Federal Reports

With a requested fiscal year 2026 budget of about $3.5 billion for homelessness programs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is committed to preventing and ending veteran homelessness. VHA’s Homeless Programs Office uses a required screening process to identify veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and need assistance. Medical facilities must complete screenings for veterans under their care, have a process for positive screenings, and ensure staff respond to requests for services within seven business days. Follow-up action must occur within 30 days.

From January through June 2024, VHA screened over 2.4 million veterans and identified 31,149 who reported either experiencing or being at risk of homelessness. About 59 percent (18,250) requested to be referred to social work or homelessness program staff for further assistance. At 42 of 140 facilities, 25 to about 71 percent of veterans (depending on the facility) who wanted to be referred for additional assistance during the screening did not receive follow-up action within 30 days.

The audit team evaluated screening reminder processes at four medical facilities and found weaknesses in the referral and follow-up processes that put veterans at risk of not receiving assistance after they indicated they were experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Deficiencies in the process occurred, in part, because facilities did not establish written local policies and procedures in accordance with federal internal control standards and VHA policy. In addition, the Homeless Programs Office did not ensure facilities had an effective mechanism to monitor follow-up action. The VA Office of Inspector General made four recommendations to improve controls over referral, follow-up, and monitoring processes to ensure veterans’ needs are addressed after positive homelessness screenings. VHA’s under secretary concurred with three recommendations and concurred in principle with one recommendation.

The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012,as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Appendix B, requires the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct periodic risk assessments of agency purchase and travel card programs. OIG conducts these assessments to identify and analyze the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments and to determine the appropriate scope, frequency, and number of periodic audits of these programs.  

To assess risk associated with the Department of State’s (Department) purchase card program, OIG reviewed the Department’s FY 2024 purchase card data and concluded that the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments within the Department purchase card program was “medium.” OIG based its conclusion on the purchase card program’s size, internal controls, training, previous audits, violation reports, and observations from OIG’s Office of Investigations (INV).  

With respect to the criterion related to previous audits, OIG audited the Department’s purchase card program and issued a report in March 2019. The five recommendations offered in that report have been implemented and closed. Therefore, OIG is not recommending that an audit of the Department’s purchase card program be included in its FY 2027 work plan. However, OIG encourages the Department’s purchase card manager to continue prudent oversight of the purchase card program to ensure that internal controls intended to safeguard taxpayer funds are fully implemented and followed by Department purchase card holders. 

The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Appendix B, requires the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct periodic risk assessments of agency purchase and travel card programs. OIG conducts these assessments to identify and analyze the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments and to determine the appropriate scope, frequency, and number of periodic audits of these programs. 

To assess risk associated with the purchase card program at the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, U.S. Section (USIBWC), OIG reviewed USIBWC’s FY 2024 purchase card data and concluded that the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments within the USIBWC purchase card program was “low.” OIG based its conclusion on the USIBWC purchase card program size, internal controls, training, previous audits, and observations from OIG’s Office of Investigations (INV). Because OIG concluded that risk to the purchase card program was “low,” 

OIG is not recommending that an audit of the USIBWC purchase card program be included in OIG’s FY 2027 work plan. However, OIG encourages USIBWC officials to continue prudent oversight of the purchase card program and ensure that internal controls intended to safeguard taxpayer funds are fully implemented and followed by USIBWC purchase card holders.

The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Appendix B, requires the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct periodic risk assessments of agency purchase and travel card programs. OIG conducts these assessments to identify and analyze the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments and to determine the appropriate scope, frequency, and number of periodic audits of these programs.

To assess risk associated with the Department of State’s (Department) travel card program, OIG reviewed the Department’s FY 2024 travel card data and concluded that the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments within the Department’s travel card program was “medium.” OIG based its conclusion on the travel card program’s size, internal controls, training, previous audits, and observations from OIG’s Office of Investigations (INV).  

Although OIG concluded that risk to the travel card program is “medium,” OIG plans to audit the Department’s travel card program during FY 2026. Therefore, OIG is not recommending that an audit of the Department’s travel card program be included in OIG’s FY 2027 work plan. OIG encourages Department officials to continue prudent oversight of the travel card program to ensure that internal controls intended to safeguard taxpayer funds are fully implemented and followed by Department travel card holders. 

The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Appendix B, requires the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct periodic risk assessments of agency purchase and travel card programs. OIG conducts these assessments to identify and analyze the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments and to determine the appropriate scope, frequency, and number of periodic audits of these programs.

To assess risk associated with the purchase card program at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), OIG reviewed USAGM’s FY 2024 purchase card data and concluded that the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments within the USAGM purchase card program was “low.” OIG based its conclusion on USAGM’s purchase card program size, internal controls, training, previous audits, and observations from OIG’s Office of Investigations (INV).

Because OIG concluded that risk to the purchase card program was “low,” OIG is not recommending that an audit of the USAGM purchase card program be included in OIG’s FY 2027 work plan. However, OIG encourages USAGM officials to continue prudent oversight of the purchase card program and ensure that internal controls intended to safeguard taxpayer funds are fully implemented and followed by USAGM purchase card holders.