Federal Reports

For our final report on fiscal year (FY) 2019 improper payment reporting, our review objective was to determine the U.S. Department of Commerce's (the Department’s) FY 2019 compliance with the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA), as amended. In determining compliance, we also evaluated the accuracy and completeness of the Department’s improper payment reporting in the U.S. Department of Commerce FY 2019 Agency Financial Report (FY 2019 AFR) and its performance in reducing and recapturing improper payments. Based on our review, we concluded that the Department complied with IPIA compliance criteria. Additionally, our review did not identify any significant issues regarding the accuracy or completeness of the improper payment reporting data described in the FY 2019 AFR or the Department’s performance in reducing or recapturing improper payments. However, Departmental management informed us of three items that were not included in the data presented in the FY 2019 AFR, and identified corrective actions taken to prevent this type of oversight in the future. We will review these corrective actions as part of our FY 2020 compliance review.

Two years since enactment, DHS and its components have mostly complied with SAVE Act requirements. The SAVE Act requires the Office of the Chief Readiness Support Officer (OCRSO), as delegated by DHS, to collect and review components’ vehicle use data, including their analyses of the data and plans for achieving the right types and sizes of vehicles to meet mission needs. Most components developed their plans as required. However, only two of the 12 components we reviewed fully met requirements to analyze and document vehicle use and cost data to help them achieve the right type and size of fleet vehicles to meet their missions. This occurred because DHS did not require components to include data analyses in their OCRSO-reviewed submissions, as mandated by the SAVE Act. Had ORSCO thoroughly evaluated component submissions, it would have identified that components did not fully comply with SAVE Act requirements. DHS concurred with all four recommendations that, when implemented, should improve the Department’s oversight over its vehicle fleets.

A Trackman in Jackson, Michigan, was terminated from employment on June 15, 2020, following an administrative hearing for violating company policy. Our investigation found that the employee submitted false information on the background questionnaire of his employment application, which was inconsistent with police investigative findings related to a previous felony criminal conviction. Specifically, the employee maintained that he was never in possession of a controlled substance, however, the court records signed by the employee confirmed that he pleaded guilty to a charge of intent to deliver controlled substances. In addition, the employee was dishonest with our agents during his interview.

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On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Among its provisions, the CARES Act provided the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) with $756 million to support the needs of DOI programs, bureaus, Indian Country, and the Insular Areas.This report presents the DOI’s progress as of May 31, 2020, in spending CARES Act appropriations. Specifically, the DOI’s expenditures to date total $337,105,190 and its obligations total $448,680,794.We are also monitoring the DOI’s progress on reporting milestones established by the CARES Act and the Office of Management and Budget.We anticipate issuing updated status reports monthly.