Finding 1186770 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
I
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-26

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The School failed to verify two employees against the System for Award Management (SAM) as required for transactions over $25,000.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 2 CFR, Part 200 mandates verification of vendors and employees to prevent funding to suspended or debarred individuals.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement procedures to regularly check employee eligibility against SAM and document these verifications.

Finding Text

Finding Number: 2025-001 Information on the Federal Program: Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: National Center on Restorative Justice Assistance Listing Number: 16.030 Federal Award Identification Number: N/A Federal Award Year: Year Ended June 30, 2025 Specific Requirement: Required by 2 CFR, Part 200 for federally funded programs, when an institution enters into a covered transaction with an entity or individual, the institution must verify that the vendor and/or employee is not suspended or debarred or otherwise excluded from participating in federal programs. Generally, a covered transaction is a transaction expected to equal or exceed $25,000 and be funded with federal dollars. This verification may be accomplished by checking the System for Award Management (SAM), or by adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction. Condition Found: During our audit, we noted that management did not review the SAM for employees meeting the covered transaction threshold. Context: We noted there were two employees exceeding $25,000 funded by the program. Based on our testing, neither of the employees exceeding the $25,000 limit were included in the SAM and received payments funded by the School’s major programs. Questioned Costs: None. Cause and Effect: The School was aware of the requirement to verify subrecipients against the SAM but was not aware that the requirement applied to employees. Since this process was not performed, there is a greater risk of employees that are included on the SAM being disbursed funds through federal funds. Identification as a Repeat Finding, if Applicable: N/A Recommendation: We recommend that the School follow established procedures for comparing employees against the SAM and maintain documentation that the comparison has been performed. Views of a Responsible Official and Corrective Action Plan: Management agrees with the finding and the recommendation. See Corrective Action Plan on page 44.

Corrective Action Plan

The Business Office at Vermont Law and Graduate School will update the Policy for Subawards document to include reviewing the System for Award Management (SAM) for employees as well as vendors to ensure they are not suspended, debarred or otherwise excluded from participating in federal programs. We will implement this upon entry into a new Sub-Award Agreement, as well as for existing Sub-Award Agreements wherein the transaction is equal or exceeds $25,000.00. We will also implement this annually to any payment that is equal or exceeds $25,000.00 as best practice. We will implement a workbook which documents the date SAM was reviewed, and that the vendor/employee wasn’t suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participating in federal programs at that time. The Business office will educate each Principal Investigator as to where to find the Policy for Subawards, as well as ensuring they have a clear understanding of their roles/responsibilities in accordance with the Policy. Responsible Parties: Stephanie Svahn – Controller (802) 831-1209 Angie Poulin – Grant Accountant (802) 831-1219 Principal Investigators of each Subaward Rebecca Dube – Accounts Payable (802) 831-1218 Estimated Completion Date: Will be implemented moving forward as of 2/17/2026

Categories

No categories assigned yet.

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1186771 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.268 FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS $21.43M
16.030 NATIONAL CENTER ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE $2.34M
10.700 NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY $1.39M
84.038 FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM_FEDERAL CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS $1.04M
59.059 CONGRESSIONAL GRANTS $622,525
19.345 INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR $523,077
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $277,372
16.753 CONGRESSIONALLY RECOMMENDED AWARDS $254,724
10.935 URBAN AGRICULTURE AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION $180,588
64.056 LEGAL SERVICES FOR VETERANS GRANTS $111,148
21.019 CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND $77,364
16.575 CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE $50,000
19.040 PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROGRAMS $24,875