Finding 1205097 (2025-003)

Finding Number - 2025-003 Cash Management; Allowable Costs Federal Agency Department of Health & Human Services Federal Program Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases ALN 93.323 Grant Number Various Compliance Requirement Cash Management / Unallowable Costs Type of Findings Internal Control over Compliance / Compliance Category Significant Deficiency Criteria 2 CFR 200.302 states that each state must expend and account for the Federal award in accordance with state laws and procedures for expending and accounting for the state's own funds. In accordance with 2 CFR §200.303, non-federal entities are required to establish and maintain effective internal control over federal awards to ensure compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Such controls should include procedures to ensure expenditures are timely identified and included in reimbursement requests. Section III- Findings and Questioned Costs Relating to Federal Awards – (continued) Finding Number - 2025-003 Cash Management; Allowable Costs – (continued) Condition During our testing of expenditures charged to the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) program, we identified instances in which expenditures incurred and paid during fiscal year 2022 were included in reimbursement requests submitted during 2025. Although the expenditures appear to relate to allowable program activities, the significant lapse of time between the payment date and the reimbursement request indicates weaknesses in the monitoring and tracking of expenditures pending reimbursement. Also, because the expenditures were originally incurred and paid in 2022, and supporting documentation for prior reimbursement requests was not readily available for the period under audit, we were unable to determine whether these costs had been previously requested for reimbursement. Drawdown No. Type Receipt Date Document No. Check Issuance Date Amount 1525250884 Reimbursement 11-Apr-25 426878 7/21/2022 $ 491,400 428005 8/25/2022 249,960 428049 8/25/2022 558,600 433231 10/11/2022 525,000 440140 11/7/2022 211,803 440145 11/7/2022 248,660 440156 11/7/2022 204,941 429703 6/24/2022 767,102 435438 8/12/2022 745,039 447617 12/8/2022 211,312 $ 4,213,817 Cause Management explained that, in prior periods, drawdown requests were processed manually and on an advanced basis. Subsequently, the Department implemented an electronic system to submit drawdown requests and transitioned the process to a reimbursement method. As part of this transition, certain advance requests that had been processed manually were not properly cleared in the new system and remained recorded as if they had not been requested. Because these requests appeared as pending in the system, they were later submitted again through the new reimbursement process, resulting in duplicate requests in the system records. Section III- Findings and Questioned Costs Relating to Federal Awards – (continued) Finding Number - 2025-003 Cash Management; Allowable Costs – (continued) Effect As a result, these requests appeared as outstanding in the electronic system and were later submitted again through the reimbursement process. This situation created duplicate drawdown requests in the system records and increased the risk of misstated drawdown activity and potential over-requesting of federal funds if not properly identified and reconciled. Questioned Costs None Perspective Information During our procedures, management explained that prior to the implementation of the current electronic drawdown system, requests for federal funds were submitted manually on an advanced basis. Subsequently, the Department implemented an electronic system to process drawdown requests and transitioned the funding methodology from advances to a reimbursement basis. As part of this transition, certain drawdown requests that had already been submitted manually were not properly cleared or recorded in the new system and remained reflected as pending. Prior Year Audit Finding This is not a repeat finding. Recommendation We recommend that management implement procedures to reconcile manual drawdown requests processed prior to the implementation of the electronic system with the transactions recorded in the system. In addition, management should conduct a comprehensive and detailed review of all legacy transactions that originated before the system transition to ensure that any requests previously processed manually are properly identified, cleared, and supported by adequate documentation. This review should be performed with heightened scrutiny to detect any duplicate or unreconciled drawdown requests. Furthermore, management should establish ongoing controls to periodically review outstanding balances in the system and ensure that all drawdown records are accurate, complete, and appropriately supported. Section III- Findings and Questioned Costs Relating to Federal Awards – (continued) Finding Number - 2025-003 Cash Management; Allowable Costs – (continued) Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions The PRDH’s management agrees with this finding. Please refer to the corrective action on pages 57-60.