Finding 1216683 (2024-005)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2026-06-04
Audit: 403116
Organization: American Thoracic Society, Inc. (NY)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Federal program expenditures for fiscal year 2023 were incorrectly reported in the 2024 SEFA.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 2 CFR §200.510(b) and 2 CFR §200.502 regarding accurate reporting of Federal awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement formal SEFA procedures, including reconciliations, year-end reviews, and supervisory documentation.

Finding Text

Information on Federal Programs: 93.083 – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Prevention of Disease, Disability, and Death through Immunization & Control of Respiratory & Related Diseases. Criteria or Specific Requirements: 2 CFR §200.510(b) requires recipients of Federal funds to prepare a SEFA for the period covered by the auditee’s financial statements that includes Federal awards expended during that fiscal year. 2 CFR §500.502 provides that the determination of when a Federal award is expended must be based on when the activity related to the Federal award occurs. Condition: During testing of the SEFA for the year ended December 31, 2024, we noted that certain Federal program expenditures related to activities incurred in fiscal year 2023 were reported in the 2024 SEFA instead of in the 2023 SEFA. Cause: Management’s procedures for preparing and reviewing the SEFA did not include sufficient controls to ensure that expenditures are reported in the correct fiscal year. Effect: The SEFA for the year ended December 31, 2023 was incomplete, and the SEFA for the year ended December 31, 2024 includes expenditures that related to activities incurred in fiscal year 2023. Although the expenditures were allowable costs of the Federal program, the timing misstatement affects the accuracy of SEFA presentation and could affect the usefulness of SEFA information to Federal agencies and pass-through entities in their monitoring and oversight. The error did not impact the major program selection process for 2023 or 2024.Perspective: This issue was identified during our testing of the SEFA for the year ended December 31, 2024, when we noted that ATS reported $114,984 of Federal award expenditures in 2024 that related to activities incurred in fiscal year 2023. These expenditures should have been reported in the SEFA for year ended December 31, 2023. Questioned Costs: None. Identification as a Repeat Finding: Not applicable. Recommendation: ATS should implement formal procedures for compiling the SEFA, including (1) reconciling SEFA amounts to the general ledger and other supporting records, (2) performing a year-end review to confirm that expenditures are reported in the correct fiscal year in accordance with 2 CFR §200.502 and 2 CFR §200.510(b), and (3) documenting supervisory review of the SEFA prior to finalization.

Corrective Action Plan

Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The Finance Department will ensure an accurate SEFA in conjunction with the response for Finding 2024-002.

Categories

Subrecipient Monitoring Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Reporting Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1216684 2024-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216685 2024-007
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.083 PREVENTION OF DISEASE, DISABILITY, AND DEATH THROUGH IMMUNIZATION AND CONTROL OF RESPIRATORY AND RELATED DISEASES $1.63M
43.001 SCIENCE $16,500