and other assets. . . ." 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.400 states in part: "The application of these cost principles is based on the fundamental premises that: (a) The non-Federal entity is responsible for the efficient and effective administration of the Federal award through the application of sound management practices. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 28 PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (b) The non-Federal entity assumes responsibility for administering Federal funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, program objectives, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. (c) The non-Federal entity, in recognition of its own unique combination of staff, facilities, and experience, has the primary responsibility for employing whatever form of sound organization and management techniques may be necessary in order to assure proper and efficient administration of the Federal award. . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.404 states in part: "A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost. The question of reasonableness is particularly important when the non- Federal entity is predominantly federally-funded. In determining reasonableness of a given cost, consideration must be given to: . . . (e) Whether the non-Federal entity significantly deviates from its established practices and policies regarding the incurrence of costs, which may unjustifiably increase the Federal award's cost." 2 CFR 200.508 states in part: "The auditee must: . . . (d) Provide the auditor access to personnel, accounts, books, records, supporting documentation, and any other information as needed for the auditor to perform the audit required by this part." Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 18 states in part: "Treasury has divided the Restriction on Use section into . . . (B) other restrictions on use, which include (1) debt service and replenishing reserves, (2) settlements and judgements, and (3) general restrictions. These restrictions apply to all eligible use categories. . . ." Cause The School Corporation did not design and implement an effective internal control system to review all payroll expenditures from the Title I funds, ensuring they were for allowable activities. Effect The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system over payroll expenditures caused noncompliance with the compliance requirements as detailed in the Condition and Context. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 29 PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls to ensure that grant award fund compliance requirements are appropriately researched prior to spending. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2025-005 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service Program for Children Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555, 10.559 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023-2024, FY 2024-2025 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context Monthly Sponsor Claims for Reimbursement (Claims) were submitted to the Indiana Department of Education based upon the number of meals served for the month. The Claims were prepared by the School Corporation's Food Service Director and a food service management company (FSMC) employee. The School Corporation maintained manual meal count records. A point-of-sale system (POS) was used to summarize the manual counts. For all four Claims tested, there were differences between the Claims submitted and the School Corporation's detail meal count reports, resulting in over and under reporting and reimbursement. The Claims tested contained the following errors: The October 2023 claim reported 27 less meals served (11 breakfast and 16 lunch) than the eligible meals per the School Corporation's detail meal count reports, which resulted in an underclaimed reimbursement totaling $100. The School Corporation also overclaimed snacks by 5, which resulted in over reimbursement of $6. The November 2023 claim reported 2 less lunch meals served than the eligible meals per the School Corporation's detail meal count reports, which resulted in an underclaimed reimbursement totaling $9. The June 2024 claim reported 666 more breakfast meals served than the eligible meals per the School Corporation's detail meal count reports, which resulted in an overclaimed reimbursement totaling $1,946. The claim also reported 527 less lunch meals served than the eligible meals per the School Corporation's detail meal count reports, which resulted in an underclaimed reimbursement totaling $2,704. The net of the errors was $758 underclaimed. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 28 SCHOOL CITY OF EAST CHICAGO SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) The May 2025 claim reported 10 less meals served (5 breakfast and 5 lunch) than the eligible meals per the School Corporation's detail meal count reports, which resulted in an underclaimed reimbursement totaling $37. The School Corporation also overclaimed snacks by 10, which resulted in over reimbursement of $12. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . ." Cause The School Corporation did not have effective internal control procedures in place over the Claims submitted. The Claims contained evidence of an oversight or review process in place; however, they did not prevent, or detect and correct, errors. The Claims were prepared based upon summary sheets prepared by the FSMC employees and were not verified back to the source records. Effect The lack of effective internal controls caused a total of $894 not to be claimed for reimbursement, which projected to a loss of funding of $6,272. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the compliance requirement could result in the loss or repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish a proper system of internal controls to ensure compliance with requirements related to reporting. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 29 SCHOOL CITY OF EAST CHICAGO SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2025-008 Subject: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund - Condition of Records Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.425D, 84.425U, 84.425W Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D210013, S425U210013, S425W210015 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirements: Activities Allowed or Unallowed; Allowable Costs/Cost Principles; Equipment and Real Property Management; Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking; Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding numbers were 2023-007 and 2023-009 over the compliance requirements Equipment and Real Property Management and Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements, respectively. Condition and Context The School Corporation received reimbursements totaling $30,316,384 from the COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) federal awards during the audit period. The reimbursements were associated with three separate federal awards, each of which was required to be accounted for in a separate fund within the School Corporation's financial management system. Expenditures were to be made in accordance with the approved grant applications and budgets, with reimbursement requests subsequently submitted to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). The School Corporation was responsible for maintaining detailed disbursement ledgers for each grant fund to support the amounts claimed for reimbursement. As is typical with reimbursement-based grants, the ending cash and investment balances of each grant fund were expected to reflect overdrawn balances until the subsequent reimbursements were received from the IDOE. The $30,316,384 received in ESF funds during the audit period was based on 28 reimbursement requests for expenditures incurred between June 1, 2023 through December 13, 2024. Based on our review of grant fund records and inquiry with management, we identified the following deficiencies: The detailed disbursement ledger for the period of June 1, 2023 through December 13, 2024, excluding June 2024 for Grant #S425U210013 as no reimbursement request was submitted, reflected total expenditures of $23,051,334. This resulted in $7,265,050 in reimbursements that were not adequately supported by detailed records. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 33 SCHOOL CITY OF EAST CHICAGO SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) A review of the submitted reimbursement requests indicated that $1,069,865 was reimbursed for indirect costs; however, a disbursement from the grant funds to other operating funds was not recorded within the School Corporations records. Of the 28 reimbursement requests submitted, only 5 were supported by detailed disbursement ledgers that agreed with the dates and amounts claimed. The remaining 23 reimbursement requests could not be directly reconciled to the supporting documentation provided. Upon further inquiry with management, additional records were provided; however, these records lacked sufficient detail, such as fund number, fund name, check numbers, dates, and vendor names to be useable. Reimbursements received were not posted to each grant fund properly. This resulted in the ARP EESER III fund receipts to be understated by $4,297,935 and the ESSER II and GEER PD funds receipts to be overstated by $4,174,376 and $123,560, respectively. Since this is a reimbursement-based grant, the ending cash and investment balances of each grant fund should either be zero or overdrawn while awaiting reimbursement. However, as of June 30, 2025, the ESSER II and Geer PD funds reported positive cash and investment balances of $5,047,932 and $404,653, respectively. Due to the deficiencies noted above, the School Corporation was unable to provide sufficient appropriate evidence for us to determine populations, and, therefore, audit and base an opinion on the compliance requirements subject to audit that were determined to have a direct and material effect on the program. As a result, the $30,316,384 in reimbursements received during the audit period were considered questioned costs. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were material and systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302 states in part: "(a) . . . the other non-Federal entity's 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. See also § 200.450. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 34 SCHOOL CITY OF EAST CHICAGO SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (b) The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following (see §§ 200.334, 200.335, 200.336, and 200.337): (1) Identification, in its accounts, of all Federal awards received and expended and the Federal programs under which they were received. Federal program and Federal award identification must include, as applicable, the Assistance Listings title and number, Federal award identification number and year, name of the Federal agency, and name of the pass-through entity, if any. (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . . (3) Records that identify adequately the source and application of funds for federallyfunded activities. These records must contain information pertaining to Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, assets, expenditures, income, and interest and be supported by source documentation. (4) Effective control over, and accountability, for all funds, property, and assets. The non- Federal entity must adequately safeguard all assets and ensure that they are used solely for authorized purposes. See § 200.303. (5) Comparison of expenditures with budget amounts for each Federal award. (6) Written procedures to implement the requirements of § 200.305. (7) Written procedures for determining the allowability of costs in accordance with subpart E of this part and the terms and conditions of the Federal award." 2 CFR 200.1 states in part: ". . . Questioned cost means a cost that is questioned by the auditor because of an audit finding: (1) Which resulted from a violation or possible violation of a statute, regulation, or the terms and conditions of a Federal award, including for funds used to match Federal funds; (2) Where the costs, at the time of the audit, are not supported by adequate documentation; or (3) Where the costs incurred appear unreasonable and do not reflect the actions a prudent person would take in the circumstances. (4) Questioned costs are not an improper payment until reviewed and confirmed to be improper as defined in OMB Circular A-123 appendix C. (See also the definition of Improper payment in this section)." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (a) Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable thereto under these principles. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 35 SCHOOL CITY OF EAST CHICAGO SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (b) Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles or in the Federal award as to types or amount of cost items. . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.313(d) states in part: ". . . (1) Property records must be maintained that include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the FAIN), who holds title, the acquisition date, and cost of the property, percentage of Federal participation in the project costs for the Federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and any ultimate disposition data including the date of disposal and sale price of the property. (2) A physical inventory of the property must be taken and the results reconciled with the property records at least once every two years. (3) A control system must be developed to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property. Any loss, damage, or theft must be investigated. (4) Adequate maintenance procedures must be developed to keep the property in good condition. . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: "(a) Required contract clauses. The Agency head will cause or require the contracting officer to require the contracting officer to [sic] insert in full, or (for contracts covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR chapter 1)) by reference, in any contract in excess of $2,000 which is entered into for the actual construction, alteration and/or repair, including painting and decorating, of a public building or public work, or building or work financed in whole or in part from Federal funds or in accordance with guarantees of a Federal agency or financed from funds obtained by pledge of any contract of a Federal agency to make a loan, grant or annual contribution (except where a different meaning is expressly indicated), and which is subject to the labor standards provisions of any of the laws referenced by § 5.1, the following clauses . . . (1) Minimum wages— (i) Wage rates and fringe benefits. All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or otherwise working in construction or development of the project under a development statute), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of basic hourly wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics. . . . (3) Records and certified payrolls— (ii) Certified payroll requirements— INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 36 SCHOOL CITY OF EAST CHICAGO SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (A) Frequency and method of submission. The contractor or subcontractor must submit weekly, for each week in which any DBA- or Related Acts-covered work is performed, certified payrolls to the [write in name of appropriate Federal agency] if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the certified payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, owner, or other entity, as the case may be, that maintains such records, for transmission to the [write in name of agency]. . . ." 2 CFR 200 Appendix II to Part 200 states in part: "In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non- Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, 'Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction'). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week. . . ." Cause The School Corporation experienced turnover in key personnel over the federal program, which contributed to the lack of appropriate supporting records. A proper system of internal controls was not designed to ensure continuity of policies, procedures, and records when personnel transitions occurred. Effect Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the compliance requirements could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs We identified $30,316,384 in known questioned costs as noted in the Condition and Context. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management develop policies and procedures to ensure continuity of school records during a personnel change and that all reimbursement requests are properly supported by detail records. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
Finding 2025-002: Reporting Federal Program: Building an Inclusive Workforce: Lifting Underrepresented Communities Assistance Listing Number: 17.289 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Award Number(s): 24A60CP000157-01-04 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Non-compliance Criteria: In accordance with 2 CFR §200.303, non-Federal entities are required to establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal awards to provide reasonable assurance that the entity is managing Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Such internal controls should be consistent with the Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government or the COSO Internal Control—Integrated Framework, including controls designed to ensure timely submission of required reports. Additionally, 2 CFR §200.328(c) states that "the recipient or subrecipient must submit financial reports as required by the Federal award." Condition: During the audit, we noted that one required report selected for testing was not submitted in accordance with the reporting deadline established in the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Cause: This condition resulted from management oversight related to monitoring and tracking report due dates. Effect or Potential Effect: The failure to submit required reports timely increases the risk of noncompliance with Federal reporting requirements and may result in delayed oversight by the Federal awarding agency, potential sanctions, or increased scrutiny in future monitoring or audits. Questioned Costs: None. Context: 1 of 2 financial reports were not submitted timely. The sample is representative of the population. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if Applicable: 2024-001 Recommendation: We recommend that the Coalition implement formal procedures to ensure timely submission of all required Federal reports. Such procedures may include the use of an automated tracking or calendar system to notify responsible personnel of upcoming reporting deadlines, as well as documented review and approval of reports prior to submission.
Finding Reference 2025-006 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title and ALN: Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDF Cluster) (ALN 93.575) Compliance Requirement: Reporting – Financial Reporting (L) (MW) Type of finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control (MW), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) Statement of Condition During our audit procedures, we noted that the Program did not maintain an adequate set of accounting records that present the financial position and results of its operations of the program. In addition, required financial reports were not submitted within the established reporting deadlines. CriteriaTitle 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 200.328 and 200.329 require subrecipients to submit accurate, complete, and timely performance and financial reports in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Additionally, 2 CFR 200.303 requires non-Federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal programs to provide reasonable assurance that Federal awards are managed in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Additionally, the subaward agreement and reporting guidelines issued by the pass-through entity (ACUDEN) also establish specific reporting deadlines and require that reported financial information be supported by the subrecipient’s accounting records. Cause of Condition The program staff faced performance challenges due to a lack of staff which caused the accounting records to be delayed. Effect of Condition As a result of the inadequate maintenance of accounting records and untimely preparation of financial reports, the Municipality failed to submit the required report within the 30 calendar days required by the regulation, which leads to the noncompliance of the reporting requirement. Recommendation We recommend that management strengthen internal controls over financial reporting by: • Ensuring accounting records are maintained current and reconciled on a monthly basis; • Establishing formal written reporting procedures with clear timelines; • Assigning personnel responsible for report preparation and review; and • Implementing supervisory review procedures to verify that reports agree with underlying accounting records prior to submission. Questioned Costs None Prior-Year Finding This is a new finding. View of Responsible Official and Planned Corrective Action Plan The Municipality agrees with the finding and stated that it will implement corrective actions to improve compliance with reporting requirements. Management plans to formalize reporting procedures, assign responsible personnel, and require reconciliations between reported amounts and accounting records prior to submission of reports to ACUDEN, along with enhanced supervisory review. Implementation Date: July 1, 2026 Responsible Person: Mr. Luis A. Velez Rivera, Finance Director
Section III – Major Federal Award Program Findings and Questioned Costs Finding Reference 2025-005 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pass-through Agency: P.R. Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3) Program: Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters (Assistance Listing No. 97.036) Compliance Requirement: Reporting (L) Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Controls (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) Statement of Condition In our Reporting Test, we evaluated the Quarterly Progress Reports of a total of seven (7) projects for two quarters of fiscal year 2024-2025. During our audit procedures, we identified that the reports did not agree with the accounting records. During our audit procedures, we identified that the reports noted that the reports did not agree with the accounting records. Criteria 2 CFR 200.302 (a) states that the states’ and other non-Federal entities’ 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Also, 2 CFR 200.302 (b) (2) states that the financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. Cause of Condition The Municipality’s accounting controls and procedures fail to ensure accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of federal assisted activities. Effect of Condition The expenses reported in the Quarterly Progress Reports do not agree with the accounting records. Recommendation We recommend the Program Administrators reconcile the differences between the quarterly report and the accounting records before the following submissions to the pass-through entity. Questioned Cost None. Prior Year Finding No. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action We concur with the finding. Adopted Measures • Expense Synchronization: A protocol will be implemented requiring contracted consultants to record and report incurred expenses only when a validated disbursement voucher is available, thereby ensuring the integrity of the financial flow. • Reconciliation: The office will conduct a detailed comparison between the draft quarterly report and the general ledger to identify and correct any discrepancies prior to final submission. • Compliance Timeline: An internal deadline will be established for the submission of the report, ensuring attainment of the minimum percentage required under the Quality Activities category through accurate financial data. Expected Outcome To ensure that all financial information submitted is complete, accurate, and fully aligned with the Municipality’s accounting records, thereby eliminating the risk of audit findings. Implementation Date: March 2026. Responsible persons: • Person responsible for the implementation: Mr. Carlos Flores, Federal Program’s Subdirector • Person responsible for the supervision: Mrs. Yolanda Maldonado, Federal Program’s Director
2025-002 Improve Internal Controls and Compliance with Reporting Requirements Federal Program(s) Information Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Award Name: WIOA Dislocated Worker National Reserve Demonstration Grants, Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Assistance Listing Number: 17.280, 17.289 Award Year: 2025 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Type of Finding Compliance Internal Control Over Compliance – Significant Deficiency Criteria or Specific Requirement Uniform Guidance (2 CFR §200.328) and federal award terms for assistance listing numbers 17.280 and 17.289 require recipients to submit accurate financial and performance reports on a quarterly basis, within 45 calendar days following the quarter end. Reports must reflect actual financial activity for the period and agree to the underlying records of the Organization. Condition and Context We tested two quarters of financial and performance reports for each award. For the quarter ending June 30, 2025, the required reports were not submitted within the deadline of 45 calendar days after quarter end for both awards. Additionally, the report submitted for the 17.280 grant for the same quarter did not agree to the underlying accounting records. Cause The Organization did not have effective controls to ensure timely submission of required quarterly reports and did not perform adequate review to reconcile the 17.280 grant report to the accounting records prior to submission. Effect or Potential Effect Untimely submission and lack of reconciliation of reports increases the risk of inaccurate reporting, and constitutes noncompliance with federal requirements. No questioned costs are reported as these issues are administrative in nature. Recommendation The Organization should strengthen internal controls to ensure timely submission of all required financial and performance reports, and implement procedures to verify that reports reconcile to the underlying accounting records prior to submission. Views of Responsible Official Management’s corrective action plan is included at the end of this report after the Schedule of Prior Year Findings.
Criteria: Per 2 CFR 200.328 and the Cooperative Agreement with the US Army, the Reporting Requirements state that (a) interim performance reports must be submitted in electronic form, (b) contain detailed technical progress to date and report on all problems, technical issues, or major developments that arose during the reporting period, and (c) be submitted quarterly within 30 days after completion of the reporting period throughout the term of the agreement. Condition: During the process of performing our audit, we noted that the interim performance report for one of two quarters selected during the period July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 was not submitted within 30 days after completion of the reporting period. Questioned costs: None noted Prior year finding reference: This was reported as finding number 2024-002 in the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. Effect: The auditor must report late submission of interim performance reports as audit findings in a schedule of findings and questioned costs. The Association is not in compliance with the interim performance reporting deadline. Cause: The interim performance report for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 was submitted on October 16, 2025, which is not in compliance with the interim performance reporting deadline of thirty days. Recommendation: We recommend that the Association monitor reporting compliance by understanding the reporting requirements and establishing controls and processes to complete the timely filing of the interim performance reporting package by the due date. Management’s Corrective Action Plan: Management has indicated that they have put certain procedures in place as detailed in the Corrective Action Plan located in Appendix A.
Section III – Major Federal Award Program Findings and Questioned Costs Finding Reference 2025-003 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pass-through Agency: Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency of Puerto Rico (COR3) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Program: Disaster Grants – Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disaster) (ALN 97.036) Compliance Requirement: Reporting (L) Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Controls (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) Statement of Condition: In our Reporting Test, we evaluated the Quarterly Progress Reports of a total of four (4) projects for two quarters of fiscal year 2024-2025. During our audit procedures, we noted that the reports did not agree with the accounting and project records. Criteria: 2 CFR 200.302 (a) states that the states’ and other non-Federal entities’ 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 general and program-specific terms and conditions; and the tracing of funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used according to the Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Also, 2 CFR 200.302 (b) (2) states that the financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. Cause of Condition: The Municipality’s accounting controls and procedures fail to ensure accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of federal assisted activities. Effect of Condition: The expenses reported in the Quarterly Progress Reports do not agree with the accounting records. Recommendation: We recommend the Program Administrators reconcile the differences between the quarterly report and the accounting records before the submission to the pass-through entity. Questioned Costs: None. Prior Year Findings: Yes. This finding is similar to prior-year finding 2024-003 and 2023-003. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: We concur with the findings. During the past year, the Corrective Action Plan (PAC) has been implemented and expense reconciliation efforts have been ongoing. Currently, we are in the process of collecting all supporting documentation related to work performed for projects funded by FEMA. It is expected that the reconciliation of expenses will be completed over the next few quarters, and that expense reporting will continue during the quarters in which payments are made. Implementation Date: Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Responsible Person: José A. Torres Otero Program Accountant
Condition: The Organization did not report unliquidated financial obligations on the final federal financal report SF-425. Criteria: In accordance with 2 CFR Section 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, the Organization must file federal financial reports (Section 200.328). Effect: The Organization did not file accurate information on the federal financial report SF-425, and thus was not in compliance with reporting requirements under 2 CFR Section 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Cause: The Organization had no internal control structure in place to ensure accurate reporting under 2 CFR Section 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Recommendation: The Organization should create an internal control structure in place to ensure accurate reporting under 2 CFR Section 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and comply with such requirements. Repeat Finding: No Views of Responsible Officials: Management of Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana, Inc. acknowledges the findings identified in the audit and is in agreement with the condition as stated. We recognize that certain deficiencies were identified related to donor-restricted grants, and federal grant compliance requirements. As this was the Organization’s first experience managing federal funding, some compliance requirements were not fully understood at the time; however, all actions taken were in good faith and with the intent to appropriately steward funds. Management is committed to strengthening internal controls and ensuring full compliance moving forward. Corrective actions have already been initiated, including the liquidation of remaining federal funds in accordance with grant requirements and the development of formalized policies and procedures to address procurement, financial tracking, and documentation practices.
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.
Untimely Submission of Report Federal Programs Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds ALN 21.027 Federal Agency U.S. Department of Treasury (DOT) Compliance Requirement Reporting Finding Type Significant deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Other Matter Criteria As required by 2 CFR 200.328 and 31 CFR section 35.4(c) on an annual basis, the Government of Puerto Rico is required to submit a performance report detailing the progress and impact of the use of CSFRF funds. This Recovery Plan Performance Report will include descriptions of the projects funded and information on the performance indicators and objectives of each award, helping local residents understand how their governments are using the substantial resources provided by Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program. As per CSFRF Motion Picture and Video Industry in Puerto Rico Program Guidelines, to ensure timely reporting, the Government of Puerto Rico requires the Recipients to adhere to the following reporting frequency: •On a biweekly basis, the recipients will be required to submit financial reports using the reporting template provided by the Program. Upon program close, recipients will be required to submit a comprehensive final financial reconciliation report detailing the use of program funds. Condition: We found that the report that was required to be submitted on 07/05/2024, was submitted late on 07/16/2024 after a notification from AAFAF. Context From a sample of eight (8) performance reports submitted during the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2025, one (1) was filled late. Cause The condition was caused by deficiencies in internal control over compliance. Management did not establish adequate monitoring procedures to ensure required reports were prepared and submitted by the applicable deadlines. Specifically, no formal tracking mechanism or compliance calendar was maintained to monitor reporting due dates. Effect Lack of report submission or a delay on report submission may cause the Government of Puerto Rico to not have updated information to comply with report requirements. Questioned Costs None. Identification as a Repeated Finding This is not a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit. Recommendation We recommend that management strengthen internal controls over the preparation and submission of required reports to ensure compliance with applicable reporting deadlines. Specifically, the Department should establish formal procedures to monitor reporting requirements, including the development of a reporting calendar that identifies all required reports, responsible personnel, and applicable submission deadlines. In addition, management should implement supervisory review and monitoring procedures to verify that reports are prepared timely, reviewed for accuracy, and submitted in accordance with program requirements. The Department should also ensure that personnel responsible for compliance reporting receive adequate training on program reporting requirements and that responsibilities are clearly assigned to promote accountability. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions Management of the Department agrees with this finding. Refer to the corrective action plan on pages 114-119.
Criteria: Health centers receiving federal funding under the Health Center Program (93.224) and Ryan White Part C (93.918) are required to maintain and consistently apply a sliding fee discount program in accordance with federal regulations and program guidance. Specifically, 42 CFR §51c.303(f) requires health centers to have a schedule of fees and discounts based on patients’ ability to pay and to apply the schedule consistently. The HRSA Health Center Program Compliance Manual, Chapter 9, mandates documented eligibility determinations, defined timeframes for eligibility reassessment, proper application of the sliding fee scale, and retention of documentation. Similarly, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Manual requires eligibility determinations and fee assessments consistent with approved policies and program requirements. Additionally, federal standards under 2 CFR §200.303 require non-federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal controls over federal awards, 2 CFR §200.302(b) requires financial management systems to adequately identify and document eligibility determinations, and 2 CFR §200.328 requires accurate programmatic reporting and monitoring. Condition: During testing of the sliding fee discount program for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, we identified multiple instances of noncompliance with established policies and federal program requirements. Specifically, patient financial information was updated over prior evaluations, which eliminated historical tracking and resulted in files not being properly closed in accordance with the health center’s policies. Effect: As a result of these deficiencies, NeoMed Center Inc. is at increased risk of improper fee discounts being applied to patients who may not meet eligibility requirements, noncompliance with federal and program-specific requirements, inaccurate financial reporting related to patient service revenue, lack of proper and accurate collection of services provided and potential loss of federal funds awards. Cause: The noncompliance is caused by inadequate implementation of internal controls policies and procedures designed over the sliding fee program. Also, it caused by lack of appropriate staff training and missing standardized monitoring policies and procedures, as well as inadequate supervisory review of eligibility determinations and documentation. Recommendations: We recommend that the Institution implement the following corrective actions: 1. Review current policies and procedures to improve and establish robust internal controls to ensure that patient financial information is updated without overwriting prior evaluations, preserving historical tracking and maintaining properly closed files. 2. Provide training to staff responsible for eligibility determinations and fee assessments to ensure consistent application of the sliding fee scale and compliance with federal program requirements. 3. Implement standardized monitoring and supervisory review procedures to verify that eligibility determinations, fee assessments, and documentation are accurate, complete, and retained in accordance with program requirements. 4. Implement and perform, on a recurrent basis, audit and/or review of patient files to ensure ongoing compliance, timely reassessment, and proper application of the sliding fee discount program. 5. Maintain clear records and documentation to support all eligibility determinations and fee discounts, ensuring the entity can demonstrate compliance during internal reviews or external audit
Federal Agency: 84 – Department of Education Federal Program Title: Higher Education Institutional Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.031 Award Period: July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025 Type of Finding: • Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance • Other Matters Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR §200.328, non‑Federal entities must submit required performance reports in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Federal award and include all information required by the Federal awarding agency. Performance reports must be submitted in the form, manner, and frequency prescribed in the award agreement. Additionally, 2 CFR §200.303 requires non‑Federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal awards, including controls to ensure required reports are reviewed, approved, documented, and submitted in accordance with award requirements. Condition/Context: During our testing of Reporting, we selected a sample of 5 Higher Education Institutional Aid performance reports. This major program includes 5 award agreements, of which 2 agreements have quarterly reporting requirements, 2 agreements have semi‑annual reporting requirements, and 4 agreements have annual reporting requirements. The following exceptions were noted: • For 2 of the 5 reports tested, the reports were prepared; however, evidence supporting submission was not provided, and documentation could not be provided to demonstrate that the reports were reviewed and approved prior to submission. As a result, evidence of management review and report submission could not be verified. Questioned Costs: None. Effect: Failure to retain documentation supporting report submission and management review limits the UEC’s ability to demonstrate compliance with Federal reporting requirements and increases the risk that required reports are not reviewed or submitted in accordance with award terms. Cause: The UEC’s internal controls were not designed or implemented to consistently ensure that required performance reports are reviewed, approved, and submitted in accordance with Federal award requirements, and that documentation is retained to support evidence of review and submission. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the UEC strengthen its reporting procedures to ensure required performance reports are reviewed and approved prior to submission and that documentation is retained to support evidence of management review and report submission in accordance with Federal award requirements. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and has developed a plan to correct the finding.
Finding No: 2025-003– Internal control deficiencies over accounting and identification of federal funds received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that should be included on SEFA Federal Programs ALN 97.036, Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters) Name of Federal Agency U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Pass-through program from The Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency) Category Internal Control; Compliance. Compliance Requirement Activities Allowed/Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles, Period of Performance, Project Accounting. Criteria 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart D Subsection 200.302 states the following: The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: 1. Identification of all Federal awards received and expended and the Federal programs under which they were received. Federal program and Federal award identification must include, as applicable, the Assistance Listings title and number, Federal award identification number, year the Federal award was issued, and name of the Federal agency or pass-through entity. 2. Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. When a federal agency or pass-through entity requires reporting on an accrual basis from a recipient or subrecipient that maintains its records other than on an accrual basis, the recipient or subrecipient must not be required to establish an accrual accounting system. This recipient or subrecipient may develop accrual data for its reports based on an analysis of the documentation on hand. 3. Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. 4. Effective control over and accountability for all funds, property, and assets. The recipient or subrecipient must safeguard all assets and ensure they are used solely for authorized purposes. See § 200.303. 5. Comparison of expenditures with budget amounts for each Federal award. 6. Written procedures to implement the requirements of § 200.305. 7. Written procedures for determining the allowability of costs in accordance with subpart E and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Condition During our procedures concerning the Administration’s funds received from FEMA we noticed that the reimbursement funds received from FEMA were not recognized as income during the year ended June 30, 2025. Cause The Administration recognized the reimbursement as an accrual and not as income during the year ended June 30, 2025. They have recognized only the amount that they disbursed during the year at their discretion. This accounting is correct when the funds received are capital advances. Effect This can result in amounts not to be included in the Schedule of Expenditures and Federal Awards in the correct period and understate SEFA. Also, the Administration could be subject to penalties or sanctions from the Federal Grantor. Context The Administration identified $6,543 as federal expenditures from prior years capital advances of FEMA awards but did not identify as expended the amount of $11,063 from advances. In addition, the Administration received reimbursements of $1,413,451 in the fiscal year, however management did not identify this amount as federal expenditures until the audit procedures was performed. Identification of repeat finding None. Questioned costs None, as adjustments were made during the audit to correct the misstatement. Recommendation We recommend validating, with the staff in charge of Engineering, the type of funds received from FEMA, if they are reimbursements or capital advances. When the funds received are reimbursements they should be recognized as income in the year received. If the funds are capital advances they should be recognized as unearned revenue and as income in the year in which they are disbursed. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions We agreed with the auditors’ finding and recommendation. See further details regarding this matter within the Corrective Action Plan.
Finding Number: 2025-015 State/Educational Agency(s): Arkansas Department of Commerce – Arkansas Economic Development Commission Pass-Through Entity: Not applicable AL Number(s) and Program Title(s): 21.029 – Coronavirus Capital Project Funds Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Number(s): CPFFN0186 Federal Award Year(s): 2022 Compliance Requirement(s) Affected: Reporting Type of Finding: Noncompliance Repeat Finding: Not applicable Criteria: All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required by the Grant Agreement, 2 CFR § 200.328 – 329, and as outlined in Part 2 of Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund Compliance and Reporting Guidance. In accordance with Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund Compliance and Reporting Guidance, Capital Project Fund recipients are responsible for reporting on subawards in the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS). A Project and Expenditure Report must be completed for each project included in an approved Program Plan. The Project and Expenditure Report provides information on projects funded, obligations, expenditures, project status, outputs, performance indicators, and other information. Condition and Context: ALA reviewed the Q2 2025 Project and Expenditure Report for five of the 20 projects to determine expenditure and obligation amounts used for matching requirements were accurately reported to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. ALA noted the cumulative obligations for two of the five projects contained errors. The cumulative obligations for one of the projects was overstated by $2,569,790 and understated by $574,066 for the other project. Statistically Valid Sample: Not a statistically valid sample Questioned Costs: None Cause: Arkansas State Broadband Office (ASBO) management did not adequately review amounts submitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for accuracy. Effect: Failure to accurately report project obligations and expenditures to the U.S. Department of the Treasury could result in noncompliance with federal laws and regulations. Recommendation: ALA staff recommend the Agency management ensure all amounts submitted on Project and Expenditure Reports are accurate. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: ASBO acknowledges the auditor’s observation regarding cumulative obligation amounts reported for two projects in the Q2 2025 Project and Expenditure Report submitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The variances identified were the result of an administrative reporting error within a quarterly submission spreadsheet and did not reflect improper expenditures, questioned costs, or misuse of funds. The Agency identified the discrepancy during its internal review process and submitted corrected information to Treasury. By the time of audit review, the corrected reporting had already been provided. This issue was isolated to a specific reporting period and did not impact the underlying financial integrity of the projects. Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2026 Contact Person: Glen Howie State Broadband Director Arkansas State Broadband Office 1 Commerce Way Little Rock, AR 72202 (501) 683-6000 broadband@arkansas.gov
FINDING 2025-004 Subject: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Special Tests and Provisions - Participation of Private School Children Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies Assistance Listings Number: 84.010 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S010A220014, S010A230014, S010A240014 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Special Test and Provisions - Participation of Private School Children Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context The School Corporation did not provide supporting documentation for the amounts disbursed for Participation of Private School Children. No time sheets or logs were provided to support the hours paid to employees for working with the private school children. The lack of effective internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 22 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF SOUTHWEST ALLEN COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . ." Cause The School Corporation had not developed a system of internal controls that would have ensured that records were maintained and made available for audit related to the Special Tests and Provisions - Participation of Private School Children compliance requirement. Effect The lack of appropriate documentation prevented the determination of the School Corporation's compliance with the Special Tests and Provisions - Participation of Private School Children compliance requirement. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish internal controls to ensure compliance and comply with the Special Test and Provisions - Participation of Private School Children compliance requirement. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FEDERAL AWARD FINDING: 2025-101 The County did not develop internal control procedures over program reporting and cash management requirements, increasing risk of report errors to awarding agencies and wrongly receiving monies Cluster name: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Cluster Assistance Listings number(s) and name(s): 17.258 WIOA Adult Program 17.259 WIOA Youth Activities 17.278 WIOA Dislocated Worker Formula Grants Award number(s) and year(s): IGA DI23-002389 July 1, 2023 through June 28, 2028 IGA DI21-002286 July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Labor Pass-through grantor(s): Arizona Department of Economic Security Compliance requirement(s): Reporting Questioned costs: Not applicable Assistance Listings number(s) and name(s): 21.027 COVID-19—Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Award number(s) and year(s): 1505-0271 March 3, 2021 through December 31, 2024 CT-FM-22-149 October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025 SLFRFP1962 January 5, 2023 through December 31, 2026 CTR069300 January 1, 2024 through December 30, 2026 GTAW-FM-23*123 October 3, 2022 through July 3, 2026 ACJC-VC-25-001A July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Federal agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Pass-through grantor(s): Stratford Art Works; Arizona Supreme Court; Arizona Housing Coalition, Inc.; Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Compliance requirement(s): Reporting Questioned costs: Not applicable Assistance Listings number(s) and name(s): 93.268 Immunization Cooperative Agreements Award number(s) and year(s): CTR062571 July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025 CTR059891 July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Pass-through grantor(s): Arizona Department of Health Services Compliance requirement(s): Cash management and reporting Questioned costs: Not applicable Condition Contrary to federal regulation, the County’s Grants Management and Innovation Department (Department) did not develop, document, or implement internal control procedures to monitor compliance with the programs’ reporting and/or cash management requirements for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Cluster, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, and Immunization Cooperative Agreements (ICA) programs. Specifically, for 13 of 17 reports we tested, we found the Department did not perform an independent review and approval of reports prior to submitting them to the federal agency or pass-through grantor to ensure the reported expenditures were accurate, agreed to the County’s records, and contained only allowable expenditures for: • 9 of 9 WIOA monthly reconciliation reports we tested. • 3 of 4 SLFRF quarterly project and expenditure reports we tested. • 1 of 4 ICA quarterly contract expenditure reports (CER) we tested. These reports are also used to request reimbursement from the federal agency. For the same 3 SLFRF reports identified above and submitted during fiscal year 2025, we found the Department did not retain documentation, such as system reports, screenshots, or queries, to support the information it reported. Despite lacking internal control procedures, we did not identify inaccurate program information for WIOA and ICA reported to the federal agency or pass-through grantor, and we did not identify any ICA costs incurred prior to requesting reimbursement. In addition, the Department did not prepare and submit timely ICA program information to the federal agency for monitoring. Specifically, for award CTR062571—the Immunization Bridge Access program, the Department failed to submit 3 quarterly CERs by their required due dates in fiscal year 2025 and instead, on August 2, 2025, submitted 1 report that contained information covering all quarterly information for fiscal year 2025. Effect Without effective internal control procedures in place, there is an increased risk that the Department may not prevent or detect and correct errors on reports it submits to federal agency and pass-through agencies, which rely on them to effectively monitor the program administration, including its compliance with program requirements, ability to prevent and detect fraud, and to evaluate the programs’ success. There is also an increased risk that the Department could receive federal monies to which it is not entitled. Further, the Department is at risk that this finding applies to other federal programs it administers. Cause The Department’s management reported that it had sometimes performed independent reviews and approvals of reports but did not maintain documentation of these independent reviews because the Department did not have a formal policy requiring a documented review and approval of its reports. In addition, the Department’s management reported that policies and procedures were not followed to retain documentation for the SLFRF reports. Further, the Department’s management reported it did not have a process to track when each ICA report was required to be completed and did not verify that reports were submitted by the designated due dates. Criteria Federal regulation requires establishing and maintaining effective internal control over federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that federal programs are being managed in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and award terms (2 CFR §200.303). This would include developing, documenting, and implementing internal control procedures to monitor compliance with federal agency guidelines requiring the Department to report accurate and complete information for the WIOA monthly reconciliation reports, SLFRF quarterly financial reports, and ICA quarterly contract expenditure reports. Also, federal regulation and Department retention policies require the Department to retain all records relating to a federal award for a period of 3 years from the date of its submission of the final expenditure report (2 CFR §200.334). Further, federal regulation requires the Department to submit financial reports as required by the federal award. Reports submitted quarterly are due no later than 30 calendar days after the reporting period (2 CFR §200.328). Recommendations to the Department 1. Perform and document an independent review and approval of federal program reports before submitting the reports to the federal agency to ensure the reported expenditures were accurate, agreed to the County’s records, and contained only allowable expenditures. 2. Retain detailed documentation, such as system reports, screenshots, or queries related to submitted reports to ensure accurate and complete program information is reported to the federal agency or pass-through grantor for each federal program. 3. Submit ICA reports by their quarterly due dates. 4. Follow its retention policies and procedures and federal regulation requirements to retain all records relating to a federal award for a period of 3 years from the date of its submission of the reports. Develop, document, and implement policies and procedures to monitor compliance with the programs’ reporting requirements to: 5. Perform and document an independent review and approval of federal program reports before submitting the reports to the federal agency or pass-through grantor to ensure reports are accurate, agree to County records, and contain only allowable expenditures for the applicable fiscal year. 6. Create a tracking mechanism to ensure reports are completed and submitted by their due dates. This finding is similar to prior-year finding 2024-104 that was initially reported in fiscal year 2024. Views of responsible officials County management concurs with this finding. The County’s corrective action plan at the end of this report includes the views and planned corrective action of its responsible officials regarding these recommendations. We are not required to audit and have not audited these responses and planned corrective actions and therefore provide no assurances as to their accuracy.
Finding 2025-002 – U.S. Department of Education (ED), TRIO Programs (material weakness): Information on Federal Programs – TRIO Upward Bound Assistance Listing, FAL No. 84.047, June 30, 2025 Criteria – Federal regulations require that at least two-thirds (67%) of participants served by the TRIO Upward Bound Program be low-income and first-generation college students. 20 U.S.C. § 1070a-11 34 CFR § 645.3 (Definitions); 34 CFR § 645.11 (Participant eligibility and selection). In addition, recipients are required to maintain accurate eligibility documentation and report complete and reliable participant data in the annual performance report in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.303 and 2 CFR § 200.328. Condition – The TRIO Upward Bound Program did not meet the federally required two-thirds first-generation/low-income participant threshold. The annual performance report reflected that only 51% of participants were identified as first-generation and/or low-income. During testing of participant eligibility documentation, the participant roster reflected that only 58% of participants met the first-generation and/or low-income eligibility requirement. Cause – The condition appears to be the result of insufficient internal controls over participant eligibility determination and monitoring, including: a) inadequate review procedures to ensure eligibility requirements were met prior to participant enrollment; b) lack of ongoing monitoring to ensure continued compliance with the two-thirds eligibility requirement throughout the program year and c) insufficient reconciliation between eligibility documentation and performance reporting data. Effect – Failure to meet the statutory eligibility threshold places the program out of compliance with federal requirements and may result in: a) questioned eligibility of program participants, b) increased risk of enforcement actions, including corrective action plans or repayment of federal funds.; c) possible loss or reduction of future funding and d) risk of program eligibility. Repeat Finding – Yes. Although this is a repeat finding for Upward Bound, Student Support Services was resolved in the current year. Questioned Costs – Questioned costs could not be reasonably determined for this finding due to the inability to directly associate program expenditures with individual ineligible participants. Auditor’s Perspective – From the auditor’s perspective, this finding represents material noncompliance with federal eligibility and reporting requirements for the TRIO Upward Bound Program. Federal statutes and regulations require that at least two-thirds (67%) of program participants be low-income and first-generation college students. The program’s failure to meet this threshold both in reported data (51%) and in tested eligibility documentation (58%) demonstrates a systemic breakdown in compliance, rather than an isolated or clerical error. The discrepancy between eligibility documentation and the annual performance report further indicates weaknesses in internal controls over compliance, as required by 2 CFR § 200.303. Accurate eligibility determination is a core program requirement, directly tied to the program’s statutory purpose and funding authorization. Noncompliance with this requirement undermines assurance that federal funds were used to serve the intended population. Auditor’s Perspective – (continued) Because eligibility compliance affects the allowability of participant-related costs, the inability to demonstrate that the required proportion of participants met eligibility criteria creates an elevated risk of questioned or disallowed costs. While questioned costs could not be reasonably quantified, the scope and pervasiveness of the condition support classification of this finding as material. Absent corrective action, the program remains exposed to continued noncompliance, increased federal oversight, and potential enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Education. Strengthening eligibility controls, monitoring, and reporting reconciliation is necessary to restore compliance and reduce future audit risk. Auditor’s Recommendation – We recommend that management: a) strengthen internal controls over participant eligibility determination, including documented review and approval procedures; b) implement periodic monitoring to ensure the two-thirds first-generation/low-income require-ment is met throughout the program year; c) Ensure accurate and consistent reporting between eligibility records and annual performance reports and d) provide staff training on federal eligibility requirements for the TRIO Upward Bound Program. View of Responsible Officials – The correct 2/3 requirement percentage from the 2024-2025 TRIO Upward Bound APR is 63%; the referenced 51% was from the 2023-2024 APR. The TRIO Upward Bound Program’s fiscal year for 2024-2025 was September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025, which is different from the College’s fiscal year. A roster was requested and submitted reflecting TRIO Upward Bound participants during the College’s fiscal year, July 1, 2024 -June 30, 2025. The submitted roster did not reflect the participants for the Program’s 2024-2025 fiscal year. Failure to meet the 2/3 requirement stems from ongoing challenges in recruiting Program participants. Recruitment has been and continues to be a challenge for TRIO Programs nationwide since the pandemic. The TRIO Upward Bound Staff are very knowledgeable about Program eligibility and documentation requirements. A thorough review of eligibility is completed to ensure applicants meet at least one (and preferably both) eligibility criteria PRIOR TO acceptance. The TRIO Upward Bound Program received funding for FY2025 (September 1, 2025, - August 31, 2026) in the full amount of $550,864.00. The receipt of a Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) Grant Award Notice means the U.S. Department of Education is giving approval to allow the Paine College TRIO Upward Bound Program to continue serving students without any stipulations to the Program or College. The Program is operating under normal terms and conditions. Program Staff is working diligently to recruit more students to ensure compliance with the 2/3 eligibility requirement for the 2025-2026 program/fiscal year.
Finding No. 2025-042 Federal Awarding Agency: USDOC Impact: Significant Deficiency, Noncompliance AL Number and Title: 11.438 PCSRT Federal Award Number: NA24NMF4380259, NA24NMFX438G0056 Applicable Compliance Requirement: Reporting Condition: Two of four randomly selected FY 25 PCSRT SF-425 federal financial reports tested did not include the recipient share of expenditures. Context: The SF-425 is a required semi-annual federal financial form used for reporting on the financial status of federal grant awards. Recipients of PCSRT grants must submit semi-annual SF-425 reports for all active federal awards. During FY 25, 20 grant awards were subject to SF-425 submission for a total of 37 required reports filed. Four reports were selected for testing. The audit identified that the recipient share of expenditures (line 10j) reported for two federal awards was not completed. Cause: The errors were due to DFG staff misunderstanding instructions for completing SF-425 reports. Federal guidance on whether the State must report the recipient share of expenditures changed prior to the fiscal year. DFG report preparation and review procedures were insufficient to identify the revised reporting requirements. Criteria: Per Title 2 CFR 200.328(c), the State must submit financial reports as required by the federal award. Title 2 CFR 200.303(a) requires the State to establish, document, and maintain effective internal controls over Federal awards that provide reasonable assurance that the State is managing Federal awards in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of federal awards. Effect: Inaccurate federal reporting may impair federal decision-making and may result in the federal awarding agency imposing additional conditions or taking corrective action, including additional reporting requirements or withholding/terminating funds. Questioned Costs: None Recommendation: DFG’s DAS director should strengthen procedures for the preparation and review of the SF-425 report to ensure submitted reports are accurate. Furthermore, the DAS director should work with the federal oversight agency to revise the incomplete SF-425 reports, as needed. Views of Responsible Officials: ADFG respectfully disagrees with the audit finding regarding SF-425 reporting and recipient share. During the audit period, the federal awarding agency transitioned to a new reporting system but did not issue updated written instructions, revised award terms, or formal guidance clarifying new SF-425 fields or reporting expectations. Under 2 CFR §200.328, recipients are required to submit financial reports as specified in the Federal award, and agencies may require only OMB-approved, government-wide data elements. No updated award terms or instructions were provided to ADFG during this transition. System behavior clearly indicated that certain fields were not applicable. In Grants Online, the fields were grayed out, signaling they were not required. In contrast, eRA Commons left these fields open without any explanation or guidance. NOAA now requires these fields, but this requirement was not communicated at the time of the transition. This inconsistency demonstrates that the agency had not finalized or communicated enforceable requirements for these fields during the reporting period. DFG acted reasonably and consistently based on the information available. It would be inappropriate to penalize DFG for continuing to report under prior requirements or omitting data in fields that were not previously required. The Uniform Guidance places responsibility on awarding agencies to provide clear written guidance, transition timelines, and clarification on new reporting requirements before they become enforceable. For these reasons, DFG requests that this finding be reconsidered. Our reporting complied with the award terms and the system instructions available at the time, and any changes introduced by the agency were not formally communicated or incorporated into our award during the relevant reporting period. Auditor’s Concluding Remarks: Management’s response did not persuade the auditor to revise the finding. DFG management reports that the federal agency did not provide updated written instructions or reporting requirements when the federal awarding agency transitioned to a new reporting system. However, DFG management is responsible for complying with federal reporting requirements. We reaffirm the finding.
Finding No. 2025-059 Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Impact: Significant Deficiency, Noncompliance AL Number and Title: 66.202 Congressionally Mandated Projects (CMP) Federal Award Number: 01J83401, 02J14601 Applicable Compliance Requirement: Reporting Condition: Unliquidated obligations as reported in two of three tested SF-425 Federal Financial Reports were inaccurate. Context: Recipients of EPA grants must submit annual SF-425 Federal Financial Reports for all active federal awards. During FY 25, five grant awards were subject to SF-425 submission of which three were tested. The audit identified that the federal share of unliquidated obligations (line 10f) reported for two federal awards were overstated by $543,052 and $523,069, respectively. DEC staff inadvertently included the State’s share of unliquidated obligations in the report. Cause: The errors were due to insufficient procedures over the preparation and review of SF-425 reports. Criteria: Title 2 CFR 200.328(c) requires the State to submit financial reports as required by the federal award. Title 2 CFR 200.303(a) requires the State to establish, document, and maintain effective internal controls over Federal awards that provide reasonable assurance that the State is managing Federal awards in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of federal awards. Effect: Inaccurate federal reporting may impair federal decision-making and may result in the federal awarding agency imposing additional conditions or taking corrective action, including additional requirements or withholding/terminating funds. Questioned Costs: None Recommendation: DEC’s DAS director should strengthen procedures for the preparation and review of the SF-425 report to ensure reports submitted to EPA are accurate. Furthermore, the DAS director should work with the federal oversight agency to revise the inaccurate SF-425 reports, as needed. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with this finding.
2025-001 Head Start Program – Control Weakness Over Timely Reporting (Repeated 2024-003) CFDA Title: Head Start CFDA Number: 93.600 Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Condition: The District does not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that required semi-annual and annual Head Start reports are prepared and submitted timely. Context: We analyzed the submission dates of required semi-annual and annual reports by comparing the reporting period end dates to the actual submission dates. All reports tested were submitted significantly past the required deadlines of 30 days for semi-annual reports and 90 days for annual reports. Criteria: Head Start program requirements and grant agreements require that semi-annual and annual financial and performance reports be submitted within established deadlines (generally 30 days for semi-annual reports and 90 days for annual reports) to ensure timely monitoring and reimbursement by the awarding agency. Additionally, 2 CFR §200.328 requires recipients to submit performance reports at the frequency required by the federal awarding agency. Effect: Untimely submission of required reports increases the risk of noncompliance with federal program requirements and may result in delayed reimbursements, reduced oversight by the awarding agency, and potential funding consequences. Continued delays also indicate a breakdown in internal controls over grant compliance and reporting. Cause: The District does not have formalized procedures or a monitoring system in place to ensure required Head Start reports are prepared, reviewed, and submitted within required timeframes. Recommendation: We recommend the District implement policies and procedures to ensure timely preparation and submission of all required Head Start reports, including: • Establishing a reporting calendar with clearly defined deadlines, • Assigning responsibility for report preparation and review, • Implementing a tracking mechanism to monitor report status and submission dates, and • Performing supervisory review to ensure compliance with required timelines prior to submission.
Finding 2025-004 – Reporting Federal Program: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds ALN: 21.027 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria Per 2 CFR §200.328, non-Federal entities must submit financial and performance reports that are accurate, current, and complete. Additionally, per 2 CFR §200.303, entities must maintain effective internal control over Federal awards. Treasury SLFRF guidance requires Project and Expenditure (P&E) Reports to provide complete and accurate project information. Condition The Town’s March 2025 Project and Expenditure Report contained a project description that revenue replacement funds were used on payroll costs, when the costs were construction related. This error was not identified prior to submission. Cause The condition resulted from insufficient review of financial and narrative reporting elements. Effect The report submitted to Treasury was not accurate, resulting in noncompliance with federal reporting requirements. Questioned Costs None. Repeat Finding No. Recommendation We recommend the Town strengthen controls over SLFRF reporting by establishing documented review and approval controls, ensuring alignment between project descriptions and actual use of funds, and providing training on reporting requirements. Views of Responsible Officials Management agrees with the finding and will strengthen review procedures to ensure financial and narrative reports are accurate, complete, and consistent with underlying records.
Finding Reference: 2025-006 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title and ALN: Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDF Cluster) (ALN 93.575) Compliance Requirement: Reporting – Financial Reporting (L) (MW) Type of finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control (SD), Instance of Noncompliance (NC) Statement of Condition: During our audit procedures, we noted that during fiscal year 2024-2025, the Program did not submit the required accumulated expenditure reports within the 15-day reporting deadlines established. In addition, the final financial reports required under the award were not submitted within the 90-day deadline. Criteria Title 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sections 200.328 and 200.329 require subrecipients to submit accurate, complete, and timely financial and performance reports in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Federal award. In addition, the subaward agreement and reporting guidelines issued by ACUDEN establish specific deadlines for the submission of required financial reports, including final reports. Cause of Condition: The condition resulted, in part, from resource constraints experienced by the Program during the fiscal year, which affected the timely preparation and submission of required financial reports to ACUDEN. Effect of Condition: The untimely submission of accumulated expenditure reports and final financial reports may impair the pass-through entity's ability to effectively monitor program activities and financial performance on a timely basis and resulted in noncompliance with the reporting requirements established under the award. Recommendation: We recommend that Program management strengthen its procedures for monitoring reporting requirements and deadlines to ensure that all required financial reports, including final reports, are submitted timely in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award. Questioned Costs: None Prior-Year Finding: This is a new finding. View of Responsible Official and Planned Corrective Action Plan: Management established corrective measures immediately upon identifying the deficiency related to the untimely submission of the required reports. The Municipality implemented formal procedures to monitor reporting deadlines and ensure the timely submission of reports required by ACUDEN. Management will continue monitoring compliance with these corrective measures to ensure the timely submission of reports in future periods. Implementation Date: July 1, 2026 Responsible Person Mrs. Mayra Ortiz Arroyo, Finance and Budget Director
Federal agency: Federal Aviation Administration Federal program title: Airport Improvement Program Assistance Listing Number: 20.106 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Period: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance, Other Matter Criteria: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines require Airport Improvement Program recipients to submit periodic financial reports, including SF-425 (Federal Financial Report), Form 5100-127 (Operating and Financial Summary), Form 5100-126 (Financial Government Payment Report), Form 5370-1 (Construction Progress and Inspection Report), and Form SF-271 (Requests for Reimbursement) in accordance with 2 CFR §200.328 and §200.329. Condition: During our testing, we noted that 3 of the 5 grants tested for SF-425 were not submitted for Fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. Questioned costs: None Context: Three of the five SF-425 reports selected for testing that were required to be submitted during the fiscal year were not prepared by the County and, therefore, were not submitted to the grantor agency. As a result, these reports were unavailable for audit. Cause: The Aviation Department continued working through a backlog of previously unsubmitted grant reports. The Department has been coordinating with the FAA to address historical non‑submission and ensure all required reports are submitted. While progress has been made, the volume of prior‑year reports and ongoing staffing constraints have contributed to delays in completing and submitting the remaining backlog. Effect: The County’s failure to submit all the required reports for each of its three Airport Improvement Program grants resulted in noncompliance with FAA reporting requirements under 2 CFR §200.328 and §200.329. This lack of reporting may impact the County’s ability to demonstrate proper stewardship of federal funds, delay reimbursement processing, and potentially affect future grant eligibility or funding decisions. Repeat Finding: Finding is a repeat finding from the prior year (2024-006). Recommendation: CLA recommends that the County continue providing staff with training related to identifying and complying with grant reporting requirements. In addition, CLA recommends that the County maintain and enhance tracking procedures, such as a monitoring checklist, to ensure all required grant reports including those related to prior‑year activity are submitted accurately and in a timely manner. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Information on the federal program: Subject: Education Stabilization Fund – Internal Controls Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 – Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listing Number: 84.425U, 84.425D Federal Award Numbers: S425U210013, S425D210013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 Financial reporting . . . ." 34 CFR 76.722 states: "A State may require a subgrantee to submit reports in a manner and format that assists the State in complying with the requirements under 34 CFR 76.720 and in carrying out other responsibilities under the program." Condition: The School Corporation did not have a review control in place to ensure the annual data report was reviewed by someone other than the preparer. In addition, original documents and related support were not maintained by the School Corporation. Cause: There were not sufficient internal controls in place to ensure the Annual Data Report agreed to the underlying fund ledger detail. Effect: The Annual Data Reports could be submitted with incorrect information. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation did not have a formal review process in place to review the Annual Data Reports that were required to be submitted during the audit period. Original copies of the reports and submission receipts were not maintained and therefore, we were unable to verify the reports were submitted by the required due dates. The Annual Data Report for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 was overstated by $36,297. Management could not provide support for Cross Act total employees reported at 147. Also, management here was a variance of 16 positions for Cross Act positions paid by ESSER. The amount reported was 135 while management’s support detail was 151 positions. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: Yes, Finding 2023-005. Recommendation: We recommend management review internal controls around the preparation, review, and submission of the Annual Data Reports to verify accuracy and that support detail is maintained. We recommend someone other than the preparer of the report perform a documented review prior to submission to validate the accuracy and completeness of the data submitted and that the School Corporation maintain records to validate the reports were submitted timely. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
Finding 2025-008 Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.558 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entity: Virginia Department of Social Services Pass-through Entity Identifying Number: BEN-21-029 Award Period: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 Criteria or Specific Requirement: Title 2 CFR §200.302(b) requires non-federal entities to maintain effective control and accountability over all funds and to provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each federally sponsored project or program. In addition, 2 CFR §200.328 requires financial reports to be supported by the entity’s accounting records and to be accurate and complete. Condition: The organization prepared various required financial reporting line items using budgeted amounts rather than actual expenditures recorded in the underlying accounting records. As a result, reported amounts did not agree to the general ledger and supporting accounting documentation. The variances were identified across multiple reporting line items and were not supported by reconciliations to actual expenditures. Cause: The condition occurred due to deficiencies in internal controls over financial reporting. Specifically, the organization relied on budgeted amounts rather than actual expenditures recorded in the accounting system when preparing required financial reports. In addition, formal written procedures do not clearly require that reported amounts be reconciled to the underlying accounting records prior to submission, and there was insufficient review and oversight to ensure that financial reports were prepared using actual data from the general ledger. Effect or Potential Effect: Because financial reports were not prepared using actual expenditures recorded in the accounting records, reported amounts may be inaccurate or incomplete. The use of budgeted amounts rather than actual financial data increases the risk that expenditures reported to the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity are misstated and not supported by the organization’s accounting records. As a result, the organization may be out of compliance with federal reporting requirements and federal agencies may rely on inaccurate financial information for monitoring and funding decisions. Repeat Finding: This finding is a repeat of 2024-005. Recommendation: We recommend the organization strengthen its internal controls over federal financial reporting by establishing and documenting procedures requiring that all reports submitted to federal awarding agencies or pass-through entities be prepared using actual expenditures recorded in the accounting system. These procedures should include a reconciliation of reported amounts to the general ledger and supporting documentation prior to submission, as well as an independent review process to ensure reported information is accurate, complete, and compliant with Uniform Guidance requirements. Views of Responsible Officials: Management acknowledges the finding and will work to implement appropriate corrective actions to address the deficiency and improve compliance going forward.
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Name: HIV Prevention Activities: Non-Governmental Organization Based Assistance Listing Number: 93.939 Federal Award Identification Number: NU65PS923746 Award Period: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 Type of Finding: • Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance and Compliance – Reporting Criteria or Specific Requirement: Per 2 CFR §200.302 and §200.328, recipients of federal awards must provide accurate, current, and complete disclosure of financial results of each federally-sponsored project or program in accordance with the reporting requirements of the federal awarding agency. Condition: It was noted that the expenditures reported on the FFR matched the cash receipts for the period rather than the actual expenditures incurred. Questioned Costs: $117,889 Context: During the testing of reporting compliance of the contract during the fiscal year ended 6/30/25, we identified errors in the interim FFR reporting during the period of 4/1/22-9/30/24 for the actual expenditures in the amount of $117,889.20. Cause: The Organization lacked effective internal controls to reconcile actual expenditures incurred within reporting periods. The process relied on estimates and did not include timely reconciliation of actual costs. Effect: This deficiency resulted in noncompliance with federal reporting requirements. It also indicates a reasonable possibility that material noncompliance with federal requirements may not be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis. Repeat finding: Yes Recommendation: We recommend that management implement procedures to ensure that expenditures reported on the Federal Financial Report reflect actual costs incurred during the reporting period and are supported by appropriate documentation. Staff responsible for preparing the Federal Financial Report should be trained in federal reporting requirements to ensure compliance. Views of Responsible Officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. See Corrective Action Plan.
Finding No: 2025-006 – Internal control deficiencies over accounting for federal funds received Federal Programs ALN 97.036, Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters) ALN 21.027, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Name of Federal Agency ALN 21.027, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Category U.S. Department of Treasury U.S. Department of Homeland Security Compliance Requirement Activities Allowed/Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles, Period of Performance, Project Accounting. Criteria 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart D Subsection 200.302 states the following: The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: 1. Identification of all Federal awards received and expended and the Federal programs under which they were received. Federal program and Federal award identification must include, as applicable, the Assistance Listings title and number, Federal award identification number, year the Federal award was issued, and name of the Federal agency or pass-through entity. 2. Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. When a federal agency or pass-through entity requires reporting on an accrual basis from a recipient or subrecipient that maintains its records other than on an accrual basis, the recipient or subrecipient must not be required to establish an accrual accounting system. This recipient or subrecipient may develop accrual data for its reports based on an analysis of the documentation on hand. Puerto Rico Ports Authority (A Component Unit of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs – (Continued) Year Ended June 30, 2025 - 102 - Part III – Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs – (continued) Finding No: 2025-006 – Internal control deficiencies over accounting for federal funds received Criteria – (continued) 3. Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. 4. Effective control over and accountability for all funds, property, and assets. The recipient or subrecipient must safeguard all assets and ensure they are used solely for authorized purposes. See § 200.303. 5. Comparison of expenditures with budget amounts for each Federal award. 6. Written procedures to implement the requirements of § 200.305. 7. Written procedures for determining the allowability of costs in accordance with subpart E and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. In addition, the 2 CFR Compliance Supplement states the following under Special Test and Provisions – Project Accounting: For large projects, the recipient is required to make an accounting to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of eligible costs. Similarly, the subrecipient must make an accounting to the recipient. In submitting the accounting, the entity is required to certify that reported costs were incurred in performance of eligible work, that the approved work was completed, that the project is in compliance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement, all grant conditions were met, and that payments for that project were made in accordance with the applicable payment provisions. For improved and alternate projects, if the total cost of the projects does not equal or exceed the approved eligible costs, then the auditor should expect to see an adjustment to reduce eligible costs (44 CFR section 206.205). For Small Projects, FEMA does not adjust estimated costs to the actual incurred amount. The Subrecipient must certify that they completed the approved SOW, and the Recipient must certify that they made all payments in accordance with the FEMA-State/Territory/Tribe agreement. This is typically completed on a Small Project Completion Certification. Puerto Rico Ports Authority (A Component Unit of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs – (Continued) Year Ended June 30, 2025 - 103 - Part III – Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs – (continued) Finding No: 2025-006 – Internal control deficiencies over accounting for federal funds received Condition During our procedures over the Authority’s funds received from FEMA we noticed the following: 1. Return of interest earned on FEMA-related funds totaling approximately $211,853 was not timely recorded in the general ledger and was subsequently recorded through a post-closing entry dated January 26, 2026. 2. Management initially misclassified approximately $6 million received under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds as state funds rather than federal awards. As a result, the amount was originally excluded from the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (the Schedule). Cause The condition was caused by the Authority's lack of personnel on the federal funds management office which has been present during prior audit periods, the early retirement program established under Act No. 80 of August 3, 2020 – “Law for Incentivized Retirement Program and Justice for Our Servants” (Act No. 80), and the resignation of some personnel from their occupied position and left the Authority willingly as stated in finding 2025-004 are the main causes for the condition. Effect Inadequate accounting and controls over federal funds can cause incorrect revenue recognition as capital advances are recognized as revenue when used appropriately and not when received. In addition, this can cause amounts to be included on the Schedule incorrectly as some of the activities received as capital advances have not actually occurred. It also creates risk of allocating funds in the incorrect federal awards as some of these have similar uses and assistance listing numbers. Also, the Authority could be subject to penalties or sanctions from the Federal Grantor. Puerto Rico Ports Authority (A Component Unit of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs – (Continued) Year Ended June 30, 2025 - 104 - Part III – Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs – (continued) Finding No: 2025-006 – Internal control deficiencies over accounting for federal funds received Context The Authority recognized as federal award revenue of $6 million approximately, as contributions from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and therefore were originally not included in the Schedule. Also, $211,853 on the bank accounts where FEMA funds were deposited had to be returned since the funds cannot be deposited in an interest-bearing account. Journal entry recognizing this return was subsequently recorded through a post-closing entry dated January 26, 2026. Identification of repeat finding This is a repeat finding from the immediate previous audit, Finding 2025-006 Questioned costs None as adjustments were made during the audit to correct the misstatement. Recommendation We recommend the Authority’s Federal Funds Management Office (FFMO) and finance department coordinate with the external consultant who handles federal funds received from FEMA to better identify and classify funds received. In addition, we recommend the Authority to address the FFMO personnel limitations by hiring additional personnel for the Authority, re-shifting task between current personnel or by relaying on outsourced third party providers. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions We agreed with the auditors’ finding and recommendation. See further details regarding this matter within the Corrective Action Plan provided on pages 108-114.
Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Federal Program Title: Child Nutrition Cluster (CNC) State Administering Department: California Department of Education ALN: 10.553, 10.555, 10.556, 10.559, 10.582 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 247CACA3N1199; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. (3) Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance Subtitle A – Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements Chapter I – Office of Management and Budget Government-Wide Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance Part 170 – Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information Subpart A – General § 170.105 Applicability (a) Applicability in general. This part applies to a Federal agency’s Federal financial assistance as defined in § 170.300. This part applies to all recipients and subrecipients of Federal awards who meet the reporting requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, unless exempt under Federal statute or by paragraph (d) of this section. Appendix A to Part 170—Award Term I. Reporting Subawards and Executive Compensation (a) Reporting of first-tier subawards — (1) Applicability. Unless the recipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this award term, the recipient must report each subaward that equals or exceeds $30,000 in Federal funds for a subaward to an entity or Federal agency. The recipient must also report a subaward if a modification increases the Federal funding to an amount that equals or exceeds $30,000. All reported subawards should reflect the total amount of the subaward. (2) Reporting Requirements. (i) The recipient must report each subaward described in paragraph (a)(1) of this award term to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov. (ii) For subaward information, report no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was issued. (c) Reporting of total compensation of subrecipient executives — (1) Applicability. Unless a first-tier subrecipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this appendix, the recipient must report the executive total compensation of each of the subrecipient's five most highly compensated executives for the subrecipient's preceding completed fiscal year, if: (i) The total Federal funding authorized to date under the subaward equals or exceeds $30,000; (ii) In the subrecipient's preceding fiscal year, the subrecipient received: (A) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts) and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and, (B) $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts), and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and (iii) The public does not have access to information about the compensation of the executives through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after receiving this subaward. (To determine if the public has access to the compensation information, see the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission total compensation filings at http://www.sec.gov/answers/execomp.htm.) (2) Reporting Requirements. Subrecipients must report to the recipient their executive total compensation described in paragraph (c)(1) of this appendix. The recipient is required to submit this information to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was made. As of March 2025, this functionality has been migrated to SAM.gov, which now serves as the system of record for FFATA subaward reporting. Condition: Audit procedures included testing FFATA reporting submissions for 40 subrecipients to evaluate compliance with federal reporting requirements and the design and implementation of internal controls over the FFATA reporting process. Our testing identified that FFATA reports for 40 of the 40 subrecipients were not submitted within the required reporting timeframe. Although the reports were ultimately submitted and the information reported was complete and accurate, the submissions were delayed following the federal government's transition from the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS.gov) to the SAM.gov Subaward Reporting platform. The transition eliminated the bulk upload functionality previously used by the Department, significantly increasing the manual effort required to complete FFATA reporting while the Department worked to implement the new reporting process. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: During fiscal year 2024-25, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) transitioned FFATA reporting from FSRS.gov to the SAM.gov Subaward Reporting system. As part of this transition, the bulk upload functionality previously utilized by the Department was not initially available in the new system, significantly increasing the resources needed to prepare and submit FFATA reports. The increased reporting burden, coupled with staffing constraints and technical challenges encountered during implementation of the new reporting platform, contributed to delays in submitting FFATA reports within federally required timeframes. Effect: As a result of the elimination of the bulk upload process, staffing limitations, and implementation challenges associated with the federal reporting system transition, FFATA reports for 40 of 40 subrecipients were not submitted within the federally required reporting deadlines, resulting in noncompliance with FFATA reporting requirements. However, all required reports were ultimately submitted and contained complete and accurate information. Repeat finding: No Recommendation: The Department should evaluate staffing and resource needs associated with FFATA reporting and establish contingency procedures to address significant changes in federal reporting processes. Management should continue to monitor federal system changes, document implementation challenges, and maintain communication with federal agencies when external system limitations affect reporting timeliness. Additionally, the Department should identify and implement process improvements, including available automated reporting solutions and workarounds, to mitigate the impact of future system changes and help ensure FFATA reports are submitted within required timeframes. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report.
Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Federal Program Title: Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children State Administering Department: California Department of Social Services (CDSS) ALN: 10.646 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 257CDSS7N1175; October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025 257CDSS6N1803; October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. §200.328 Financial reporting (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 semiannually must be due no later than 30 calendar days after the reporting period. (d) The final financial report submitted by the recipient must be due no later than 120 calendar days after the conclusion of the period of performance. A subrecipient must submit a final financial report to a pass-through entity no later than 90 calendar days after the conclusion of the period of performance. Title 7 – Agriculture Subtitle B - Regulations of the Department of Agriculture Chapter II - Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture Subchapter C - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and Food Distribution Program Part 274 – Issuance and Use of Program Benefits § 274.1 Issuance system approval standards (a) Basic issuance requirements. State agencies shall establish issuance and accountability systems which ensure that only certified eligible households receive benefits; that Program benefits are timely distributed in the correct amounts; and that benefit issuance and reconciliation activities are properly conducted and accurately reported to FNS. § 274.4 Reconciliation and reporting (c) Required reports. The State agency shall review and submit the following reports to FNS on a monthly basis: (1) Form FNS-46, Issuance Reconciliation Report, shall be submitted by each State agency operating an issuance system. The report shall be prepared at the level of the State agency where the actual reconciliation of posted benefits and the master issuance file occurs. (i) The State agency shall identify and report the number and value of all issuances which do not reconcile with the master issuance file. All unreconciled issuances shall be identified as specified on this reporting document. (ii) The report shall be received by FNS no later than 90 days following the end of the report month. Condition: Audit procedures included a review of 3 FNS-46 reports selected from a population of 12 reports submitted during the audit period to determine whether reports were filed in accordance with federal reporting deadlines. Of the 3 reports tested, 2 were not submitted within the required timeframe. Specifically, the reports were submitted 23 and 38 days after the applicable federal due dates. As a result, the Department did not consistently comply with federal reporting requirements for timely submission of FNS-46 reports. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The Department did not maintain sufficiently precise internal controls to ensure FNS-46 reports were prepared, reviewed, and submitted in accordance with federally established reporting deadlines. Specifically, monitoring and supervisory review procedures were not designed or operating at a level of precision sufficient to identify and correct delays in report preparation and submission before the applicable due dates. As a result, late submissions were not detected and resolved in a timely manner. Effect: Failure to submit FNS-46 reports in a timely manner delays federal oversight of S-EBT issuance activity and increases the risk that reconciliation issues, including improper or unsupported issuances, are not promptly identified and resolved. Continued delays may result in noncompliance with federal reporting requirements and reduce the usefulness of reported information for program oversight. Repeat finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that the Department implement controls to ensure timely submission of FNS-46 reports, including establishing a formal reporting calendar aligned with the 90-day requirement, assigning clear responsibility for report preparation and review, and implementing monitoring procedures to track progress and escalate delays. Controls should operate with sufficient precision to ensure all required reports are completed and submitted within prescribed deadlines. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report.
Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Unemployment Insurance State Administering Department: Employment Development Department (EDD) ALN: 17.225 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: UI347022055A6; April 1, 2020 – June 30, 2025 UI387882255A6; April 1, 2022 – May 22, 2025 23A60UR000018; January 1, 2023 – September 30, 2025 23A55UD000003; February 27, 2023 – September 30, 2025 23A60UB000081; April 1, 2023 – May 22, 2025 23A55UD000007; April 27, 2023 – April 26, 2026 24A55UT000026; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 24A60UD000027; February 19, 2024 – February 19, 2027 25A55UE000010; July 1, 2024 – December 31, 2025 25A60UD000072; January 8, 2025 – January 8, 2028 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. (3) Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. Subtitle B – Federal Agency Regulations for Grants and Agreements Chapter XXIX – Department of Labor Part 2900 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Subpart D – Post Federal Award Requirements § 2900.14 – Financial reporting In addition to the guidance set forth in 2 CFR 200.328, for Federal awards from the Department of Labor, the DOL awarding agency will prescribe whether the report will be on a cash or an accrual basis. If the DOL awarding agency requires reporting on an accrual basis and the recipient's accounting system is not on the accrual basis, the recipient will not be required to convert its accounting system, but must develop and report such accrual information through best estimates based on an analysis of the documentation on hand. ETA-9130 Reporting Requirements 1) Submission of the ETA-9130 is required on a quarterly basis. Reporting quarter end dates shall correspond to the following calendar quarter end dates: March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. A final quarter ETA-9130 is required at the completion of the quarter, encompassing the grant award end date, or at the completion of the quarter in which all funds have been expended, whichever comes first. 2) Quarterly reports, including the final quarter report, are required to be submitted no later than 45 calendar days after the end of each specified reporting period. The reporting due dates are: May 15, August 15, November 15, and February 15. The deadlines for ETA-9130 submissions do not change, even in instances when the reporting due date falls on a weekend or holiday. The e-reporting system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and reports can be submitted in advance of the due date. 3) All financial data is required to be reported cumulative from grant inception, through the end of each reporting period. Expenditure data is required to be reported on an accrual basis. 4) A separate ETA-9130 is required for each program and each fund source (subaccount) awarded to a grant recipient. 5) All sections of the report must be completed unless otherwise noted in the grant agreement Condition: Audit procedures included a review of the entire population of Form 9130 reports for administrative expenses, consisting of 22 reports. Our testing identified that certain reported amounts did not agree to the underlying general ledger for 12 reports, resulting in a total variance of $32,843,139. Additionally, audit procedures identified that internal controls over reporting were not operating effectively to ensure the timely and accurate submission of reports. Specifically, six reports were not submitted by the required due dates, and 12 reports contained inaccuracies at the time of submission, and controls were not performed with sufficient precision to verify that reported information was complete and accurate in accordance with federal reporting requirements. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The controls over the preparation and review of Form 9130 reports that were not performed with sufficient precision to identify and resolve discrepancies between reported amounts and the underlying general ledger. Specifically, controls were not designed or operating at a level precise enough to ensure that reported data was accurate, reconciled, and submitted in a timely manner in accordance with federal requirements. As a result, variances and reporting errors were not detected or corrected prior to submission. Effect: The lack of a robust and thorough reconciliation process between Form 9130 reports and the Administrative Fund (870) general ledger may lead to inaccurate reporting. Repeat finding: Yes – 2024-003 Recommendation: Management should establish a formal reconciliation process to ensure that Form 9130 administrative expense reports align with the general ledger. This process should include assigning responsibility to a designated finance team member for performing and documenting reconciliations, implementing a monthly reconciliation schedule, and promptly investigating and resolving any variances with documented approvals. Additionally, financial reporting policies should be updated to incorporate reconciliation requirements, and staff should receive training on compliance and reconciliation procedures to strengthen internal controls and reduce the risk of reporting inaccuracies. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report.
Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Aging Cluster State Administering Department: California Department of Aging ALN: 93.044, 93.045, 93.053 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 2401CAOACM; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2025 2401CAOAHD; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2025 2401CAOANS; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2025 2401CAOASS; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2025 2501CAOACM; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2026 2501CAOAHD; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2026 2501CAOANS; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2026 2501CAOASS; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2026 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. (3) Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance Subtitle A – Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements Chapter I – Office of Management and Budget Government-Wide Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance Part 170 – Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information Subpart A – General § 170.105 Applicability (a) Applicability in general. This part applies to a Federal agency’s Federal financial assistance as defined in § 170.300. This part applies to all recipients and subrecipients of Federal awards who meet the reporting requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, unless exempt under Federal statute or by paragraph (d) of this section. Appendix A to Part 170—Award Term I. Reporting Subawards and Executive Compensation (a) Reporting of first-tier subawards — (1) Applicability. Unless the recipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this award term, the recipient must report each subaward that equals or exceeds $30,000 in Federal funds for a subaward to an entity or Federal agency. The recipient must also report a subaward if a modification increases the Federal funding to an amount that equals or exceeds $30,000. All reported subawards should reflect the total amount of the subaward. (2) Reporting Requirements. (i) The recipient must report each subaward described in paragraph (a)(1) of this award term to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov. (ii) For subaward information, report no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was issued. (c) Reporting of total compensation of subrecipient executives — (1) Applicability. Unless a first-tier subrecipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this appendix, the recipient must report the executive total compensation of each of the subrecipient's five most highly compensated executives for the subrecipient's preceding completed fiscal year, if: (i) The total Federal funding authorized to date under the subaward equals or exceeds $30,000; (ii) In the subrecipient's preceding fiscal year, the subrecipient received: (A) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts) and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and, (B) $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts), and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and (iii) The public does not have access to information about the compensation of the executives through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after receiving this subaward. (To determine if the public has access to the compensation information, see the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission total compensation filings at http://www.sec.gov/answers/execomp.htm.) (2) Reporting Requirements. Subrecipients must report to the recipient their executive total compensation described in paragraph (c)(1) of this appendix. The recipient is required to submit this information to the FFATA subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was made. As of March 2025, this functionality has been migrated to SAM.gov, which now serves as the system of record for FFATA subaward reporting. Condition: Audit procedures included a review of 60 FFATA reporting submissions associated with subrecipients. During this review, we assessed compliance with federal reporting requirements and evaluated the adequacy of internal controls over the FFATA reporting process. Of the 60 subrecipients examined, we identified that FFATA reporting was not performed timely for 31 subrecipients. Additionally, audit procedures further determined that reporting was only being performed once annually for all sampled subrecipients, rather than on an ongoing basis as required. The department lacked documented procedures and monitoring mechanisms to ensure timely and accurate reporting, including verification that subrecipient data was submitted in accordance with federal requirements. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: Procedures to perform the required FFATA reporting were not established by the Department. The absence of documented policies, assigned responsibilities, and monitoring mechanisms create an environment which may result in noncompliance with federal reporting. Effect: The lack of established procedures and internal controls for FFATA reporting resulted in noncompliance, with 31 out of 60 subrecipients not reported timely as required. Repeat finding: Yes, 2024-013 Recommendation: The Department should implement a robust process and related internal controls to ensure timely and accurate FFATA reporting. These controls should include developing written policies and procedures that outline the steps for collecting subrecipient data, preparing reports, and submitting them within required timelines; assigning accountability by designating specific personnel responsible for compliance; and implementing a monitoring and review process to verify completion and accuracy of reporting. Additionally, training programs should be established to ensure staff understand reporting requirements, and automated tracking tools or checklists should be utilized to provide transparency and reduce the risk of missed submissions. By introducing these internal controls, the Department can strengthen its compliance framework, mitigate the risk of federal funding repercussions, and enhance overall operational integrity. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for ProgramInfectious Diseases (ELC) State Administering Department: California Department of Public Health ALN: 93.323 Pass-Through Agency: Heluna Health Pass-Through Number(s): 95-2557063 Award Number and Period: NU50CK000539; August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2027 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. (3) Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. § 200.332 – Requirements for pass-though entities A pass-through entity must: (b) Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes the information provided below. A pass-through entity must provide the best available information when some of the information below is unavailable. A pass-through entity must provide the unavailable information when it is obtained. Required information includes: (1) Federal award identification. (i) Subrecipient's name (must match the name associated with its unique entity identifier); (ii) Subrecipient's unique entity identifier; (iii) Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN); (iv) Federal Award Date; (v) Subaward Period of Performance Start and End Date; (vi) Subaward Budget Period Start and End Date; (vii) Amount of Federal Funds Obligated in the subaward; (viii) Total Amount of Federal Funds Obligated to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity, including the current financial obligation; (ix) Total Amount of the Federal Award committed to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity; (x) Federal award project description, as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA); (xi) Name of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and contact information for awarding official of the pass-through entity; (xii) Assistance Listings title and number; the pass-through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listings Number at the time of disbursement; (xiii) Identification of whether the Federal award is for research and development; and (xiv) Indirect cost rate for the Federal award (including if the de minimis rate is used in accordance with § 200.414). Condition: Audit procedures included a review of eleven subrecipient agreements to determine whether the pass-through entity included the information required to be communicated to subrecipients in accordance with Uniform Guidance. Of the eleven agreements tested, all eleven (100%) did not contain one or more required federal award identification elements. Specifically, the agreements omitted the subrecipient’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), the Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN), the Federal award date, the applicable Assistance Listing Number (ALN), identification of whether the award was designated as research and development (R&D), and the applicable indirect cost rate for the federal award, including whether the de minimis indirect cost rate authorized under 2 CFR §200.414 was being used. As a result, the subrecipient agreements did not include all information required to be provided to subrecipients under 2 CFR §200.332(b). Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: Controls designed to ensure the inclusion of all federally required award identification information in subrecipient agreements were not operating with sufficient precision to identify and prevent the omission of required elements prior to execution of the agreements. As a result, agreements were issued without all information required under 2 CFR §200.332(b), including the UEI, FAIN, Federal award date, ALN, identification of whether the award was designated as R&D, and the applicable indirect cost rate. Effect: The omission of required federal award information from subrecipient agreements may limit subrecipients' understanding of applicable federal award requirements and increase the risk of noncompliance with federal regulations. Incomplete award information may also result in inaccurate or inconsistent administration, monitoring, and reporting of federal awards by subrecipients and the pass-through entity. Repeat finding: Yes – 2024-009 Recommendation: Public Health should ensure every subaward includes all requirements imposed on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with Federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of the federal award. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report.
Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Foster Care Title IV-E State Administering Department: California Department of Social Services (CDSS) ALN: 93.658 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 2501CAFOST; October 1, 2024- September 30, 2025 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. (3) Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance Subtitle A – Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements Chapter I – Office of Management and Budget Government-Wide Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance Part 170 – Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information Subpart A – General § 170.105 Applicability (a) Applicability in general. This part applies to a Federal agency’s Federal financial assistance as defined in § 170.300. This part applies to all recipients and subrecipients of Federal awards who meet the reporting requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, unless exempt under Federal statute or by paragraph (d) of this section. Appendix A to Part 170—Award Term I. Reporting Subawards and Executive Compensation (a) Reporting of first-tier subawards — (1) Applicability. Unless the recipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this award term, the recipient must report each subaward that equals or exceeds $30,000 in Federal funds for a subaward to an entity or Federal agency. The recipient must also report a subaward if a modification increases the Federal funding to an amount that equals or exceeds $30,000. All reported subawards should reflect the total amount of the subaward. (2) Reporting Requirements. (i) The recipient must report each subaward described in paragraph (a)(1) of this award term to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov. (ii) For subaward information, report no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was issued. (c) Reporting of total compensation of subrecipient executives — (1) Applicability. Unless a first-tier subrecipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this appendix, the recipient must report the executive total compensation of each of the subrecipient's five most highly compensated executives for the subrecipient's preceding completed fiscal year, if: (i) The total Federal funding authorized to date under the subaward equals or exceeds $30,000; (ii) In the subrecipient's preceding fiscal year, the subrecipient received: (A) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts) and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and, (B) $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts), and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and (iii) The public does not have access to information about the compensation of the executives through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after receiving this subaward. (To determine if the public has access to the compensation information, see the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission total compensation filings at http://www.sec.gov/answers/execomp.htm.) (2) Reporting Requirements. Subrecipients must report to the recipient their executive total compensation described in paragraph (c)(1) of this appendix. The recipient is required to submit this information to the FFATA subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was made. As of March 2025, this functionality has been migrated to SAM.gov, which now serves as the system of record for FFATA subaward reporting. Condition: Audit procedures included a review of the entire population of 58 FFATA subaward submissions for the Foster Care program reported in SAM.gov during the year ended June 30, 2025, and a comparison of those submissions to the related funding actions. Testing identified that all 58 subawards, representing 100 percent of the population, were reported after the required reporting deadline. Based on inquiry and review of supporting documentation, CDSS prepared and submitted the FFATA reporting file; however, certain submitted records were rejected by the reporting system and required correction and resubmission. Because the submission and review process was performed too close to the applicable reporting deadline, there was insufficient time to identify, resolve, and successfully resubmit the rejected records before the deadline. As a result, FFATA subaward information was not reported within the timeframe required by federal reporting requirements. The results of testing indicate that controls over FFATA reporting did not operate with sufficient precision to ensure submitted records were timely reviewed, validated, and accepted prior to applicable reporting deadlines. Accordingly, FFATA reporting was not consistently completed in a timely manner in accordance with federal requirements. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: CDSS did not maintain controls over the FFATA reporting process that operated with sufficient precision to ensure subaward submissions were completed, validated, and accepted before applicable federal reporting deadlines. Specifically, FFATA reports were submitted too near the reporting deadline to allow sufficient time to identify, investigate, and correct rejected submissions. In addition, CDSS did not have monitoring procedures to review submission status, follow up on system-generated rejection notices, and verify that all submitted records had been successfully accepted in SAM.gov before the reporting deadline. As a result, submission errors were not resolved timely, resulting in late reporting of all reportable subawards. Effect: Untimely reporting reduced the timeliness, transparency, and reliability of publicly available federal spending information and limited the ability of federal agencies, oversight bodies, and the public to promptly monitor the distribution of federal funds to subrecipients. In addition, the lack of controls to timely identify and resolve rejected submissions increases the risk that future FFATA reporting deadlines may not be met. Repeat finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that CDSS strengthen its department-wide controls over FFATA reporting to ensure reportable subawards are identified, reviewed, and submitted within required federal reporting deadlines. Specifically, CDSS should establish and implement centralized procedures to track subaward actions, amendments, allocation changes, and other reportable funding events; monitor applicable FFATA reporting deadlines; and maintain documentation demonstrating that reportable subawards have been evaluated and reported timely. In addition, CDSS should implement review controls that operate with sufficient precision to verify that all reportable subawards have been identified, reporting deadlines have been met, and FFATA submissions are complete, accurate, and supported by underlying award documentation prior to submission in SAM.gov. These procedures should include documented supervisory review, reconciliation of reportable subaward activity to source documentation, and periodic monitoring to identify and resolve untimely or omitted submissions. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report. Response to views of responsible officials: We acknowledge CDSS's position that an initial FFATA submission was made on November 27, 2024, and that only two records required correction and resubmission. However, CDSS did not provide sufficient documentation to support the asserted November 27 submission date, such as submission confirmations, systemgenerated reports, audit logs, or other contemporaneous evidence demonstrating that the subaward information was successfully submitted before the reporting deadline. The audit evidence available for inspection reflected a submission date after the required deadline for all 58 Foster Care subawards. Although CDSS indicated that only two records failed during the original upload process, documentation supporting that assertion and the cause of the upload failure was not provided for audit review. Accordingly, based on the evidence available, we were unable to verify that FFATA reporting requirements were met by the applicable deadline. Therefore, we continue to conclude that the finding is valid as presented.
Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Child Care and Development Block Grant/Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund State Administering Department: California Department of Social Services (CDSS) ALN: 93.575, 93.596 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 2101CACDC6; October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2024 2334CACCDD; October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2025 2334CACCDF; October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2025 2334CACCDM; October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2025 2434CACCDD; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2026 2434CACCDF; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2026 2434CACCDM; October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2025 2534CACCDD; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2027 2534CACCDF; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2027 2534CACCDM; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2026 2534CACCDY; December 21, 2024 – September 30, 2028 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control over Complianceand Material Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. (3) Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. §200.328 Financial reporting (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 semiannually must be due no later than 30 calendar days after the reporting period. (d) The final financial report submitted by the recipient must be due no later than 120 calendar days after the conclusion of the period of performance. A subrecipient must submit a final financial report to a pass-through entity no later than 90 calendar days after the conclusion of the period of performance. § 200.329 Monitoring and reporting program performance (a) Monitoring by the recipient and subrecipient The recipient and subrecipient are responsible for the oversight of the Federal award. The recipient and subrecipient must monitor their activities under Federal awards to ensure they are compliant with all requirements and meeting performance expectations. Monitoring by the recipient and subrecipient must cover each program, function, or activity. See also § 200.332. Title 45 – Public Welfare Subtitle A – Department of Health and Human Services Subchapter A – General Administration Part 98 – Child Care and Development Fund Subpart G – Financial Management § 98.60 – Availability of funds (d) The following obligation and liquidation provisions apply to States and Territories: (1) Discretionary Fund allotments shall be obligated in the fiscal year in which funds are awarded or in the succeeding fiscal year. Unliquidated obligations as of the end of the succeeding fiscal year shall be liquidated within one year. (2)(i) Mandatory Funds for States requesting Matching Funds per § 98.55 shall be obligated in the fiscal year in which the funds are granted and are available until expended. (4) Both the Federal and non-Federal share of the Matching Fund shall be obligated in the fiscal year in which the funds are granted and liquidated no later than the end of the succeeding fiscal year. (5) Determination of whether funds have been obligated and liquidated will be based on State or local law or, if there is no applicable State or local law, the regulation at 2 CFR 200.1, Expenditures and Obligations. § 98.65 Audits and financial reporting (a) Each Lead Agency shall have an audit conducted after the close of each program period in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, subpart F, and the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996. (b) Lead Agencies are responsible for ensuring that subgrantees are audited in accordance with appropriate audit requirements. (c) Not later than 30 days after the completion of the audit, Lead Agencies shall submit a copy of their audit report to the legislature of the State or, if applicable, to the Tribal Council(s). Lead Agencies shall also submit a copy of their audit report to the HHS Inspector General for Audit Services, as well as to their cognizant agency, if applicable. (d) Any amounts determined through an audit not to have been expended in accordance with these statutory or regulatory provisions, or with the Plan, and that are subsequently disallowed by the Department shall be repaid to the Federal government, or the Secretary will offset such amounts against any other CCDF funds to which the Lead Agency is or may be entitled. (e) Lead Agencies shall provide access to appropriate books, documents, papers and records to allow the Secretary to verify that CCDF funds have been expended in accordance with the statutory and regulatory requirements of the program, and with the Plan. (f) The audit required in paragraph (a) of this section shall be conducted by an agency that is independent of the State, Territory or Tribe as defined by generally accepted government auditing standards issued by the Comptroller General, or a public accountant who meets such independent standards. (g) Lead Agencies shall submit financial reports, in a manner specified by ACF, quarterly for each fiscal year until funds are expended. (h) At a minimum, a State or territorial Lead Agency's quarterly report shall include the following information on expenditures under CCDF grant funds, including Discretionary (which includes realloted funding and any funds transferred from the TANF block grant), Mandatory, and Matching Funds (which includes redistributed funding); and State Matching and Maintenance-of- Effort (MOE) Funds: (1) Child care administration; (2) Quality activities, including any sub-categories of quality activities as required by ACF; (3) Direct services for both grant or contracted slots and certificates; (4) Non-direct services, including: (i) Establishment and maintenance of computerized child care information systems; (ii) Certificate program cost/eligibility determination; (iii) All other non-direct services; and (5) Such other information as specified by the Secretary. § 98.67 – Fiscal requirements (c) Fiscal control and accounting procedures shall be sufficient to permit: (1) Preparation of reports required by the Secretary under this subpart and under subpart H; and (2) The tracing of funds to a level of expenditure adequate to establish that such funds have not been used in violation of the provisions of this part. Condition: Audit procedures included a review of the entire population of ACF-696 financial reports submitted for the CCDF Cluster. Our testing identified that certain reported amounts did not agree or reconcile to the underlying general ledger, resulting in a total variance of $491,119,535. Additionally, audit procedures identified that internal controls over reporting were not operating effectively to ensure the accurate submission of reports. Specifically, certain reports contained inaccuracies at the time of submission, and controls were not performed with sufficient precision to verify that reported information was complete and accurate in accordance with federal reporting requirements. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The controls over the preparation and review of ACF-696 reports were not performed with sufficient precision to identify and resolve discrepancies between reported amounts and the underlying general ledger. Specifically, controls were not designed or operating at a level precise enough to ensure that reported data was accurate, reconciled, and submitted in a timely manner in accordance with federal requirements. As a result, variances and reporting errors were not detected or corrected prior to submission. Effect: Without a documented reconciliation between the ACF-696 reports and the general ledger, the Department cannot demonstrate that reported expenditures were accurate, complete, and supported by accounting records. This increases the risk that expenditures, obligations, liquidations, unobligated balances, or expenditure categories reported to ACF may be misstated. Inaccurate ACF-696 reporting may affect ACF’s ability to monitor compliance with CCDF spending, obligation, liquidation, and availability requirements. Repeat finding: Yes – 2024-015 Recommendation: Management should establish a formal reconciliation process to ensure that ACF-696 expense reports align with the general ledger. This process should include assigning responsibility to a designated finance team member for performing and documenting reconciliations, implementing a monthly reconciliation schedule, and promptly investigating and resolving any variances with documented approvals. Additionally, financial reporting policies should be updated to incorporate reconciliation requirements, and staff should receive training on compliance and reconciliation procedures to strengthen internal controls and reduce the risk of reporting inaccuracies. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report. Response to views of responsible officials: We acknowledge management's explanation that variances between the ACF-696 reports and the general ledger resulted from timing differences associated with subsequent cost allocations, accruals, and other adjustments. However, the issue identified during the audit was not the existence of timing differences, but that the reconciliation process did not adequately identify, explain, and support significant variances. Audit testing identified unreconciled variances totaling $491,119,535 between the ACF-696 reports and the general ledger. Although management indicated that adjustments were reported in subsequent quarters, documentation supporting a complete and accurate reconciliation was not available at the time of report preparation and submission. As a result, controls did not operate with sufficient precision to ensure reported amounts were accurate, complete, and supported by the Department's accounting records. Accordingly, we continue to conclude that the finding is valid as presented. We appreciate management's planned corrective actions to formalize the reconciliation process and strengthen oversight of ACF-696 reporting.
Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesFederal Program Title: Child Care and Development Block Grant/Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund State Administering Department: California Department of Social Services (CDSS) ALN: 93.575, 93.596 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 2534CACCDD; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2027 2534CACCDF; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2027 2534CACCDM; October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2026 Statistically Valid Sample: No, and not intended to be a statistically valid sample Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance 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. § 200.303 - Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The recipient and subrecipient must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). § 200.302 – Financial management (b) The recipient's and subrecipient's financial management system must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. (3) Maintaining records that sufficiently identify the amount, source, and expenditure of Federal funds for Federal awards. These records must contain information necessary to identify Federal awards, authorizations, financial obligations, unobligated balances, as well as assets, expenditures, income, and interest. All records must be supported by source documentation. Title 2 – Federal Financial Assistance Subtitle A – Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements Chapter I – Office of Management and Budget Government-Wide Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance Part 170 – Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information Subpart A – General § 170.105 Applicability (a) Applicability in general. This part applies to a Federal agency’s Federal financial assistance as defined in § 170.300. This part applies to all recipients and subrecipients of Federal awards who meet the reporting requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, unless exempt under Federal statute or by paragraph (d) of this section. Appendix A to Part 170—Award Term I. Reporting Subawards and Executive Compensation (a) Reporting of first-tier subawards — (1) Applicability. Unless the recipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this award term, the recipient must report each subaward that equals or exceeds $30,000 in Federal funds for a subaward to an entity or Federal agency. The recipient must also report a subaward if a modification increases the Federal funding to an amount that equals or exceeds $30,000. All reported subawards should reflect the total amount of the subaward. (2) Reporting Requirements. (i) The recipient must report each subaward described in paragraph (a)(1) of this award term to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov. (ii) For subaward information, report no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was issued. (c) Reporting of total compensation of subrecipient executives — (1) Applicability. Unless a first-tier subrecipient is exempt as provided in paragraph (d) of this appendix, the recipient must report the executive total compensation of each of the subrecipient's five most highly compensated executives for the subrecipient's preceding completed fiscal year, if: (i) The total Federal funding authorized to date under the subaward equals or exceeds $30,000; (ii) In the subrecipient's preceding fiscal year, the subrecipient received: (A) 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts) and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and, (B) $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenues from Federal procurement contracts (and subcontracts), and Federal awards (and subawards) subject to the Transparency Act; and (iii) The public does not have access to information about the compensation of the executives through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after receiving this subaward. (To determine if the public has access to the compensation information, see the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission total compensation filings at http://www.sec.gov/answers/execomp.htm.) (2) Reporting Requirements. Subrecipients must report to the recipient their executive total compensation described in paragraph (c)(1) of this appendix. The recipient is required to submit this information to the FFATA subaward reporting functionality (formerly FSRS and now reported through SAM.gov) at http://www.fsrs.gov no later than the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was made. As of March 2025, this functionality has been migrated to SAM.gov, which now serves as the system of record for FFATA subaward reporting. Condition: Audit procedures included a review of 60 FFATA subaward submissions for the CCDF Cluster reported in SAM.gov and a comparison of those submissions to underlying agreements and funding allocations applicable to FY 2024–25. Our testing identified that CDSS did not consistently perform or retain a documented evaluation of whether agreements constituted subawards or procurement contracts in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.331 prior to FFATA reporting. FFATA submissions did not align with the timing and structure of funding communicated through Child Care Bulletins, including allocation amendments and contract modifications, and all submissions tested contained errors in key data elements, including subrecipient identification and linkage to the prime award. In addition, CDSS included agreements in FFATA reporting without documented support that the substance of the relationship met the definition of a subaward, while agreements with subaward characteristics were not consistently identified and reported, resulting in reported amounts that did not consistently reflect underlying funding actions. Accordingly, controls over FFATA reporting were not performed with sufficient precision to ensure that agreements were appropriately classified and that reported information was complete and accurate in accordance with federal reporting requirements. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The condition occurred because CDSS has not established an effective, centralized process to identify, evaluate, track, and report first-tier subawards subject to FFATA across its federal programs. CDSS did not maintain a complete reporting workflow that links funding actions, allocation amendments, agreement modifications, subrecipient classifications, and SAM.gov reporting deadlines. As a result, FFATA reporting relied on manual program-level processes that did not consistently ensure reportable subawards were identified, supported, reviewed, and submitted by the required deadline. Effect: Failure to timely and accurately report FFATA subaward information results in noncompliance with federal reporting requirements and reduces the transparency and reliability of publicly available federal spending data. Late, incomplete, or inaccurate reporting limits the ability of federal agencies, oversight bodies, and the public to determine how federal funds were passed through to subrecipients. Because similar FFATA deficiencies were identified across multiple CDSS-administered programs, there is an increased risk that reporting errors may continue or affect other federal programs unless CDSS implements a department-wide corrective action. Repeat finding: Yes – 2024-014 Recommendation: We recommend that CDSS revise its department-wide FFATA reporting procedures to address errors resulting from reliance on manual tracking, decentralized spreadsheets, and program-level processes that do not consistently capture funding actions, allocation amendments, agreement modifications, reporting deadlines, and SAM.gov submission status. Revised procedures should require program-specific review of each federal program’s funding structure and supporting documentation to determine whether agreements, allocations, amendments, or other funding actions are reportable subawards or procurement contracts, and whether new or updated FFATA reporting is required. CDSS should also require documented review before submission to verify that reported subrecipient information, award amounts, Assistance Listing numbers, prime award linkages, and reporting dates agree to underlying award documents, allocation letters, amendments, and agreements. These controls should help ensure FFATA submissions are accurate, timely, supported, and aligned with the unique funding structure of each CDSS-administered federal program. CDSS should consider utilizing a grant management solution to manage the full grant lifecycle more efficiently and ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements. The solution should support centralized tracking of awards, subawards, amendments, reporting deadlines, supporting documentation, review responsibilities, automated reminders, and submission status. This would reduce reliance on manual tracking and decentralized spreadsheets, improve accountability over responsible personnel, and strengthen CDSS’s ability to complete FFATA reporting accurately and timely. Views of responsible officials: Management’s response is reported in “Management’s Response and Corrective Action Plan” included in a separate section at the end of this report.