HR0173 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0173 LRB102 17904 MST 24467 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Public Act 98-0706, effective July 16, 2014, created the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA), which applies to State grant-making agencies that make State and federal pass-through awards; and

WHEREAS, The intent of GATA is to develop a coordinated, effective, and efficient oversight of the selection and monitoring of grant recipients that increases accountability and transparency in the use of grant funds from whatever source; and

WHEREAS, GATA charged the Governor's Office of Management and Budget with implementation of the Act, including the adoption of State rules that adopt Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR 200 and the adoption of supplemental rules pertaining to issuance of grants, development of uniform budgets, and criteria to define mandatory formula-based grants and discretionary grants; and

WHEREAS, GATA required the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to establish a centralized unit known as the Grant Accountability and Transparency Unit (Unit) by July 1, 2016 and defines the specific duties and responsibilities for the Unit; and

WHEREAS, The Unit is to be funded with a portion of the administrative funds provided under existing and future State and federal pass-through grants; and

WHEREAS, GATA required the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to submit an annual report to the General Assembly and the Governor that demonstrates the efficiencies, cost savings, and reductions in fraud, waste, and abuse as a result of the implementation of the Act; and

WHEREAS, The initial annual report, which was released January 1, 2016 and dated 534 days after the effective date of GATA, reported that GATA efforts have been strained due to the lack of a State budget and that the Unit had one full-time staff and up to three total staff for periods of time; and

WHEREAS, In the 6th Annual GATA report to the Governor and General Assembly, which was released January 1, 2021, the Unit estimated over $319 million in cost savings/avoidance based on assumptions in place since FY17; and

WHEREAS, Public Act 99-0523, the FY17 Stopgap Budget Implementation Act (effective June 30, 2016) in part, created the Grant Accountability and Transparency Fund (Fund) and directed the moneys that were to be deposited into the Fund and the uses for those funds; and

WHEREAS, The Fund received a $4 million appropriation from the General Assembly in FY21; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's Office of Management and Budget reported that grants comprised approximately two-thirds of the Illinois State Budget and that 51 State agencies had grant-making authority; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Auditor General is directed to conduct a performance audit of the progress of implementation efforts of the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the audit include but not be limited to, for the period July 2014 to the present, the following determinations:

(1) An examination of the extent of implementation of required elements of the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget and State grant-awarding agencies;

(2) A review of the amount of savings attributable to the implementation of the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act and an examination of the documentation of those savings claims by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget;

(3) An examination of uses of the moneys in the Grant Accountability and Transparency Fund;

(4) An examination of the monitoring activities by the top ten grant-awarding agencies for compliance with the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act;

(5) An examination of the oversight by the Grant Accountability and Transparency Unit over the competitive grant procurement process; and

(6) An examination of the impact of the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act on State grant-awarding agencies and the provider community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, State grant making agencies, and any other entity having information relevant to this audit cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's Office in the conduct of this audit; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Auditor General.