Federal Reports

2022 Fall GPO OIG Semiannual Report to Congress April 1, 2022 - September 30, 2022

This report summarizes work that we initiated and completed during this semiannual period on a number of critical Departmental activities. Over the past 6 months, our office issued 16 products related to our audit, evaluation, and inspection work. These products addressed programs and personnel associated with the United States Census Bureau (Census Bureau), United States Economic Development Administration (EDA), First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the Department itself. This report also describes our investigative activities addressing programs and personnel associated with the Census Bureau, NOAA, and the Department itself.

10th Quarterly Report to Congress

In this Semiannual Report to Congress (SAR), we discuss accomplishments and activities of OIG from April 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022, as well as its goals and future plans.

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) efforts to meet the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (the Act).Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD met the 13 responsibilities stated in the Act with regard to its collection, production, acquisition, maintenance, distribution, use, and preservation of geospatial data. The Act also generally requires covered agencies provide access to geospatial data and metadata to the public and enhance reporting to Congress. The 16 covered agencies, including HUD, remain in the implementation stage of the Act until the Federal Geographic Data Committee establishes formal standard for use in determining compliance with the responsibilities stated in the Act. The Act requires that HUD’s geospatial data be audited at least once every 2 years.HUD met 11 of the 13 responsibilities stated in the Act. However, HUD did not meet 2 of the 13 responsibilities stated in the Act. HUD needs to dedicate resources to fully implement its geospatial program. HUD’s lapse in its contract for services to manage its Geocode Services Center created challenges in meeting the responsibilities stated in the Act. As a result, HUD risks not having accurate and open access to geospatial data available for use by Federal, State, local, and tribal governments; the public; and other interested stakeholders to make decisions.We recommend that the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research provide adequate resources for the further development of geocoding services through the reactivation of the lapsed Geocode Service Center contract. In addition, we will reopen recommendation 1A from OIG audit report 2020-LA-0002, issued on September 24, 2020, so that HUD can implement the agreed-upon action to meet the responsibility stated in 43 U.S.C. § 2808(a)(5).

We found the fund’s financial statements, except for accounts receivable and earned revenue, to be fairly presented.

We conducted this review to provide considerations for the EPA to strengthen its corrective action certification process. When the Agency certifies to the completion of corrective actions that have not been completed, it leads to inaccurate data in the Agency’s audit tracking system, limits the OIG’s assurance that the corrective actions reported by the Agency are reliable, and may give the public and Congress the wrong impression regarding the EPA’s progress in addressing OIG recommendations.