Federal Reports

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA)Emergency Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) Interim Policy104-009-18 (Interim Policy) provided an adequate and effectiveframework during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, theInterim Policy waived the existing pre-approval requirement,allowing for faster and increased NCS implementation tosegregate individuals and families and limit spread of thedisease. The Interim Policy also included program details andrequirements for determining eligible work and costs for NCS inresponse to federally declared disasters during the COVID-19pandemic.

The United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard) took steps to enhance the cyber posture of the Marine Transportation System (MTS) but faces challenges fully implementing cybersecurity readiness efforts to protect the U.S. supply chain. Over the past 2 years, in accordance with its statutory requirements, Coast Guard established maritime cybersecurity teams to deter and respond to transportation cybersecurity incidents. In 2021, Coast Guard implemented Cyber Protection Teams to offer services that can help industry stakeholders prevent and target malicious cyberspace activities. However, private industry stakeholders have not fully adopted these services; stakeholders in only 36 percent of Coast Guard’s sectors requested and received these services. Coast Guard faced these challenges because industry stakeholders are hesitant to use the cybersecurity services offered.

Shifting Gear - Semiannual Report to Congress for October 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024. Office of Inspector General, U.S. AbilityOne Commission

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this management advisory to bring attention to concerns regarding the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) post-award review process to monitor Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) award recipients’ eligibility, award calculation, and use of funds. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established on December 27, 2020, as part of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act (Economic Aid Act). The program was amended by the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021, which increased program funding and reduced SVOG assistance for some recipients who also received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. Collectively these laws provided the SVOG program with $16.25 billion to provide grants to eligible businesses that engage in venue operations.Since the agency is currently conducting post-award reviews of SVOG awards, we believe management should take immediate action to apply a more robust risk-based approach in selecting awards to review for eligibility. Specifically, the agency has selected 155 awards for eligibility reviews; however, OIG has identified an additional 1,818 high-risk awards totaling $1.6 billion that warrant review. We also believe the agency should assess the post-award review process to ensure reviews are conducted timely. Program officials assigned 30 staff members to review 2,162 of the 13,011 SVOG awards in total. As of February 5, 2024, SBA completed 165 reviews since it began conducting post-award reviews in July 2022. At this pace, we estimate it will take 19 years, or until February 2043, to complete the remaining reviews. Therefore, program officials must prioritize the reviews to increase the opportunity to save taxpayer funds and improve the integrity of this vital pandemic relief program. SBA management partially agreed with two recommendations and disagreed with one recommendation.

The independent public accounting firm of Brown & Company, CPAs and Management Consultants, PLLC, under contract with the Office of Inspector General, audited Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grants administered by the Rhode Island Secretary of State, totaling $11.8 million. This included federal funds, state matching funds, and interest earned on the reissued Section 251, Election Security, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants.