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.

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