Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Name: Research and Development Cluster ALN Number: Various Federal Award Year: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Criteria In accordance with 2 CFR 200.332, a pass through entity (PTE) must: a. Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and included the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes: (xii) Assistance Listing number (ALN) and Title; the pass through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the ALN at time of disbursement (2 CFR section 200.332xxi) b. Evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which may include consideration of such factors as: The subrecipient’s prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (1) The results of previous audits including whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with Subpart F of this part, and the extent to which the same or similar subaward has been audited as a major program; (2) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new substantially changed systems; and (3) The extent and results of Federal awarding agency monitoring (e.g., if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency). Additionally, 45 CRF section 75 303(a) states the non Federal entity must 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. Condition When subawards are made to subrecipients, the pass through entities are required to communicate the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listings Number (ALN) at time of disbursement. The Health System does not have system in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds. During the year ended September 30, 2024, the Health System passed through $15,600,763 of federal funding to subrecipients. In order to assess the subrecipient’s risk of non compliance, The Health System has subrecipient monitoring policies and procedures in place which include the use of a risk assessment questionnaire. The risk assessment questionnaire includes considerations consistent with 2 CFR 200.332(b), including the entity’s prior experience and results of Uniform Guidance Audits, in addition to other factors. As part of our testing related subrecipient monitoring, we identified that for each of the 10 subrecipients selected for testwork, the Health System did not perform a risk assessment of the entity for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring related to the subaward. However, for these subrecipients, The Health System did perform monitoring procedures, including review of invoices for reimbursement, review of Research Performance Progress Reports, and review of Uniform Guidance Audit reports. Cause The condition found was primarily due to the monitoring procedures implemented by the Health System do not include a review to ensure that a risk assessment is performed for each active subrecipient, and the Health System does not have a mechanism in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds to the subrecipient. The Health System has put efforts into the design and implement a risk assessment control process which commenced late in fiscal year 2024 and the ongoing efforts were not complete as of September 30, 2024. Possible Asserted Effect Failure to perform an annual risk assessment to determine appropriate subrecipient monitoring procedures may result in insufficient monitoring procedures being performed to detect subrecipient noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Failure to adequately communicate award identification information could result in the subrecipient not being able to adequately track and report the subawards received resulting in errors being reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards within a subrecipient’s annual single audit report and not being able to comply with required terms and conditions of the federal award. Questioned Costs None. Statistical Sampling The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Repeat Finding Yes. Recommendation We recommend management continue to fully implement the designed policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure subrecipient risk assessments are performed for each subrecipient to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring is performed in accordance with 45 CFR 75.352(d) and 45 CFR 75.352(e). Views of Responsible Officials Recommendation accepted. Please refer to corrective action plan.
Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Name: Research and Development Cluster ALN Number: Various Federal Award Year: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Criteria In accordance with 2 CFR 200.332, a pass through entity (PTE) must: a. Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and included the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes: (xii) Assistance Listing number (ALN) and Title; the pass through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the ALN at time of disbursement (2 CFR section 200.332xxi) b. Evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which may include consideration of such factors as: The subrecipient’s prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (1) The results of previous audits including whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with Subpart F of this part, and the extent to which the same or similar subaward has been audited as a major program; (2) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new substantially changed systems; and (3) The extent and results of Federal awarding agency monitoring (e.g., if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency). Additionally, 45 CRF section 75 303(a) states the non Federal entity must 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. Condition When subawards are made to subrecipients, the pass through entities are required to communicate the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listings Number (ALN) at time of disbursement. The Health System does not have system in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds. During the year ended September 30, 2024, the Health System passed through $15,600,763 of federal funding to subrecipients. In order to assess the subrecipient’s risk of non compliance, The Health System has subrecipient monitoring policies and procedures in place which include the use of a risk assessment questionnaire. The risk assessment questionnaire includes considerations consistent with 2 CFR 200.332(b), including the entity’s prior experience and results of Uniform Guidance Audits, in addition to other factors. As part of our testing related subrecipient monitoring, we identified that for each of the 10 subrecipients selected for testwork, the Health System did not perform a risk assessment of the entity for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring related to the subaward. However, for these subrecipients, The Health System did perform monitoring procedures, including review of invoices for reimbursement, review of Research Performance Progress Reports, and review of Uniform Guidance Audit reports. Cause The condition found was primarily due to the monitoring procedures implemented by the Health System do not include a review to ensure that a risk assessment is performed for each active subrecipient, and the Health System does not have a mechanism in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds to the subrecipient. The Health System has put efforts into the design and implement a risk assessment control process which commenced late in fiscal year 2024 and the ongoing efforts were not complete as of September 30, 2024. Possible Asserted Effect Failure to perform an annual risk assessment to determine appropriate subrecipient monitoring procedures may result in insufficient monitoring procedures being performed to detect subrecipient noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Failure to adequately communicate award identification information could result in the subrecipient not being able to adequately track and report the subawards received resulting in errors being reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards within a subrecipient’s annual single audit report and not being able to comply with required terms and conditions of the federal award. Questioned Costs None. Statistical Sampling The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Repeat Finding Yes. Recommendation We recommend management continue to fully implement the designed policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure subrecipient risk assessments are performed for each subrecipient to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring is performed in accordance with 45 CFR 75.352(d) and 45 CFR 75.352(e). Views of Responsible Officials Recommendation accepted. Please refer to corrective action plan.
Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Name: Research and Development Cluster ALN Number: Various Federal Award Year: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Criteria In accordance with 2 CFR 200.332, a pass through entity (PTE) must: a. Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and included the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes: (xii) Assistance Listing number (ALN) and Title; the pass through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the ALN at time of disbursement (2 CFR section 200.332xxi) b. Evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which may include consideration of such factors as: The subrecipient’s prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (1) The results of previous audits including whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with Subpart F of this part, and the extent to which the same or similar subaward has been audited as a major program; (2) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new substantially changed systems; and (3) The extent and results of Federal awarding agency monitoring (e.g., if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency). Additionally, 45 CRF section 75 303(a) states the non Federal entity must 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. Condition When subawards are made to subrecipients, the pass through entities are required to communicate the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listings Number (ALN) at time of disbursement. The Health System does not have system in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds. During the year ended September 30, 2024, the Health System passed through $15,600,763 of federal funding to subrecipients. In order to assess the subrecipient’s risk of non compliance, The Health System has subrecipient monitoring policies and procedures in place which include the use of a risk assessment questionnaire. The risk assessment questionnaire includes considerations consistent with 2 CFR 200.332(b), including the entity’s prior experience and results of Uniform Guidance Audits, in addition to other factors. As part of our testing related subrecipient monitoring, we identified that for each of the 10 subrecipients selected for testwork, the Health System did not perform a risk assessment of the entity for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring related to the subaward. However, for these subrecipients, The Health System did perform monitoring procedures, including review of invoices for reimbursement, review of Research Performance Progress Reports, and review of Uniform Guidance Audit reports. Cause The condition found was primarily due to the monitoring procedures implemented by the Health System do not include a review to ensure that a risk assessment is performed for each active subrecipient, and the Health System does not have a mechanism in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds to the subrecipient. The Health System has put efforts into the design and implement a risk assessment control process which commenced late in fiscal year 2024 and the ongoing efforts were not complete as of September 30, 2024. Possible Asserted Effect Failure to perform an annual risk assessment to determine appropriate subrecipient monitoring procedures may result in insufficient monitoring procedures being performed to detect subrecipient noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Failure to adequately communicate award identification information could result in the subrecipient not being able to adequately track and report the subawards received resulting in errors being reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards within a subrecipient’s annual single audit report and not being able to comply with required terms and conditions of the federal award. Questioned Costs None. Statistical Sampling The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Repeat Finding Yes. Recommendation We recommend management continue to fully implement the designed policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure subrecipient risk assessments are performed for each subrecipient to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring is performed in accordance with 45 CFR 75.352(d) and 45 CFR 75.352(e). Views of Responsible Officials Recommendation accepted. Please refer to corrective action plan.
Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Name: Research and Development Cluster ALN Number: Various Federal Award Year: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Criteria In accordance with 2 CFR 200.332, a pass through entity (PTE) must: a. Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and included the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes: (xii) Assistance Listing number (ALN) and Title; the pass through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the ALN at time of disbursement (2 CFR section 200.332xxi) b. Evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which may include consideration of such factors as: The subrecipient’s prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (1) The results of previous audits including whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with Subpart F of this part, and the extent to which the same or similar subaward has been audited as a major program; (2) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new substantially changed systems; and (3) The extent and results of Federal awarding agency monitoring (e.g., if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency). Additionally, 45 CRF section 75 303(a) states the non Federal entity must 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. Condition When subawards are made to subrecipients, the pass through entities are required to communicate the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listings Number (ALN) at time of disbursement. The Health System does not have system in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds. During the year ended September 30, 2024, the Health System passed through $15,600,763 of federal funding to subrecipients. In order to assess the subrecipient’s risk of non compliance, The Health System has subrecipient monitoring policies and procedures in place which include the use of a risk assessment questionnaire. The risk assessment questionnaire includes considerations consistent with 2 CFR 200.332(b), including the entity’s prior experience and results of Uniform Guidance Audits, in addition to other factors. As part of our testing related subrecipient monitoring, we identified that for each of the 10 subrecipients selected for testwork, the Health System did not perform a risk assessment of the entity for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring related to the subaward. However, for these subrecipients, The Health System did perform monitoring procedures, including review of invoices for reimbursement, review of Research Performance Progress Reports, and review of Uniform Guidance Audit reports. Cause The condition found was primarily due to the monitoring procedures implemented by the Health System do not include a review to ensure that a risk assessment is performed for each active subrecipient, and the Health System does not have a mechanism in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds to the subrecipient. The Health System has put efforts into the design and implement a risk assessment control process which commenced late in fiscal year 2024 and the ongoing efforts were not complete as of September 30, 2024. Possible Asserted Effect Failure to perform an annual risk assessment to determine appropriate subrecipient monitoring procedures may result in insufficient monitoring procedures being performed to detect subrecipient noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Failure to adequately communicate award identification information could result in the subrecipient not being able to adequately track and report the subawards received resulting in errors being reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards within a subrecipient’s annual single audit report and not being able to comply with required terms and conditions of the federal award. Questioned Costs None. Statistical Sampling The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Repeat Finding Yes. Recommendation We recommend management continue to fully implement the designed policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure subrecipient risk assessments are performed for each subrecipient to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring is performed in accordance with 45 CFR 75.352(d) and 45 CFR 75.352(e). Views of Responsible Officials Recommendation accepted. Please refer to corrective action plan.
Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Name: Research and Development Cluster ALN Number: Various Federal Award Year: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Criteria In accordance with 2 CFR 200.332, a pass through entity (PTE) must: a. Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and included the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes: (xii) Assistance Listing number (ALN) and Title; the pass through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the ALN at time of disbursement (2 CFR section 200.332xxi) b. Evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which may include consideration of such factors as: The subrecipient’s prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (1) The results of previous audits including whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with Subpart F of this part, and the extent to which the same or similar subaward has been audited as a major program; (2) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new substantially changed systems; and (3) The extent and results of Federal awarding agency monitoring (e.g., if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency). Additionally, 45 CRF section 75 303(a) states the non Federal entity must 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. Condition When subawards are made to subrecipients, the pass through entities are required to communicate the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listings Number (ALN) at time of disbursement. The Health System does not have system in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds. During the year ended September 30, 2024, the Health System passed through $15,600,763 of federal funding to subrecipients. In order to assess the subrecipient’s risk of non compliance, The Health System has subrecipient monitoring policies and procedures in place which include the use of a risk assessment questionnaire. The risk assessment questionnaire includes considerations consistent with 2 CFR 200.332(b), including the entity’s prior experience and results of Uniform Guidance Audits, in addition to other factors. As part of our testing related subrecipient monitoring, we identified that for each of the 10 subrecipients selected for testwork, the Health System did not perform a risk assessment of the entity for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring related to the subaward. However, for these subrecipients, The Health System did perform monitoring procedures, including review of invoices for reimbursement, review of Research Performance Progress Reports, and review of Uniform Guidance Audit reports. Cause The condition found was primarily due to the monitoring procedures implemented by the Health System do not include a review to ensure that a risk assessment is performed for each active subrecipient, and the Health System does not have a mechanism in place to provide the ALN at the time of disbursement of funds to the subrecipient. The Health System has put efforts into the design and implement a risk assessment control process which commenced late in fiscal year 2024 and the ongoing efforts were not complete as of September 30, 2024. Possible Asserted Effect Failure to perform an annual risk assessment to determine appropriate subrecipient monitoring procedures may result in insufficient monitoring procedures being performed to detect subrecipient noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Failure to adequately communicate award identification information could result in the subrecipient not being able to adequately track and report the subawards received resulting in errors being reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards within a subrecipient’s annual single audit report and not being able to comply with required terms and conditions of the federal award. Questioned Costs None. Statistical Sampling The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Repeat Finding Yes. Recommendation We recommend management continue to fully implement the designed policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure subrecipient risk assessments are performed for each subrecipient to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring is performed in accordance with 45 CFR 75.352(d) and 45 CFR 75.352(e). Views of Responsible Officials Recommendation accepted. Please refer to corrective action plan.
BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH, INC. AND AFFILIATES Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs Year ended September 30, 2024 (3) Findings and Questioned Costs Relating to Federal Awards Finding 2024-001 – Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services Program: Research and Development Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 93.837 and 93.847 Criteria: Criteria: 2 CFR 200.332(b) requires pass-through entities to evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of non-compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of 200.332. Further, 200.332(d) requires pass-through entities to monitor the activities of the subrecipient as necessary to ensure that the subaward is used for authorized purposes, in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward; and that subaward performance goals are achieved. Condition: Annually, BILH works with over 200 subrecipients in conducting its research activities. While Joslin Diabetes Center (the Center) has a subrecipient pre-award risk assessment process in place, for 5 of 9 subrecipients selected for testwork, we were unable to verify that the pre-award risk assessment procedures were fully performed. Additionally, while the Center’s risk assessment procedures correspond with a risk-based monitoring plan, for 8 of 9 subrecipients selected for testwork, we were unable to verify that the required monitoring activities were fully completed. We deemed this to be a significant deficiency in internal controls. Cause: As a result of turnover during the fiscal year within Research Finance there was a lack of effective operation of internal controls over subrecipient risk assessment and monitoring activities. Possible Asserted Effect: Without the proper operation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be relied upon to effectively prevent or detect non-compliance. Questioned Costs: None. Statistical Sampling: The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Identification of Whether the Audit Finding was a Repeat Finding: This is a repeat finding. (Prior year finding 2023-002) BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH, INC. AND AFFILIATES Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs Year ended September 30, 2024 Recommendation: We recommend that the Center evaluate its current Subrecipient Monitoring and Management Policy to ensure that the policy reflects each of the risk assessment and monitoring compliance requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Additionally, the results of the Center’s risk assessment and monitoring activities should be formally documented within the tracking log which should then be subject to formal review and approval by an appropriate individual within Research Finance. Views of Responsible Officials: Management acknowledges although tracking logs had been maintained, due to personnel turnover during the year, not all had been reviewed. Management has since created a shared email address to ensure communication and information sharing with all necessary parties. Management is reviewing its current policy for opportunities to strengthen internal controls and current procedures while utilizing available resources.
BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH, INC. AND AFFILIATES Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs Year ended September 30, 2024 (3) Findings and Questioned Costs Relating to Federal Awards Finding 2024-001 – Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services Program: Research and Development Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 93.837 and 93.847 Criteria: Criteria: 2 CFR 200.332(b) requires pass-through entities to evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of non-compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of 200.332. Further, 200.332(d) requires pass-through entities to monitor the activities of the subrecipient as necessary to ensure that the subaward is used for authorized purposes, in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward; and that subaward performance goals are achieved. Condition: Annually, BILH works with over 200 subrecipients in conducting its research activities. While Joslin Diabetes Center (the Center) has a subrecipient pre-award risk assessment process in place, for 5 of 9 subrecipients selected for testwork, we were unable to verify that the pre-award risk assessment procedures were fully performed. Additionally, while the Center’s risk assessment procedures correspond with a risk-based monitoring plan, for 8 of 9 subrecipients selected for testwork, we were unable to verify that the required monitoring activities were fully completed. We deemed this to be a significant deficiency in internal controls. Cause: As a result of turnover during the fiscal year within Research Finance there was a lack of effective operation of internal controls over subrecipient risk assessment and monitoring activities. Possible Asserted Effect: Without the proper operation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be relied upon to effectively prevent or detect non-compliance. Questioned Costs: None. Statistical Sampling: The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Identification of Whether the Audit Finding was a Repeat Finding: This is a repeat finding. (Prior year finding 2023-002) BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH, INC. AND AFFILIATES Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs Year ended September 30, 2024 Recommendation: We recommend that the Center evaluate its current Subrecipient Monitoring and Management Policy to ensure that the policy reflects each of the risk assessment and monitoring compliance requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Additionally, the results of the Center’s risk assessment and monitoring activities should be formally documented within the tracking log which should then be subject to formal review and approval by an appropriate individual within Research Finance. Views of Responsible Officials: Management acknowledges although tracking logs had been maintained, due to personnel turnover during the year, not all had been reviewed. Management has since created a shared email address to ensure communication and information sharing with all necessary parties. Management is reviewing its current policy for opportunities to strengthen internal controls and current procedures while utilizing available resources.
BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH, INC. AND AFFILIATES Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs Year ended September 30, 2024 (3) Findings and Questioned Costs Relating to Federal Awards Finding 2024-001 – Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services Program: Research and Development Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 93.837 and 93.847 Criteria: Criteria: 2 CFR 200.332(b) requires pass-through entities to evaluate each subrecipient’s risk of non-compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of 200.332. Further, 200.332(d) requires pass-through entities to monitor the activities of the subrecipient as necessary to ensure that the subaward is used for authorized purposes, in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward; and that subaward performance goals are achieved. Condition: Annually, BILH works with over 200 subrecipients in conducting its research activities. While Joslin Diabetes Center (the Center) has a subrecipient pre-award risk assessment process in place, for 5 of 9 subrecipients selected for testwork, we were unable to verify that the pre-award risk assessment procedures were fully performed. Additionally, while the Center’s risk assessment procedures correspond with a risk-based monitoring plan, for 8 of 9 subrecipients selected for testwork, we were unable to verify that the required monitoring activities were fully completed. We deemed this to be a significant deficiency in internal controls. Cause: As a result of turnover during the fiscal year within Research Finance there was a lack of effective operation of internal controls over subrecipient risk assessment and monitoring activities. Possible Asserted Effect: Without the proper operation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be relied upon to effectively prevent or detect non-compliance. Questioned Costs: None. Statistical Sampling: The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Identification of Whether the Audit Finding was a Repeat Finding: This is a repeat finding. (Prior year finding 2023-002) BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH, INC. AND AFFILIATES Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs Year ended September 30, 2024 Recommendation: We recommend that the Center evaluate its current Subrecipient Monitoring and Management Policy to ensure that the policy reflects each of the risk assessment and monitoring compliance requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Additionally, the results of the Center’s risk assessment and monitoring activities should be formally documented within the tracking log which should then be subject to formal review and approval by an appropriate individual within Research Finance. Views of Responsible Officials: Management acknowledges although tracking logs had been maintained, due to personnel turnover during the year, not all had been reviewed. Management has since created a shared email address to ensure communication and information sharing with all necessary parties. Management is reviewing its current policy for opportunities to strengthen internal controls and current procedures while utilizing available resources.
Finding Number: 2024-006 Prior Year Finding Number: 2023-013 Compliance Requirement: Subrecipient Monitoring Program: U.S. Department of the Treasury COVID-19 - Homeowner Assistance Fund ALN: 21.026 Award #: Various Award Year: 10/01/2023 – 09/30/2024 Government Department/Agency: Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Criteria - The Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Section 200.303 requires that non-Federal entities receiving Federal awards (i.e., auditee management) establish and maintain internal control designed to reasonably ensure compliance with Federal statues, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Additionally, 2 CFR Section 200.332 specifies that pass-through entities must evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Based upon the pass-through entity's assessment of risk posed by the subrecipient, auditee management determined that onsite reviews of the subrecipient’s program operations were appropriate and designed the following control: DHCD performs desk audits, scheduled site visits and unscheduled site visits during the fiscal year. Reports are prepared at the site visits and properly documented. The reports include deficiencies, recommendations, and proposed corrective action and are reviewed and approved by the Project Managers, Program Managers, and Supervisory Program Managers. Condition – During our review of four (4) subrecipient samples from a total population of seven (7) subrecipients, we noted the following: • For one (1) subrecipient, DHCD provided plans to perform a review, but was unable to provide evidence of the review or a finalized report. • For three (3) subrecipients, DHCD neither performed an onsite review nor a desk audit. Questioned Costs – Not determinable. Context – This is a condition identified per review of DHCD’s compliance with the subrecipient monitoring requirements using a statistically valid sample. Effect – DHCD did not comply with the subrecipient monitoring requirements of the Homeowner Assistance Fund program. Cause – DHCD does not have fully effective internal controls over compliance with respect to the onsite review process. Recommendation – We recommend that DHCD strictly adhere to its policies and procedures to ensure that onsite reviews are properly performed and documented for subrecipients. Related Noncompliance – Material noncompliance. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions – DHCD concurs with the conditions and recommendations of this finding. The District’s corrective action is described in the Management’s Corrective Action Plan included as Appendix B of the attached Management’s Section.
Finding Number: 2024-008 Prior Year Finding Number: 2023-015 Compliance Requirement: Subrecipient Monitoring Program: U.S. Department of the Treasury COVID-19 – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds ALN: 21.027 Award #: N/A Award Year: 10/01/2021 – 09/20/2024 Government Department/Agency: Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ); Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) Criteria - The Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Section 200.303 requires that non-Federal entities receiving Federal awards (i.e., auditee management) establish and maintain internal control designed to reasonably ensure compliance with Federal statues, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. In accordance with the Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Section 200.331(a) Requirements for Pass-Through Entities requires that pass-through entities must: Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes certain information outlined in the section noted above, pre-award assessment, indirect cost rated for the award, assistance listing number, finding and award follow-up and other pertinent actions. In accordance with the Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Section 200.332 Requirements for Pass-Through Entities requires that pass-through entities Verify that the subrecipient is not excluded or disqualified in accordance with Section 180.300. Verification methods are provided in Section 180.300, which include confirming in SAM.gov that a potential subrecipient is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal funds. In accordance with the Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Section 200.332(e) Requirements for Pass-Through Entities requires that pass-through entities must: Monitor the activities of a subrecipient as necessary to ensure that the subrecipient complies with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward. The pass-through entity is responsible for monitoring the overall performance of a subrecipient to ensure that the goals and objectives of the subaward are achieved. In monitoring a subrecipient, a pass-through entity must: • Review financial and performance reports • Ensure that the subrecipient takes corrective action on all significant developments that negatively affect the subaward. Significant developments include Single Audit findings related to the subaward, other audit findings, site visits, and written notifications from a subrecipient of adverse conditions which will impact their ability to meet the milestones or the objectives of a subaward. When significant developments negatively impact the subaward, a subrecipient must provide the pass-through entity with information on their plan for corrective action and any assistance needed to resolve the situation. • Issue a management decision for audit findings pertaining only to the Federal award provided to the subrecipient from the pass-through entity as required by Section 200.521. • Resolve audit findings specifically related to the subaward. However, the pass-through entity is not responsible for resolving cross-cutting audit findings that apply to the subaward and other Federal awards or subawards. If a subrecipient has a current Single Audit report and has not been excluded from receiving Federal funding (meaning, has not been debarred or suspended), the pass-through entity may rely on the subrecipient's cognizant agency for audit or oversight agency for audit to perform audit follow-up and make management decisions related to cross-cutting audit findings in accordance with section Section 200.513(a)(4)(viii). Such reliance does not eliminate the responsibility of the pass-through entity to issue subawards that conform to agency and award-specific requirements, to manage risk through ongoing subaward monitoring, and to monitor the status of the findings that are specifically related to the subaward. Condition – The program’s documented subrecipient monitoring requirements includes risk assessments, monitoring of subrecipients and the submission and review of monthly financial and performance reports. During our testing of the subrecipient’s compliance requirements, we noted the following issues: • Our testing of the program’s subrecipient monitoring requirements includes submission and review of monthly financial and performance reports. We noted for one (1) out of 17 samples, the subrecipient failed to submit their monthly financial and performance reports. • For one (1) out of 17 samples, the agency had no evidence to support it had performed the mandatory follow up on reported audit findings in the subrecipient’s audit report for the Corrective Action taken by the subrecipient to remediate the finding. • For one (1) out of 17 samples, the agency had no evidence that a debarment check was performed before the contract was entered into. The agency’s documented policies and the procurement procedures mandate a debarment check before entering into new contracts. Questioned Costs – Not determinable. Context – This is a condition identified per review of various District agencies’ compliance with specified monitoring requirements on the program’s subrecipients using a statistically valid sample. Effect – Subrecipients may not be properly monitored, which may result in subawards being used for unauthorized purposes in violation of the terms and conditions of the subawards or that the subaward performance goals were not achieved. Cause – There is lack of sufficient documentary evidence to support that the controls are operating as designed related to subrecipient monitoring compliance. Recommendation – We recommend that the agencies maintain sufficient documentation to evidence its internal controls over the risk assessment and monitoring of subrecipients. Related Noncompliance – Noncompliance. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions – While DMPSJ doesn’t agree that it is out of compliance, DMPSJ will ensure documentation is maintained regarding its oversight of grant management. ONSE acknowledges and accepts the finding that the subrecipient failed to submit their monthly and performance reports. The District’s corrective action is described in the Management’s Corrective Action Plan included as Appendix B of the attached Management’s Section. BDO’s Response – We have reviewed management’s response and our finding remains as indicated.
Finding Number 2024-001: Represents a material weakness in internal control over compliance and material noncompliance with Maine Community Action Association d/b/a Maine Community Action Partnership's major federal program. Repeat Finding: No Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Compliance and Material Noncompliance Description: Subrecipient Monitoring over Federal Awards Major Program: AL#93.647 - Social Services Research and Demonstration - Award numbers 90XP0450-01-05 and 90EDA0019-01-00 Questioned Costs: None How the questioned costs were computed: N/A Compliance Requirement: Subrecipient Monitoring Condition: Single audit procedures noted that the subrecipient grant awards do not include the required wording in accordance with the Uniform Guidance and the Organization does not have a procedure for reviewing audited financial statements of subrecipients. Criteria: 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, §200.332(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 obliation: (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; 25 (xii) Assistance Listing title and number; the pass-through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listing 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 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, §200.332(b)(g). An entity must verify that a subrecipient is audited as required. Cause: The Organization's subawards do not contain all of the required language and the Organization's policy and procedures related to subrecipient monitoring does not include a process for reviewing audits of subrecipients. Effect: The Organization was not in compliance with Uniform Guidance standards for requirements to monitor pass-through entities of federal awards. Recommendations: Management should update their subawards to include all of the required language and update their policies and procedures to include a process for reviewing audited financial statements of subrecipients. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and has committed to a corrective action plan.
Finding Number 2024-001: Represents a material weakness in internal control over compliance and material noncompliance with Maine Community Action Association d/b/a Maine Community Action Partnership's major federal program. Repeat Finding: No Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Compliance and Material Noncompliance Description: Subrecipient Monitoring over Federal Awards Major Program: AL#93.647 - Social Services Research and Demonstration - Award numbers 90XP0450-01-05 and 90EDA0019-01-00 Questioned Costs: None How the questioned costs were computed: N/A Compliance Requirement: Subrecipient Monitoring Condition: Single audit procedures noted that the subrecipient grant awards do not include the required wording in accordance with the Uniform Guidance and the Organization does not have a procedure for reviewing audited financial statements of subrecipients. Criteria: 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, §200.332(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 obliation: (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; 25 (xii) Assistance Listing title and number; the pass-through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listing 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 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, §200.332(b)(g). An entity must verify that a subrecipient is audited as required. Cause: The Organization's subawards do not contain all of the required language and the Organization's policy and procedures related to subrecipient monitoring does not include a process for reviewing audits of subrecipients. Effect: The Organization was not in compliance with Uniform Guidance standards for requirements to monitor pass-through entities of federal awards. Recommendations: Management should update their subawards to include all of the required language and update their policies and procedures to include a process for reviewing audited financial statements of subrecipients. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and has committed to a corrective action plan.
Finding number: 2024-005 Significant Deficiency – Lack of Internal Control Over Compliance with Subrecipient Monitoring Policy Assistance Listing Number #21.027 Criteria: Pursuant to CFR section 200.332(b), pass-through entities must evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Condition: The Unity Council did not perform a risk assessment of subrecipients. This is a repeat finding. Cause: The Organization does not have a formally documented policy for performing a risk assessment over subrecipients. Effect or potential effect: A risk assessment for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring was not performed. Recommendation: Management should develop a risk assessment policy to evaluate the risk profile of each subrecipient. Factors included during the evaluation can include the subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards, results of previous audits, whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems, and the extent and results of federal awarding agency monitoring. View of responsible officials: Management is in agreement with the finding and is in the process of developing and documenting a more robust risk assessment process.
Finding number: 2024-005 Significant Deficiency – Lack of Internal Control Over Compliance with Subrecipient Monitoring Policy Assistance Listing Number #21.027 Criteria: Pursuant to CFR section 200.332(b), pass-through entities must evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Condition: The Unity Council did not perform a risk assessment of subrecipients. This is a repeat finding. Cause: The Organization does not have a formally documented policy for performing a risk assessment over subrecipients. Effect or potential effect: A risk assessment for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring was not performed. Recommendation: Management should develop a risk assessment policy to evaluate the risk profile of each subrecipient. Factors included during the evaluation can include the subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards, results of previous audits, whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems, and the extent and results of federal awarding agency monitoring. View of responsible officials: Management is in agreement with the finding and is in the process of developing and documenting a more robust risk assessment process.
Finding number: 2024-005 Significant Deficiency – Lack of Internal Control Over Compliance with Subrecipient Monitoring Policy Assistance Listing Number #21.027 Criteria: Pursuant to CFR section 200.332(b), pass-through entities must evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Condition: The Unity Council did not perform a risk assessment of subrecipients. This is a repeat finding. Cause: The Organization does not have a formally documented policy for performing a risk assessment over subrecipients. Effect or potential effect: A risk assessment for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring was not performed. Recommendation: Management should develop a risk assessment policy to evaluate the risk profile of each subrecipient. Factors included during the evaluation can include the subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards, results of previous audits, whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems, and the extent and results of federal awarding agency monitoring. View of responsible officials: Management is in agreement with the finding and is in the process of developing and documenting a more robust risk assessment process.
Finding number: 2024-005 Significant Deficiency – Lack of Internal Control Over Compliance with Subrecipient Monitoring Policy Assistance Listing Number #21.027 Criteria: Pursuant to CFR section 200.332(b), pass-through entities must evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Condition: The Unity Council did not perform a risk assessment of subrecipients. This is a repeat finding. Cause: The Organization does not have a formally documented policy for performing a risk assessment over subrecipients. Effect or potential effect: A risk assessment for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring was not performed. Recommendation: Management should develop a risk assessment policy to evaluate the risk profile of each subrecipient. Factors included during the evaluation can include the subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards, results of previous audits, whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems, and the extent and results of federal awarding agency monitoring. View of responsible officials: Management is in agreement with the finding and is in the process of developing and documenting a more robust risk assessment process.
Finding number: 2024-005 Significant Deficiency – Lack of Internal Control Over Compliance with Subrecipient Monitoring Policy Assistance Listing Number #21.027 Criteria: Pursuant to CFR section 200.332(b), pass-through entities must evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Condition: The Unity Council did not perform a risk assessment of subrecipients. This is a repeat finding. Cause: The Organization does not have a formally documented policy for performing a risk assessment over subrecipients. Effect or potential effect: A risk assessment for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring was not performed. Recommendation: Management should develop a risk assessment policy to evaluate the risk profile of each subrecipient. Factors included during the evaluation can include the subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards, results of previous audits, whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems, and the extent and results of federal awarding agency monitoring. View of responsible officials: Management is in agreement with the finding and is in the process of developing and documenting a more robust risk assessment process.
Internal controls over Compliance with Subrecipient Monitoring (Significate Deficiency) Indentification of the federal program(s): Assistance Listing Program title and Number: 21.027 Appalachian Community Grant Program. Federal award identification number: 21.027: Ohio Department of Development (GOA-F23-ACGDG-195968. Name of the federal agency: 21.027 Department of the Treasury. Name of the applicable pass-through entities: 21.027: Ohio Department of Development. Creteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory, or other citation): The 2 CFR section 200.332(a), pass-through entities must ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to teh subreceipient and must include required information in a written agreement. Additionally, section 200.332(d), requires pass-through entities to monitor the activities of subrecipients to ensure that federal awards are used to aughorized purposes and in compliance with laws, regulations, and the terms of teh award. Condition: During the audit, we noted that SAOP disbursed federal funds to one subrecipient without executed subaward agreements. Furthermore, there was no evidence of ongoing monitoring activities such as site visits, performance reviews, or financial oversight. Cause: SAOP did not have a formal procedures in place to ensure that subrecipients agreement were executed prior to disburesement and lacked a structured subrecipient montoring process. Effect or potential effect: The absence of signed agreements and monitoring increases the risk of noncopliance with federal requrements and potential misuse of federal funds. SAOP mah be held responsible for any unallowable costs incureed by subrecipients. Questioned costs: None. Context: One Subrecipient does not have a signed agreement and lacks proper monitoring. Identificaion as a repeat findings, if applicable: Not Applicable. Recommendation: We recommend that SAOP implement a formal subrecipient management policy that includes executing written subaward agreement prior to disbursing funds and establishing a documented monitoring plan that includes periodic reviews, site visits, and performance evalations. Views of responible officials: Management agrees with teh finding and recommendations.
Federal Program: COVID-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Assistance Listing #21.027 - Award # 5070101; Passed through the Texas Office of the Governor- Criminal Justice Division. Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.332 requires a pass-through entity to ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and include the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332 (b)(1). A pass-through entity must provide the best available information when some of the information is unavailable. A pass-through entity must provide the unavailable information when it is obtained. Condition /Context: Subrecipients did not receive notice or an updated subaward agreement when the grant funding source changed from state to federal funding. Therefore, not all required subaward information under the Uniform Guidance was provided, specifically: - Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN) - Federal award date of award to the recipient by the federal agency - Total amount of federal funds obligated to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity, including the current financial obligation - Name of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and contact information for awarding official of the pass-through entity - Assistance listing number and title Questioned Costs: None Effect: Texas CASA, Inc. was not in compliance with the Uniform Guidance requirements as it relates to subrecipient award agreement elements. Cause: During the fiscal year, the granting agency awarded additional funds to Texas CASA, Inc., which changed the funding source from state to federal funds. Texas CASA, Inc. did not have a process in place to communicate the changes in funding sources to the subrecipients. Recommendations: Texas CASA, Inc. should prepare and implement procedures to timely communicate any necessary revisions or changes to subawards to the subrecipients. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: See Schedule of Corrective Action Plan
Reference Number 2024-004 Subaward Agreements Federal Awards: GEAR UP (ALN 84.334A) Criteria and Condition: A pass-through entity must clearly identify to the subrecipient; (1) the award as a subaward at the time of subaward (or subsequent subaward modification) by providing the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332(b)(1); (2) all requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award; and (3) any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility for the federal award. We noted a formal subaward agreement outlining all the required information is not prepared and executed by the Center (pass-through entity) and its subrecipients. Amended guidance was communicated to the Center as 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024. Under this new guidance, an agreement that details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform, and binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the application will be required on an ongoing basis. The Center intends to comply with this requirement on an ongoing basis. Cause and Effect: The Center provides separate documents to its subrecipients such as the District/Campus Commitment Form that outlines some of the applicable compliance requirements and a Program Budget Award Worksheet. A formal subaward agreement executed by both parties containing all the information required by 200.332(b)(1) is not in place. This results in noncompliance with subrecipient monitoring requirements. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): N/A Questioned Costs: $0 Recommendation: As 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024, we recommend management implement this guidance and maintain formal agreements between the Center and the subrecipients/partners in the program. Views of Responsible Officials: See management’s corrective action plan.
Reference Number 2024-004 Subaward Agreements Federal Awards: GEAR UP (ALN 84.334A) Criteria and Condition: A pass-through entity must clearly identify to the subrecipient; (1) the award as a subaward at the time of subaward (or subsequent subaward modification) by providing the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332(b)(1); (2) all requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award; and (3) any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility for the federal award. We noted a formal subaward agreement outlining all the required information is not prepared and executed by the Center (pass-through entity) and its subrecipients. Amended guidance was communicated to the Center as 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024. Under this new guidance, an agreement that details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform, and binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the application will be required on an ongoing basis. The Center intends to comply with this requirement on an ongoing basis. Cause and Effect: The Center provides separate documents to its subrecipients such as the District/Campus Commitment Form that outlines some of the applicable compliance requirements and a Program Budget Award Worksheet. A formal subaward agreement executed by both parties containing all the information required by 200.332(b)(1) is not in place. This results in noncompliance with subrecipient monitoring requirements. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): N/A Questioned Costs: $0 Recommendation: As 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024, we recommend management implement this guidance and maintain formal agreements between the Center and the subrecipients/partners in the program. Views of Responsible Officials: See management’s corrective action plan.
Reference Number 2024-004 Subaward Agreements Federal Awards: GEAR UP (ALN 84.334A) Criteria and Condition: A pass-through entity must clearly identify to the subrecipient; (1) the award as a subaward at the time of subaward (or subsequent subaward modification) by providing the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332(b)(1); (2) all requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award; and (3) any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility for the federal award. We noted a formal subaward agreement outlining all the required information is not prepared and executed by the Center (pass-through entity) and its subrecipients. Amended guidance was communicated to the Center as 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024. Under this new guidance, an agreement that details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform, and binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the application will be required on an ongoing basis. The Center intends to comply with this requirement on an ongoing basis. Cause and Effect: The Center provides separate documents to its subrecipients such as the District/Campus Commitment Form that outlines some of the applicable compliance requirements and a Program Budget Award Worksheet. A formal subaward agreement executed by both parties containing all the information required by 200.332(b)(1) is not in place. This results in noncompliance with subrecipient monitoring requirements. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): N/A Questioned Costs: $0 Recommendation: As 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024, we recommend management implement this guidance and maintain formal agreements between the Center and the subrecipients/partners in the program. Views of Responsible Officials: See management’s corrective action plan.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) ALN: 93.558 93.667 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: TANF 2301TXTANF, 2301TXTAN3, 2401TXTANF, 2401TXTAN3 October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 SSBG 2401TXSOSR October 1, 2023 – 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: Per 2 CFR 200.303(a), Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that it 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 the “Internal Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), all pass-through entities must ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes certain information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in the subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes the subrecipient’s unique entity identifier (UEI). Condition: Audit procedures included a review of subaward agreements for required information. We noted the following instances of noncompliance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – The UEI was not included in eight of the eight agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreements were September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2024. Social Services Block Grant –The UEI was not included in one of the 19 agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreement was January 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The current contract review process to ensure all required elements are included per 2 CFR 200 §200.332 prior to execution is not at the correct precision level. Effect: Providing incomplete information to subrecipients may result in inaccurate reporting by the subrecipients and ultimately by HHSC. Repeat Finding: 2023-011 Recommendation: We recommend management enhance existing controls around the review of all subaward agreements to ensure that all pass-through agreements include each of the required elements by 2 CFR §200.332. Views of responsible officials: HHSC concurs with the finding.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) ALN: 93.558 93.667 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: TANF 2301TXTANF, 2301TXTAN3, 2401TXTANF, 2401TXTAN3 October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 SSBG 2401TXSOSR October 1, 2023 – 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: Per 2 CFR 200.303(a), Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that it 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 the “Internal Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), all pass-through entities must ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes certain information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in the subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes the subrecipient’s unique entity identifier (UEI). Condition: Audit procedures included a review of subaward agreements for required information. We noted the following instances of noncompliance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – The UEI was not included in eight of the eight agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreements were September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2024. Social Services Block Grant –The UEI was not included in one of the 19 agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreement was January 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The current contract review process to ensure all required elements are included per 2 CFR 200 §200.332 prior to execution is not at the correct precision level. Effect: Providing incomplete information to subrecipients may result in inaccurate reporting by the subrecipients and ultimately by HHSC. Repeat Finding: 2023-011 Recommendation: We recommend management enhance existing controls around the review of all subaward agreements to ensure that all pass-through agreements include each of the required elements by 2 CFR §200.332. Views of responsible officials: HHSC concurs with the finding.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) ALN: 93.558 93.667 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: TANF 2301TXTANF, 2301TXTAN3, 2401TXTANF, 2401TXTAN3 October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 SSBG 2401TXSOSR October 1, 2023 – 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: Per 2 CFR 200.303(a), Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that it 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 the “Internal Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), all pass-through entities must ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes certain information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in the subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes the subrecipient’s unique entity identifier (UEI). Condition: Audit procedures included a review of subaward agreements for required information. We noted the following instances of noncompliance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – The UEI was not included in eight of the eight agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreements were September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2024. Social Services Block Grant –The UEI was not included in one of the 19 agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreement was January 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The current contract review process to ensure all required elements are included per 2 CFR 200 §200.332 prior to execution is not at the correct precision level. Effect: Providing incomplete information to subrecipients may result in inaccurate reporting by the subrecipients and ultimately by HHSC. Repeat Finding: 2023-011 Recommendation: We recommend management enhance existing controls around the review of all subaward agreements to ensure that all pass-through agreements include each of the required elements by 2 CFR §200.332. Views of responsible officials: HHSC concurs with the finding.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Title: Home Investment Partnerships Program ALN: 14.239 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: M18-SG480100, M19-SP480100, M20-SG480100 September 12, 2018 – September 1, 2026, and July 12, 2019 – September 1, 2027, August 13, 2020 – September 1, 2028 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) must 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). Per 2 CFR sections 200.332 (c), TDHCA must evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with a subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraph (f) of this section. When evaluating a subrecipient's risk, TDHCA should consider the following: (1) The subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (2) The results of previous audits. This includes considering whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with subpart F and the extent to which the same or similar subawards have been audited as a major program; (3) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and (4) The extent and results of any Federal agency monitoring (for example, if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from the Federal agency). Condition: TDHCA maintains a Master Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) Planning Summary (MPS) to track all active subrecipient contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase to evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with the subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed. During our testing, we noted three subrecipient contracts with expenditures during the fiscal year were not included on the MPS for evaluation of fraud risk and risk of noncompliance. Accordingly, no determination was made for the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed for these subrecipients. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The preparation of the MPS is a manual process wherein a senior analyst identifies the active contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase. The subrecipients were inadvertently omitted due to oversight. Effect: Failure to complete proper monitoring over subrecipients may lead to noncompliance with grant terms and conditions. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend TDHCA establish internal controls that require a review to be completed over the completeness and accuracy of the MPS by an individual other than the preparer. Views of responsible officials: Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) has historically utilized the Department’s Housing Contract system to populate its risk population. “Active” contracts with expenditures are selected for risk consideration while “Expired”, “Closed” or unexpended contracts are excluded to promote internal efficiency in the monitoring process. During interviews with the auditor and the Department’s HOME staff, it was identified that there are circumstances where “Expired” or “Closed” contracts may demonstrate expenditure activity and inadvertently exclude contracts that could be included for risk consideration. Of note, this system generated discrepancy has not contributed to a material variance in contracts considered for risk assessment.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Title: Home Investment Partnerships Program ALN: 14.239 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: M18-SG480100, M19-SP480100, M20-SG480100 September 12, 2018 – September 1, 2026, and July 12, 2019 – September 1, 2027, August 13, 2020 – September 1, 2028 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) must 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). Per 2 CFR sections 200.332 (c), TDHCA must evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with a subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraph (f) of this section. When evaluating a subrecipient's risk, TDHCA should consider the following: (1) The subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (2) The results of previous audits. This includes considering whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with subpart F and the extent to which the same or similar subawards have been audited as a major program; (3) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and (4) The extent and results of any Federal agency monitoring (for example, if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from the Federal agency). Condition: TDHCA maintains a Master Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) Planning Summary (MPS) to track all active subrecipient contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase to evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with the subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed. During our testing, we noted three subrecipient contracts with expenditures during the fiscal year were not included on the MPS for evaluation of fraud risk and risk of noncompliance. Accordingly, no determination was made for the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed for these subrecipients. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The preparation of the MPS is a manual process wherein a senior analyst identifies the active contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase. The subrecipients were inadvertently omitted due to oversight. Effect: Failure to complete proper monitoring over subrecipients may lead to noncompliance with grant terms and conditions. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend TDHCA establish internal controls that require a review to be completed over the completeness and accuracy of the MPS by an individual other than the preparer. Views of responsible officials: Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) has historically utilized the Department’s Housing Contract system to populate its risk population. “Active” contracts with expenditures are selected for risk consideration while “Expired”, “Closed” or unexpended contracts are excluded to promote internal efficiency in the monitoring process. During interviews with the auditor and the Department’s HOME staff, it was identified that there are circumstances where “Expired” or “Closed” contracts may demonstrate expenditure activity and inadvertently exclude contracts that could be included for risk consideration. Of note, this system generated discrepancy has not contributed to a material variance in contracts considered for risk assessment.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Federal Program: COVID-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Assistance Listing #21.027 - Award # 5070101; Passed through the Texas Office of the Governor- Criminal Justice Division. Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.332 requires a pass-through entity to ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and include the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332 (b)(1). A pass-through entity must provide the best available information when some of the information is unavailable. A pass-through entity must provide the unavailable information when it is obtained. Condition /Context: Subrecipients did not receive notice or an updated subaward agreement when the grant funding source changed from state to federal funding. Therefore, not all required subaward information under the Uniform Guidance was provided, specifically: - Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN) - Federal award date of award to the recipient by the federal agency - Total amount of federal funds obligated to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity, including the current financial obligation - Name of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and contact information for awarding official of the pass-through entity - Assistance listing number and title Questioned Costs: None Effect: Texas CASA, Inc. was not in compliance with the Uniform Guidance requirements as it relates to subrecipient award agreement elements. Cause: During the fiscal year, the granting agency awarded additional funds to Texas CASA, Inc., which changed the funding source from state to federal funds. Texas CASA, Inc. did not have a process in place to communicate the changes in funding sources to the subrecipients. Recommendations: Texas CASA, Inc. should prepare and implement procedures to timely communicate any necessary revisions or changes to subawards to the subrecipients. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: See Schedule of Corrective Action Plan
Reference Number 2024-004 Subaward Agreements Federal Awards: GEAR UP (ALN 84.334A) Criteria and Condition: A pass-through entity must clearly identify to the subrecipient; (1) the award as a subaward at the time of subaward (or subsequent subaward modification) by providing the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332(b)(1); (2) all requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award; and (3) any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility for the federal award. We noted a formal subaward agreement outlining all the required information is not prepared and executed by the Center (pass-through entity) and its subrecipients. Amended guidance was communicated to the Center as 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024. Under this new guidance, an agreement that details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform, and binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the application will be required on an ongoing basis. The Center intends to comply with this requirement on an ongoing basis. Cause and Effect: The Center provides separate documents to its subrecipients such as the District/Campus Commitment Form that outlines some of the applicable compliance requirements and a Program Budget Award Worksheet. A formal subaward agreement executed by both parties containing all the information required by 200.332(b)(1) is not in place. This results in noncompliance with subrecipient monitoring requirements. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): N/A Questioned Costs: $0 Recommendation: As 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024, we recommend management implement this guidance and maintain formal agreements between the Center and the subrecipients/partners in the program. Views of Responsible Officials: See management’s corrective action plan.
Reference Number 2024-004 Subaward Agreements Federal Awards: GEAR UP (ALN 84.334A) Criteria and Condition: A pass-through entity must clearly identify to the subrecipient; (1) the award as a subaward at the time of subaward (or subsequent subaward modification) by providing the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332(b)(1); (2) all requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award; and (3) any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility for the federal award. We noted a formal subaward agreement outlining all the required information is not prepared and executed by the Center (pass-through entity) and its subrecipients. Amended guidance was communicated to the Center as 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024. Under this new guidance, an agreement that details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform, and binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the application will be required on an ongoing basis. The Center intends to comply with this requirement on an ongoing basis. Cause and Effect: The Center provides separate documents to its subrecipients such as the District/Campus Commitment Form that outlines some of the applicable compliance requirements and a Program Budget Award Worksheet. A formal subaward agreement executed by both parties containing all the information required by 200.332(b)(1) is not in place. This results in noncompliance with subrecipient monitoring requirements. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): N/A Questioned Costs: $0 Recommendation: As 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024, we recommend management implement this guidance and maintain formal agreements between the Center and the subrecipients/partners in the program. Views of Responsible Officials: See management’s corrective action plan.
Reference Number 2024-004 Subaward Agreements Federal Awards: GEAR UP (ALN 84.334A) Criteria and Condition: A pass-through entity must clearly identify to the subrecipient; (1) the award as a subaward at the time of subaward (or subsequent subaward modification) by providing the information described in 2 CFR section 200.332(b)(1); (2) all requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award; and (3) any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility for the federal award. We noted a formal subaward agreement outlining all the required information is not prepared and executed by the Center (pass-through entity) and its subrecipients. Amended guidance was communicated to the Center as 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024. Under this new guidance, an agreement that details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform, and binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the application will be required on an ongoing basis. The Center intends to comply with this requirement on an ongoing basis. Cause and Effect: The Center provides separate documents to its subrecipients such as the District/Campus Commitment Form that outlines some of the applicable compliance requirements and a Program Budget Award Worksheet. A formal subaward agreement executed by both parties containing all the information required by 200.332(b)(1) is not in place. This results in noncompliance with subrecipient monitoring requirements. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): N/A Questioned Costs: $0 Recommendation: As 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 was amended on August 29, 2024, we recommend management implement this guidance and maintain formal agreements between the Center and the subrecipients/partners in the program. Views of Responsible Officials: See management’s corrective action plan.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) ALN: 93.558 93.667 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: TANF 2301TXTANF, 2301TXTAN3, 2401TXTANF, 2401TXTAN3 October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 SSBG 2401TXSOSR October 1, 2023 – 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: Per 2 CFR 200.303(a), Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that it 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 the “Internal Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), all pass-through entities must ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes certain information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in the subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes the subrecipient’s unique entity identifier (UEI). Condition: Audit procedures included a review of subaward agreements for required information. We noted the following instances of noncompliance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – The UEI was not included in eight of the eight agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreements were September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2024. Social Services Block Grant –The UEI was not included in one of the 19 agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreement was January 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The current contract review process to ensure all required elements are included per 2 CFR 200 §200.332 prior to execution is not at the correct precision level. Effect: Providing incomplete information to subrecipients may result in inaccurate reporting by the subrecipients and ultimately by HHSC. Repeat Finding: 2023-011 Recommendation: We recommend management enhance existing controls around the review of all subaward agreements to ensure that all pass-through agreements include each of the required elements by 2 CFR §200.332. Views of responsible officials: HHSC concurs with the finding.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) ALN: 93.558 93.667 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: TANF 2301TXTANF, 2301TXTAN3, 2401TXTANF, 2401TXTAN3 October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 SSBG 2401TXSOSR October 1, 2023 – 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: Per 2 CFR 200.303(a), Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that it 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 the “Internal Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), all pass-through entities must ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes certain information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in the subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes the subrecipient’s unique entity identifier (UEI). Condition: Audit procedures included a review of subaward agreements for required information. We noted the following instances of noncompliance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – The UEI was not included in eight of the eight agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreements were September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2024. Social Services Block Grant –The UEI was not included in one of the 19 agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreement was January 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The current contract review process to ensure all required elements are included per 2 CFR 200 §200.332 prior to execution is not at the correct precision level. Effect: Providing incomplete information to subrecipients may result in inaccurate reporting by the subrecipients and ultimately by HHSC. Repeat Finding: 2023-011 Recommendation: We recommend management enhance existing controls around the review of all subaward agreements to ensure that all pass-through agreements include each of the required elements by 2 CFR §200.332. Views of responsible officials: HHSC concurs with the finding.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Title: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) ALN: 93.558 93.667 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: TANF 2301TXTANF, 2301TXTAN3, 2401TXTANF, 2401TXTAN3 October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 SSBG 2401TXSOSR October 1, 2023 – 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: Per 2 CFR 200.303(a), Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that it 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 the “Internal Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), all pass-through entities must ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes certain information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in the subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes the subrecipient’s unique entity identifier (UEI). Condition: Audit procedures included a review of subaward agreements for required information. We noted the following instances of noncompliance: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – The UEI was not included in eight of the eight agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreements were September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2024. Social Services Block Grant –The UEI was not included in one of the 19 agreements selected for testing. The start and end dates for the agreement was January 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The current contract review process to ensure all required elements are included per 2 CFR 200 §200.332 prior to execution is not at the correct precision level. Effect: Providing incomplete information to subrecipients may result in inaccurate reporting by the subrecipients and ultimately by HHSC. Repeat Finding: 2023-011 Recommendation: We recommend management enhance existing controls around the review of all subaward agreements to ensure that all pass-through agreements include each of the required elements by 2 CFR §200.332. Views of responsible officials: HHSC concurs with the finding.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Title: Home Investment Partnerships Program ALN: 14.239 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: M18-SG480100, M19-SP480100, M20-SG480100 September 12, 2018 – September 1, 2026, and July 12, 2019 – September 1, 2027, August 13, 2020 – September 1, 2028 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) must 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). Per 2 CFR sections 200.332 (c), TDHCA must evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with a subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraph (f) of this section. When evaluating a subrecipient's risk, TDHCA should consider the following: (1) The subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (2) The results of previous audits. This includes considering whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with subpart F and the extent to which the same or similar subawards have been audited as a major program; (3) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and (4) The extent and results of any Federal agency monitoring (for example, if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from the Federal agency). Condition: TDHCA maintains a Master Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) Planning Summary (MPS) to track all active subrecipient contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase to evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with the subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed. During our testing, we noted three subrecipient contracts with expenditures during the fiscal year were not included on the MPS for evaluation of fraud risk and risk of noncompliance. Accordingly, no determination was made for the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed for these subrecipients. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The preparation of the MPS is a manual process wherein a senior analyst identifies the active contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase. The subrecipients were inadvertently omitted due to oversight. Effect: Failure to complete proper monitoring over subrecipients may lead to noncompliance with grant terms and conditions. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend TDHCA establish internal controls that require a review to be completed over the completeness and accuracy of the MPS by an individual other than the preparer. Views of responsible officials: Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) has historically utilized the Department’s Housing Contract system to populate its risk population. “Active” contracts with expenditures are selected for risk consideration while “Expired”, “Closed” or unexpended contracts are excluded to promote internal efficiency in the monitoring process. During interviews with the auditor and the Department’s HOME staff, it was identified that there are circumstances where “Expired” or “Closed” contracts may demonstrate expenditure activity and inadvertently exclude contracts that could be included for risk consideration. Of note, this system generated discrepancy has not contributed to a material variance in contracts considered for risk assessment.
Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Program Title: Home Investment Partnerships Program ALN: 14.239 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: M18-SG480100, M19-SP480100, M20-SG480100 September 12, 2018 – September 1, 2026, and July 12, 2019 – September 1, 2027, August 13, 2020 – September 1, 2028 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) must 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). Per 2 CFR sections 200.332 (c), TDHCA must evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with a subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraph (f) of this section. When evaluating a subrecipient's risk, TDHCA should consider the following: (1) The subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (2) The results of previous audits. This includes considering whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with subpart F and the extent to which the same or similar subawards have been audited as a major program; (3) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and (4) The extent and results of any Federal agency monitoring (for example, if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from the Federal agency). Condition: TDHCA maintains a Master Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) Planning Summary (MPS) to track all active subrecipient contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase to evaluate each subrecipient's fraud risk and risk of noncompliance with the subaward to determine the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed. During our testing, we noted three subrecipient contracts with expenditures during the fiscal year were not included on the MPS for evaluation of fraud risk and risk of noncompliance. Accordingly, no determination was made for the appropriate subrecipient monitoring to be performed for these subrecipients. Questioned costs: None. Context: See “Condition.” Cause: The preparation of the MPS is a manual process wherein a senior analyst identifies the active contracts that have expenditures in the planning phase. The subrecipients were inadvertently omitted due to oversight. Effect: Failure to complete proper monitoring over subrecipients may lead to noncompliance with grant terms and conditions. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend TDHCA establish internal controls that require a review to be completed over the completeness and accuracy of the MPS by an individual other than the preparer. Views of responsible officials: Compliance Subrecipient Monitoring (CMSM) has historically utilized the Department’s Housing Contract system to populate its risk population. “Active” contracts with expenditures are selected for risk consideration while “Expired”, “Closed” or unexpended contracts are excluded to promote internal efficiency in the monitoring process. During interviews with the auditor and the Department’s HOME staff, it was identified that there are circumstances where “Expired” or “Closed” contracts may demonstrate expenditure activity and inadvertently exclude contracts that could be included for risk consideration. Of note, this system generated discrepancy has not contributed to a material variance in contracts considered for risk assessment.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Reporting – FFATA Subawards Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Federal Program Title: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Cluster ALN: 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Number and Period: 23A55AY000040–01–00 April 1, 2023 – June 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: Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), Texas Workforce (TWC) must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that TWC 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). Under the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (Pub. L. No. 109- 282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110-252, recipients (i.e., direct recipients) of grants or cooperative agreements are required to report first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made or the subcontract award/subcontract modification was made. Condition: As the prime recipient of grant funding, TWC is responsible for reporting first-tier subawards of $30,000 or more in FSRS. Audit procedures included testing 59 subawards made during the fiscal year for FFATA requirements, including subawards made by Texas Education Agency (TEA) using state pass through funds from TWC. TWC passed through $3,000,000 of federal grant funds to TEA who in turn made 33 subawards totaling $2,911,755. Based on Part 3 of the 2024 compliance supplement, transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship. Accordingly, subawards made by TEA should be reported in FSRS by TWC as the prime recipient. The following compliance exceptions were identified: See chart or table in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Questioned costs: None Context: See “Condition.” Cause: TWC considered the funds passed through to TEA as a subaward and reported these amounts in FSRS. However, as TEA is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not meet the definition of a subrecipient. Effect: Failure to submit FFATA subawards timely may lead to noncompliance with federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend that, as the prime recipient, TWC coordinate with state pass through entities to obtain the information needed for FFATA reporting in order to be compliant with FFATA requirements. Views of responsible officials: In this situation, TWC disagrees with the applicability of the following statement “Transfers of federal awards to another component of the same auditee under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F, do not constitute a subrecipient or contractor relationship” from the Fiscal Year 2024 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix XI Compliance Supplement. According to 2 CFR Part 170, TWC is required to report first-tier subawards. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) which designates TEA as a subrecipient of TWC making TEA a first_x0002_tier grantee of TWC. Neither TWC nor TEA considers this funding a “transfer.” The definition of a pass-through entity according to 2 CFR Part 200, means a recipient or subrecipient that provides a subaward to a subrecipient (including lower tier subrecipients) to carry out a federal program. In the case of TWC and TEA, there is an Interagency Agreement Contract (IAC) that establishes a relationship that would not be considered a transfer but a first tier subaward. The IAC establishes TWC as a pass-through entity and TEA as a subrecipient per the definitions of these terms in 2 CFR 200.1. Under the requirements for pass-through entities at 2 CFR 200.332, TWC is responsible for monitoring TEA performance under this subaward which may include enforcement under 2 CFR 200.339 and the recovery of costs associated with subrecipient noncompliance. This contractual consideration and possibility of repayment supports that this relationship is one of pass-through and subrecipient, and not a transfer of a federal award to another component of an auditee. As such, subawards made by TEA are in fact second tier subawards for TWC and TWC has no obligation to report them as established in Appendix A 2 CFR Part 170. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) was passed in the vein of openness and transparency to the public as it relates to Federal spending. Reporting on first-tier subawards took effect October 1, 2010. (See OMB Memorandum for Senior Accountable Officials, “Open Government Directive–Federal Spending Transparency and Subaward and Compensation Data Reporting,” August 27, 2010.) FFATA, § 2—Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Federal Funding, directed the Office of Management and Budget to “ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—(A) the name of the entity receiving the award” and other specified information. (See Public Law 109-282, §2(b).) That website is USASpending.gov. On that website, a search by “recipient” does not have an option to search for “State of Texas.” Rather, the search options individually list the Texas Workforce Commission and other Texas state agencies as separate recipients. When TWC makes an interagency pass-through contract to another state agency, TWC has always treated that other state agency as first-tier subrecipient for FFATA reporting purposes. That decision was based on guidance and interpretation of information available when the FFATA subaward reporting requirements took effect in 2010. TWC has continued in that manner with no audit finding on that approach until now. If TWC adheres to the recommendation made by this finding, the public will no longer have access to the interagency contract amounts through USASpending.gov. The USASpending.gov data presented to the public will instead indicate that the subrecipients of another state agency received subawards directly from TWC, which is inaccurate, will make the USASpending.gov data of the other state agency incomplete, and will cause the USASpending.gov data to be inconsistent with both state agencies’ presentation of those subawards in their respective systems and financial statements. In effect, the USASpending.gov data will represent the subawards of the other state agency as TWC’s subrecipients, while TWC’s systems and financial statements will have no record of those subawards beyond FFATA reporting. Similarly, the other state agency’s systems and financial statements will reflect those subawards as its own, but with no related reflection of that relationship in USASpending.gov. If the public were to submit an open records request about the subawards, the State’s response would be delayed by one state agency collecting data from the other, and inconsistent with the public’s expectation as to which state agency issued and managed those subawards. Those effects seem inconsistent with FFATA’s openness and transparency goals.
Program: Assistance Listing Number 59.059 – Congressional Earmarks Initiative Awarding Agency – U.S. Small Business Association Grant Number – SBAHQ23I0008 Federal Award Year – 2024 Questioned Cost: None. Criteria: Per 2 CFR 200.332, Central Michigan University Research Corporation is required to perform risk assessment and monitoring procedures for subrecipients of federal grants. This includes procedures such as evaluating the subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward, review of financial and performance reports, and follow up of the subrecipient’s correction of previous Single Audit findings. Condition: The Organization lacked documentation that sufficient subrecipient risk assessment and monitoring procedures were performed as required by Uniform Guidance. An assumption was made that because the subrecipient was to receive funding as part of a federal mandate that the Organization’s only responsibility was to pass through the funding. Cause / Effect: Management does not have the proper policies and procedures in place to ensure that the required subrecipient procedures are being performed, causing noncompliance. Recommendation: We recommend that management reviews the required procedures for pass-through entities as listed in 2 CFR 200.332 and implements the procedures accordingly. This should include documented risk assessment and monitoring procedures for all subrecipient of federal awards. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding. Corrective Action Plan: See attached corrective action plan from management.
2024 – 002: Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Name: Public Health Emergency Response: Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis response Assistance Listing Number: 93.354 Federal Award Identification Number: NU90TP922168, NU90TP921992 Pass-Through Agency: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Pass-Through Numbers: PH-2-533, CY-19-018 Award Period: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance, Other Matters Criteria or specific requirement: Internal Control – Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), a non-Federal entity must: 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). Compliance - Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), the subaward is to clearly identify to the subrecipient required information, including identification of whether the award is R&D. Condition: The University incorrectly documented the subaward as a Research and Development grant to the subrecipient. Questioned costs: None Context: This condition occurred for 5 out of 5 subawards selected for testing. Cause: Attachment 2 of the Federal Awards Terms and Conditions template of the FDP Cost Reimbursement Subaward includes a field that is pre-selected and defaults to the R&D selection, requiring the field to be unchecked for the subawards that are not classified as R&D. Effect: The subrecipient may not be aware of certain award information in order to comply with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award and properly classify its schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend the University strengthen its internal controls to ensure that subawards report the correct information. Views of responsible officials: Management acknowledges the finding.
2024 – 002: Subrecipient Monitoring Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Name: Public Health Emergency Response: Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis response Assistance Listing Number: 93.354 Federal Award Identification Number: NU90TP922168, NU90TP921992 Pass-Through Agency: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Pass-Through Numbers: PH-2-533, CY-19-018 Award Period: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance, Other Matters Criteria or specific requirement: Internal Control – Per 2 CFR section 200.303(a), a non-Federal entity must: 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). Compliance - Per 2 CFR section 200.332(a), the subaward is to clearly identify to the subrecipient required information, including identification of whether the award is R&D. Condition: The University incorrectly documented the subaward as a Research and Development grant to the subrecipient. Questioned costs: None Context: This condition occurred for 5 out of 5 subawards selected for testing. Cause: Attachment 2 of the Federal Awards Terms and Conditions template of the FDP Cost Reimbursement Subaward includes a field that is pre-selected and defaults to the R&D selection, requiring the field to be unchecked for the subawards that are not classified as R&D. Effect: The subrecipient may not be aware of certain award information in order to comply with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award and properly classify its schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend the University strengthen its internal controls to ensure that subawards report the correct information. Views of responsible officials: Management acknowledges the finding.
2024-003 Subrecipient Monitoring Program: 21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Criteria: Per 2 CFR sections 200.332(d) through (f), a pass-through entity must monitor the activities of the subrecipient as necessary to ensure that the subaward is used for authorized purposes, complies with the terms and conditions of the subaward, and achieves the performance goals. Per 2 CFR section 200.502(a), the determination of when a Federal award is expended must be based on when the activity related to the Federal award occurs which is generally expenditure/expense transactions associated with awards. Condition: Subrecipients were not monitored timely enough to perform the necessary evaluation on subrecipient activities or to report expenditures on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards in the appropriate fiscal year. Cause: UAS did not receive invoices for certain subrecipients until after year-end close and for amounts covering an entire fiscal year and no amounts were accrued. Effect: Activities of the subrecipient could not be reviewed timely to ensure authorized use or for allowability with grant terms and conditions. Subrecipient expenditures on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards were understated by $344,948. Questioned Costs: The conditions did not result in questioned costs greater than $25,000. Context: Although subrecipient invoices were submitted after year-end close, UAS grant personnel reviewed expenses submitted for allowability and did not identify any disallowed costs. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: Establish a timeline for subrecipients to provide required reports to UAS in order to receive information during the fiscal year for monitoring during the post-award process. Review grant and subrecipient activity at year-end to evaluate whether all activity has been submitted and recorded. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and a response is included in the corrective action plan.