Reports

In FY 2022-23, Wisconsin state agencies administered $19.8 billion in federal financial assistance, including $3.8 billion that was expended related to the public health emergency and that was separately identified in the State’s Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards. This audit focused on 22 federal programs that accounted for 61.2 percent of the federal financial assistance administered. We found that state agencies generally complied with federal requirements, and we provided an unmodified opinion on federal compliance for 16 of the programs we reviewed. However, we qualified our...

We provided unmodified opinions on the University of Wisconsin (UW) System’s financial statements as of and for the years ended June 30, 2023, and June 30, 2022. These financial statements account for the financial position and activity of UW System. We conducted this financial audit by auditing UW System’s financial statements in accordance with applicable government auditing standards, issuing our auditor’s opinions, reviewing internal controls, and issuing our auditor’s report on internal control and compliance. We also reviewed UW System program revenue balances as of June 30, 2023.

The Department of Administration prepares the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), which contains the financial statements of the State of Wisconsin prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. The ACFR includes financial information on state funds, including the State’s General Fund, the Transportation Fund, the University of Wisconsin System, the Unemployment Reserve Fund, and the Wisconsin Retirement System. We provided unmodified opinions on the financial statements and related notes of the...

On August 20, 2020, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) created the Pandemic Relief Credit (PRC) to provide a measure of relief to local power companies (LPCs), industries, businesses, and people of TVA’s seven state service region. Relief was provided in the form of a 2.5 percent credit to LPC and directly served customers’ demand and nonfuel energy charges. In August 2021, TVA extended the 2.5 percent credit through fiscal year (FY) 2022. TVA subsequently extended the 2.5 percent credit through FY 2023. Through July 2023, TVA had issued...

In fiscal year 2021-22, The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) administered 30 economic development programs through which it allocated $58.0 million in tax credits, awarded $91.3 million in grants and $4.8 million in loans, and authorized local governments to issue $53.4 million in bonds. A portion of these funds were provided through the CARES Act and were used to support the state’s response to the pandemic. Through their biennial financial audit and program evaluation of WEDC, the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Burau found that, among other things, five grants totaling $50,000...

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB’s Office of Consumer Response collects, monitors, and responds to consumer complaints on financial services and products. The CFPB uses these consumer complaints to help inform the agency’s supervision activities, enforce federal consumer financial laws, and write rules and regulations. With an increase in consumer complaints as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Consumer Response faces an operational risk with respect to the timeliness in which it can respond to consumer complaints. We plan to assess the effectiveness of the CFPB’s processes for reviewing and responding to consumer complaints. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board established the PPPLF to extend credit to financial institutions that originate loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), taking the PPP loans as collateral. The PPPLF, managed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and operated out of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks, distributed billions of dollars to eligible lenders. We will assess the effectiveness of internal controls to (1) determine lender eligibility, extend credit, and process repayments and (2) identify at-risk advances, handle instances of nonpayment, and detect and mitigate fraud. We also plan to assess the extent to which the Federal Reserve System coordinates with the U.S. Small Business Administration to determine lender eligibility, recover losses due to nonpayment, and detect and mitigate fraud.

As part of our financial statements audit of the Unemployment Reserve Fund, which accounts for Wisconsin’s Unemployment Insurance program paid to eligible individuals, we provided an unmodified opinion on the Fund’s financial statements and related notes as of and for the years ended June 30, 2022, and June 30, 2021. We found the assets of the Reserve Fund exceeded liabilities at the close of fiscal year (FY) 2021-22 by almost $1.4 billion. Except for $19.2 million in certain federal allocations, the Fund’s net position, if positive, can be used only to pay unemployment benefits to eligible...