Finding Text
Section III – Findings and questioned costs for Federal awards U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency Passed through Missouri Department of Public Safety, State Emergency Management Agency Program Name: Disaster Grants – Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters) Assistance Listing #: 97.036 Finding: 2024 – 001 SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY Reporting Condition: During our original audit, the Cooperative initially failed to identify and properly report $878,271 of FEMA aid funding received from the State of Missouri. This error was identified subsequent to the issuance of the report and requires a re-issuance of the related audit reports. The internal control system did not prevent or detect this error to trigger the SEFA preparation process. Cause: The Cooperative's procedures for identifying and reporting federal expenditures were insufficient. The Cooperative finance personnel initially misunderstood the proper period for reporting FEMA disaster assistance expenditures. While the FEMA aid funding was approved by the State on December 20, 2024, with inspection by SEMA completed January 15, 2025, management initially concluded the expenditures should be reported in 2025 based on the cash receipt date. However, the expenditures should have been reported in 2024 when the eligible disaster recovery costs were actually incurred. This timing confusion, combined with the Cooperative's infrequent receipt of federal funding, resulted in the omission from the original 2024 SEFA. Effect: The initial error resulted in the audit report being issued without the required single audit report. While this error has been corrected, the control deficiency increases the risk that future federal awards could be incorrectly reported on the SEFA, potentially resulting in noncompliance with federal reporting requirements and incomplete or inaccurate identification of major programs subject to audit. Questioned Costs: $0 Criteria: 2 CFR 200.510(b) requires that the auditee prepare a Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) for the period covered by the auditee's financial statements which must include the total Federal awards expended as determined in accordance with 2 CFR 200.502. Additionally, 2 CFR 200.303 requires that non-federal entities establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the related awards. Recommendation: We recommend the Cooperative implement written procedures for SEFA preparation that include: (1) obtaining and reviewing all award agreements to identify federal funding sources; (2) maintaining a master listing of all awards that identifies the funding source (federal/state/local) and applicable Assistance Listing Numbers; (3) implementing cutoff procedures to ensure federal expenditures are reported in the correct period based on when eligible costs are incurred, not when funds are received from federal systems; and (4) requiring independent review of the SEFA by someone knowledgeable about federal compliance requirements who verifies completeness against award documentation and proper period reporting. We note that the Cooperative's finance office maintains good communication practices with auditors regarding federal funding when they are aware of such awards; therefore, strengthening the internal identification and cutoff processes will enhance the Cooperative's ability to provide complete, accurate, and timely information to auditors about all federal funding sources. Views of responsible personnel and planned corrective actions: Management concurs with this finding. The Cooperative will implement the following corrective actions prior to December 31, 2025: • The CFO will document written procedures for SEFA preparation that specifically address proper period cutoff based on when costs are incurred versus when funds are received. • All current grant agreements will be reviewed to identify federal funding sources and ensure compliance with the single audit threshold. • The CFO will perform quarterly and annual reviews of federal expenditure reporting for completeness, accuracy, and proper period reporting. • Prior to year-end, the CFO will independently review all award documentation to the draft SEFA against all grant documentation to verify completeness and proper period reporting.