Federal Reports

The OIG conducted a legislatively mandated review of the circumstances and the underlying conditions that led to VBA announcing a potential shortfall and the need for FY 2024 supplemental funding.

In July 2024, the VA Secretary announced to Congress that VBA needed about $2.9 billion, in addition to the approximately $193.4 billion previously appropriated, to cover disability compensation, pension, and readjustment benefits for over seven million veterans through September 2024. VBA officials attributed this projected shortfall to processing more claims than ever before, expanded eligibility for PACT Act compensation benefits, unprecedented outreach to potential beneficiaries, increased payments and obligations, and more eligible participants for education and job training programs. If funding was even one dollar short at year-end, veterans’ benefits payments would be delayed.

The President signed a supplemental appropriations bill on September 20 to provide VBA with the funding. On October 28, VA officials reported to Congress that no supplemental funding was actually needed for the two accounts. The OIG’s analysis showed VBA’s actual spending did not consistently exceed planned amounts for either account. VBA had not included realized prior-year recoveries in its monthly status report calculations throughout the year, which would have shown a reduced risk of a shortfall by year-end. VBA officials reported that a projected lack of carryover funding for use at the end of the fiscal year raised concerns about depleting FY 2024 resources. Furthermore, VBA expected claims processing would surge to meet year-end regional office metrics, but a VA analysis did not show a spike in compensation and pension obligations. Although VBA acted to prioritize veterans’ benefits, the OIG found that improved financial oversight, reporting accuracy, and communications may have obviated the need for a supplemental funding request. The OIG made four recommendations to VBA to improve financial management practices and communications.

Why We Did This Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General is issuing this report addressing concerns regarding access to Superfund information identified in the EPA’s annual reports to Congress.

Summary of Findings

We discovered that more than half of federal facility and some nonfederal facility Five-Year Reviews, or FYRs, are not publicly available, despite the EPA stating in its annual Superfund FYR Reports to Congress that the FYRs can be found on its “Search for Superfund Five-Year Reviews” webpage.

After meeting with more than 140 individuals from DHS and other Federal agencies, we determined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot effectively monitor the location and status of all unaccompanied alien children (UACs) once released or transferred from Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) custody. From fiscal years 2019 to 2023, ICE transferred more than 448,000 UACs to HHS; most were released to sponsors. However, more than 31,000 of the 448,000 children’s release addresses were blank, undeliverable, or missing apartment numbers. ICE also was not always aware of the location for UACs who fled HHS’ custody.

The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General investigated potential displacement of paid staff at Hawaii Community Assets (HCA), undisclosed dual employment by a program official at HCA and Aloha United Way (AUW), and improper charging of time by two Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program officials at AUW.

A former AmeriCorps grantee staff member (“Complainant”) alleged that management at the grantee terminated the Complainant’s employment after the Complainant made a protected disclosure related to the Complainant’s concerns about the grantee’s financial management and stewardship. AmeriCorps OIG concluded that the evidence did not support the allegations of whistleblower retaliation. The grantee terminated the Complainant based on performance issues that predated any protected disclosure.

The Inspector General is pleased to present the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Oversight Plan for Calendar Year 2025. This risk-based plan intends to serve as a roadmap for the OIG’s independent and objective oversight of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission’s programs and operations through reviews, such as audits and evaluations, focused on preventing and detecting fraud, waste and abuse, and enhancing economies and efficiencies.

Throughout the oversight cycles, the OIG continues to focus on high-risk areas in the program and operations. The OIG's process to assess and prioritize the planned work included, among other factors, assessing the top management and performance challenges, congressional interests, key risks for which the Commission and other stakeholders expressed concern, and the results of our prior work. The OIG then used this information to inform the design of oversight reviews for usefulness to the Commission for its work and operations.

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Healthcare Facility Inspection program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the care provided at the VA Hampton Healthcare System in Virginia. 

This evaluation focused on five key content domains:
   •    Culture
   •    Environment of care
   •    Patient safety
   •    Primary care
   •    Veteran-centered safety net

The OIG issued six recommendations for improvement in three domains:
 1.    Environment of care
   •    Accessible parking space access aisles and pavement markings
   •    Crosswalk visibility and pedestrian safety
   •    Doorway safety
   •    Hand hygiene supplies
 2.    Patient safety
   •    Communication of test results
 3.    Veteran-centered safety net
   •    Social work positions