Opinions Mixed on Recovery Act Oversight Bill

Washington, July 13 – Key government officials have applauded a House bill to help state and local governments fund the oversight of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act program requirements, but the measure has not garnered entirely positive reviews in the audit community.

H.R. 2182, the Enhanced Oversight of State and Local Economic Recovery Act, would amend the stimulus law to require federal agencies to reasonably adjust applicable limits on administrative expenditures for federal awards to help recipients defray the costs of required data collection, auditing, and contract and grant planning and management. State and local governments receiving funds would be able to set aside up to 0.5 percent of these funds, in addition to any funds already allocated to administrative expenditures, to conduct planning and oversight to prevent and detect waste, fraud and abuse.