Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/WVCODE/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=12&art=4&section=14&year=2019&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill&input=274
Timestamp: 2019-12-07 16:50:09
Document Index: 493929549

Matched Legal Cases: ['§12', '§12', '§12', '§ 7501', '§33', '§33', '§33', '§29', '§29', '§33', '§33', '§33', '§39', '§12']

§12-4-14. Accountability of grantees receiving state funds or grants; sworn statements by volunteer fire departments; criminal penalties.
NOTE: West Virginia Code §12-4-14 was amended by two bills passed during the 2019 Regular Session of the Legislature. When two acts of the Legislature amend the same section of the Code without express recognition in the bill of the action of the other bill, the Legislative Manager makes no determination as to the appropriate, legal effect of the two acts. Therefore, both versions of this section are set out below.
Committee Substitute for House Bill 2439, passed on March 5, 2019, amended West Virginia Code §12-4-14 to read as follows:
(2) "Grantee" means any entity receiving a state grant, including a state spending unit, local government, corporation, partnership, association, individual, or other legal entity.
(4) "State grant" means funding provided by a state spending unit, regardless of the original source of the funds, to a grantee upon application for a specific purpose. The term "state grant" does not include: (A) Payments for goods and services purchased by a state spending unit; (B) compensation to state employees and public officials; (C) reimbursements to state employees and public officials for travel or incidental expenses; (D) grants of student aid; (E) government transfer payments; (F) direct benefits provided under state insurance and welfare programs; (G) funds reimbursed to a person for expenditures made for qualified purposes when receipts for the expenditures are required prior to receiving the funds; (H) retirement benefits; and (I) federal pass-through funds that are subject to the federal Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996, 31 U.S.C. § 7501, et seq. The term "state grant" does not include formula distributions to volunteer and part-volunteer fire departments and fire companies made pursuant to §33-3-14d, §33-3-33, §33-12C-7 of this code and does not include money received from the Fire Service Equipment and Training Fund as provided in §29-3-5f of this code.
(b) (1) Any grantee who receives one or more state grants in the amount of $50,000 or more in the aggregate in a state"s fiscal year shall file with the grantor a report of the disbursement of the state grant funds. When the grantor causes an audit, by an independent certified public accountant, to be conducted of the grant funds, the audit is performed using generally accepted government auditing standards, and a copy of the audit is available for public inspection, no report is required to be filed under this section. An audit performed that complies with Office of Management and Budget circular A-133, and submitted within the period provided in this section may be substituted for the report.
(2) Any grantee who receives a state grant in an amount less than $50,000 or who is not required to file a report because an audit has been conducted or substituted as provided by subdivision (1) of this subsection shall file with the grantor a sworn statement of expenditures made under the grant.
(3) Reports and sworn statements of expenditures required by this subsection shall be filed within two years of the end of the grantee"s fiscal year in which the disbursement of state grant funds by the grantor was made. The report shall be made by an independent certified public accountant at the cost of the grantee. State grant funds may be used to pay for the report if the applicable grant provisions allow. The scope of the report is limited to showing that the state grant funds were spent for the purposes intended when the grant was made.
(c)(1) Any grantee failing to file a required report or sworn statement of expenditures within the two-year period provided in subdivision (3), subsection (b) of this section for state grant funds is barred from subsequently receiving state grants until the grantee has filed the report or sworn statement of expenditures and is otherwise in compliance with the provisions of this section.
(2) Any grantor of a state grant shall report any grantee failing to file a required report or sworn statement of expenditures within the required period provided in this section to the Legislative Auditor for purposes of debarment from receiving state grants.
(2) All grantors awarding state grants shall, prior to awarding a state grant, take reasonable actions to verify that the grantee is not barred from receiving state grants pursuant to this section. The verification process shall, at a minimum, include:
(A) A requirement that the grantee seeking the state grant provide a sworn statement from an authorized representative that the grantee has filed all reports and sworn statements of expenditures for state grants received as required under this section; and
(B) Confirmation from the Legislative Auditor by the grantor that the grantee has not been identified as one who has failed to file a report or sworn statement of expenditures under this section. Confirmation may be accomplished by accessing the computerized database provided in subsection (e) of this section.
(3) If any report or sworn statement of expenditures submitted pursuant to the requirements of this section provides evidence of a reportable condition or violation, the grantor shall provide a copy of the report or sworn statement of expenditures to the Legislative Auditor within 30 days of receipt by the grantor.
(5) The Secretary of the Department of Administration has authority to promulgate procedural and interpretive rules and propose legislative rules for promulgation in accordance with the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code to assist in implementing the provisions of this section.
(e)(1) Any state agency administering a state grant shall, in the manner designated by the Legislative Auditor, notify the Legislative Auditor of the maximum amount of funds to be disbursed, the identity of the grantee authorized to receive the funds, the grantee"s fiscal year and federal employer identification number, and the purpose and nature of the state grant within 30 days of making the state grant or authorizing the disbursement of the funds, whichever is later.
(2) The State Treasurer shall provide the Legislative Auditor the information concerning formula distributions to volunteer and part-volunteer fire departments, made pursuant to §33-3-14d, §33-3-33, and §33-12C-7 of this code, the Legislative Auditor requests, and in the manner designated by the Legislative Auditor.
(3) The Legislative Auditor shall maintain a list identifying grantees who have failed to file reports and sworn statements required by this section. The list may be in the form of a computerized database that may be accessed by state agencies over the Internet.
(g) Any report submitted pursuant to the provisions of this section may be filed electronically in accordance with the provisions of §39A-1-1 et seq. of this code.
(h) Any grantee who files a fraudulent sworn statement of expenditures under subsection (b) of the section, a fraudulent sworn statement under subsection (d) of this section, or a fraudulent report under this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000 or imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both fined and imprisoned.
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 345, passed on March 9, 2019, amended West Virginia Code §12-2-14 to read as follows: