Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147512179
Timestamp: 2014-10-30 14:36:54
Document Index: 751555038

Matched Legal Cases: ['§7', '§7', '§12', '§80', '§74', '§76', '§80', '§22']

Texas Education Agency - Statutory Authority for Monitoring
Statutory Authority for Monitoring
TEA is authorized by the Texas Education Code (TEC) to monitor compliance with requirements applicable to a process or program, and the related use of funds, as necessary. Monitoring is conducted to ensure compliance with federal law and regulations and financial accountability, including compliance with grant requirements. The relevant statute is TEC §7.021(b)(1), in conjunction with §§7.028(a)(1) and 7.028(a)(2).TEA is authorized by TEC §12.1163 to review the records of an open-enrollment charter school, a charter holder, and a management company.Monitoring Requirements for TEA TEA must monitor the activities of federal grant subrecipients to ensure that federal grant awards are used for authorized purposes in compliance with laws, regulations, and the provisions of contracts or grant agreements, and to ensure that performance goals are achieved. This requirement is given in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133, Subpart D, §__.400(d)(3) and in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), §80.40(a) and §74.51(a).TEA is also required to uphold its administrative responsibilities by ensuring that subrecipients are in compliance with applicable statutes and regulations. This requirement is given in 34 CFR §76.770.Requirements for Federal Grant SubrecipientsFederal grant subrecipients must comply with the following requirements:Compliance with Federal Financial Management Standards All subrecipients of federal grants must have a financial management system that meets certain federal financial management standards. This requirement is specified in the General and Fiscal Guidelines and General Provisions and Assurances published by TEA. Every grant applicant agrees to this requirement at the time that they certify and submit the grant application. The requirement is part of the federal guidelines specified in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), specifically 34 CFR §§80.20 and 74.21.Compliance with Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) All independent school districts (ISDs), education service centers (ESCs), and open-enrollment charter schools must maintain records in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Accountability System Resource Guide (FASRG). The Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) module of FASRG (or Module 11, Special Supplement to Financial Accounting and Reporting, Nonprofit Charter School Chart of Accounts, if applicable) establishes the requirements for proper budgeting, financial accounting, and reporting systems. FAR (and Module 11) are structured to comply with federal financial management standards requiring that grant funds be accounted for according to a fund-code structure.ISDs, ESCs, and open-enrollment charter schools must maintain an accounting system that uses the apppropriate fund-code structure. The accounting system must allow the organization to report budget, encumbrances, and expenditures in its general ledger in accordance with FAR (or Module 11). Fund codes must have a minimum of 15 digits: three of the digits identify the source of funds (the grant program), and four of the digits constitute an object code that identifies the category of expenditure. Compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting PrinciplesAll subrecipients of grants must account for expenditures in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). GAAP addresses issues that help subrecipients account for their expenditures consistently and maintain financial statements that are reliable and verifiable by an independent party. The FAR and Module 11 code structures are established to accommodate compliance with GAAP, which reflects federal financial accounting standards.All Texas nonprofit corporations must also account for the expenditure of funds in accordance with GAAP, as required by the provisions of the Texas Business Organizations Code, §22.352.Notice of Agency PolicyThe Texas Education Agency conducts federal fiscal grant subrecipient monitoring and compliance reviews, and implements related enforcement actions, in accordance with its established policies and procedures. These policies and procedures incorporate best practices and standards that may be similar to common auditing standards, but the agency does not apply a specific set of external standards, such as the US Government Accountability Office’s Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book), nor is it required to do so.Contact Information Division of Federal Fiscal Monitoring1701 North Congress AvenueAustin, Texas 78701Phone: (512) 463-9918Email: ffm@tea.state.tx.us
Page last modified on 10/9/2014 12:30:59 PM.