Federal Reports

Our audit objective was to determine whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office contracting personnel administered contract closeout procedures in accordance with federal and Departmental policy and regulations.

What We Looked AtIn 2009, Congress appropriated $10.5 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program. To implement the program and fund the HSIPR projects, FRA took on new oversight responsibilities and entered into cooperative agreements with State departments of transportation and other entities. FRA also established an intra-agency agreement (IAA) with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe). The IAA allowed FRA to implement its Monitoring and Technical Assistance Program with Volpe's assistance and acquire Monitoring and Technical Assistance Contractors (MTAC) to provide oversight support. In November 2013, Volpe competitively awarded 11 master contracts, with an estimated value of $75 million, for MTAC services. Given the significant funds involved and FRA's expanded oversight responsibilities, we initiated this audit to assess (1) FRA's acquisition of MTACs through the Volpe Center and (2) FRA's management and use of MTAC oversight services for HSIPR projects.What We FoundVolpe's acquisition and management of the MTACs did not always follow Federal requirements or guidance. For example, Volpe prepared independent government cost estimates without adequate support, and awarded an MTAC master contract and three task orders valued at $7.6 million to a contractor that lacked a current audit of its accounting system. Also, adding steps to its invoice review process could help Volpe ensure that it pays allowable and reasonable costs for MTAC work. In addition, FRA lacked both the necessary oversight tools and a consistent reporting and recommendation tracking process to ensure effective use of MTAC services when it launched the HSIPR program. As result, the MTACs did not consistently document oversight reviews and much of their work was not formally reported. This in turn impeded FRA and Volpe's ability to realize the full benefit of the MTACs' oversight.Our RecommendationsWe made 11 recommendations to improve FRA and Volpe's acquisition and use of MTACs, and the Department concurred with all of them. We consider these recommendations resolved but open pending completion of the Department's actions.

The Kentucky Home and Community-Based Services Waiver program (the program) funds home and community-based services for people aged 65 and older and individuals with disabilities aged 21 to 64 who are eligible for medical assistance and require the level of care provided in a nursing home but choose to live in the community. Kentucky operates the program under a Federal waiver to its Medicaid State plan. The program funds adult day health care services for Medicaid beneficiaries who reside at home and attend adult day health care facilities (facilities). We have conducted health and safety reviews at various types of facilities nation-wide and wanted to determine whether vulnerable adults participating in this program were at risk.

An Amtrak Trainer was terminated from employment on May 7, 2019, and an Amtrak Foreman was terminated on May 17, 2019, after our investigation determined both employees violated company policy. We found that the Chicago-based employees falsified company training records for required safety-related tasks on passenger equipment. The Trainer and the Foreman both signed the training rosters attesting that the Foreman participated in the training classes when, in fact, the Foreman did not attend the training.