Federal Reports

Why We Did This Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted this audit to examine locality pay for employees working in a telework and remote work status. The objective was to determine whether the EPA ensures employees are paid the correct locality pay in accordance with regulations and policy.

Summary of Findings

The EPA cannot ensure that employees are paid the correct locality pay because it does not have comprehensive or reliable data to verify employees’ worksite locations. Without a mechanism to verify an employee’s worksite location against his or her locality pay, the Agency remains at risk of overpaying or underpaying employees.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to assess allegations related to the care of a female patient who presented with “near constant” vaginal bleeding to the Martinsburg VA Medical Center (facility) Emergency Department. 

While no deficiencies were found in the care provided by emergency department physicians, the OIG identified multiple deficiencies in nursing care. The OIG also identified failures in leaders’ oversight to ensure deficiencies were sufficiently remediated.

The OIG determined that the emergency department was equipped to perform gynecologic exams. However, the gynecologic cart, which featured hinged foldable footrests used in extension with the emergency department bed, was not utilized by some providers due to concerns of discomfort for patients.

The OIG substantiated delays in the patient’s transfer to a higher level of care, with an avoidable delay by the facility fire department’s ambulance service. Facility fire department leaders attributed the delay to lack of available staff and inability to mandate overtime for transports. However, the OIG determined that the practice of prohibiting mandatory overtime for emergency transports was incongruent with facility policy and facility leaders’ expectations. The OIG also found that facility leaders failed to assess concerns about the transport delay identified during a factfinding. 

The OIG learned that while the facility initiated a formal review to address broader patient transport challenges in May 2023, more than a year later, recommended policy and protocols identified from the review had not yet been approved by facility leaders.

The OIG made 10 recommendations to the Facility Director related to emergency department communication, adherence to Veterans Health Administration and facility policies, review of implemented actions to ensure quality of care concerns are remediated, evaluation of emergency department equipment for gynecologic examinations, review of overtime practices for staff providing emergency transports, and review of transportation concerns.

This report details the Office of Inspector General's Spring 2025 - Semiannual Report to Congress. The following topics are included:

• Overview of the SBA and the OIG
• SBA's Top Management and Performance Challenges
• Summary of OIG Oversight Work
• Small Business Access to Capital
• Disaster Assistance Program
• Contracting and Counseling Programs
• Agency Management
• Other Significant OIG Activities
• OIG Hotline
• Organizational Overview
• Appendices

We are pleased to present our report for the period October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.  In this semiannual period, our audit, evaluation, and investigative activities identified more than $75.1 million in questioned costs; funds put to better use; restitutions, recoveries, fees, and fines; and opportunities for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to improve its programs and operations.

TVA’s mission of service was set forth in the TVA Act of 1933.  While the mandate to provide affordable electricity, manage the river systems, and promote economic development in the Tennessee Valley has remained constant for 92 years, TVA has had to transform itself in areas such as methods of electricity generation, funding approaches, skills, technology, and more.  Some transformations came about by opportunities like innovation, while others came about in reaction to constraints.  Today, TVA finds itself in another stage of transformation as it addresses significant requirements to grow clean generation capacity.  Our office will stand with TVA as we fulfill our mission to provide independent and objective oversight that promotes effective and efficient operations and prevents and detects fraud, waste, and abuse.

Our Objective(s)To determine whether the Department of Transportation (DOT) complied with Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) requirements as prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Why This AuditPIIA requires agencies to identify, report, and reduce improper payments in programs susceptible to significant improper payments. The Act also requires agencies to publish applicable payment integrity information in the materials accompanying their annual financial statements. Moreover, PIIA requires inspectors general to report annually on their agencies compliance.
What We FoundDOT was in compliance with PIIA requirements for fiscal year 2024.

DOT complied with all of PIIAs requirements for the two programs identified as susceptible to significant improper payments"the Federal Highway Administrations (FHWA) Highway Planning and Construction (HPC) program and the Federal Transit Administrations (FTA) Transit Infrastructure Grants (TIG) COVID Relief Funds program.
DOT met OMB reporting requirements by publishing payment integrity information with its annual financial statements and posting required information on the Payment Accuracy website. The Department also conducted an improper payment risk assessment, reported improper and unknown payment estimates of less than 10 percent, and took steps to recapture overpayments.
Overall, DOT reported total improper payment estimates of approximately $1.22 billion. Specifically, the FHWA HPC program estimated $1.07 billion (1.96 percent) in improper payments, including $1.06 billion in monetary loss improper payments. The FTA TIG COVID Relief Funds program estimated $151.61 million (1.56 percent) in improper payments, including $151.51 million in monetary loss improper payments. While neither program met its reduction target of 1 percent, both achieved compliance by demonstrating improvements to payment integrity.
FHWA and FTA developed enhanced corrective action plans to reduce improper payments in fiscal year 2025, such as providing guidance and training to address the identified root causes of improper payments.

RecommendationsDOT complied with PIIAs requirements for fiscal year 2024, so we are not making recommendations.

Our Objective(s)To evaluate single audit reports uploaded to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse between January 1, 2025 and March 31, 2025, and identify findings that affect directly awarded Department of Transportation (DOT) programs.
Why This AuditOIG performs oversight of independent, non-Federal auditors single audit reports. Over the past 3 fiscal years, on average over 250 single audit reports were issued that included findings related to programs directly funded by DOT. We issue memoranda that summarize the single audit reports significant findings and recommendations that require priority action by DOT. When warranted, we also recommend that DOT recover funds that were inappropriately expended by non-Federal entities.
What We FoundAuditors reported 26 findings that included significant noncompliance with Federal guidelines related to 13 grantees that require prompt actions from DOTs Operating Administrations..

Of the 26 findings, 8 were repeat findings related to 6 grantees.

Auditors identified questioned costs totaling $2,683,884 for five grantees.

Of this amount, $1,442,356 was related to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Nespelem, WA, and $613,075 was related to Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Fort Worth, TX.

We identified nonmonetary repeat findings that caused qualified opinions for two entities.
RecommendationsWe made three recommendations to OST to resolve and close the findings and recover questioned costs, if applicable.

NGA OIG Spring Semiannual Report to Congress, 1 October 2024 - 31 March 2025