Regulations

Washington, Sept. 30 — New Office of Management and Budget guidance for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award recipients clarifies numerous lingering concerns, such as how to define a “noncompliant” recipient and how to include more details in project narrative descriptions.

Washington, Sept. 20 – The war on suspected improper payments in grant programs will ramp up significantly early next year as the Office of Management and Budget plans to issue guidelines instructing federal agencies how to engage in recovery activities.

Washington, Sept. 8 – State and local educational agencies receiving American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funds should provide more information in the project narrative to be more transparent in their use of these funds, according to the Government Accountability.

Washington, Aug. 23 – The extra reporting and oversight requirements necessitated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Pub. L. 111-5, may overwhelm some auditees new to the single audit process, so auditors are advised to provide extra assistance in helping their clients plan for these audits.

Washington, Aug. 3 – The Office of Management and Budget has issued the long-awaited 2010 Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement that contains a number of requirements for auditors conducting single audits to follow when evaluating a grantee’s Section 1512 reports under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, along with details related to the new Federal Financial Form (SF-425). It will apply to audits of fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2009.

Washington, July 7 – Recipients of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act awards can make it easier for the public to see how they are using tax dollars by clearly stating what they are doing with the funds in the project narrative sections of their quarterly reports, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Washington, June 21 – Grantees who are having an Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133 single audit performed on programs funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act should not be defensive about audit findings and should make every effort to correct them now instead of facing even bigger problems later, a federal inspectors general official said.

Washington, June 4 – The 2010 Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement is expected to be issued late this month, an OMB official told the Economic Recovery Grants Center.

Washington, June 1 – It is now June and the Office of Management and Budget has yet to issue its annual Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement. And auditors, especially those auditing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act programs, have been clamoring for this guidance earlier, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Washington, May 27 – Federal agencies are assigning many of their employees to issue funds quickly under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the detriment of traditional grant programs. A recent survey shows that a large number of agency officials are concerned that they have inadequate staff to accomplish their Recovery Act and non-Recovery Act work, creating the concern that post-award responsibilities may be overlooked.