Regulations last checked for updates: Oct 17, 2024

Title 20 - Employees' Benefits last revised: Sep 30, 2024
§ 683.400 - What are the Federal and State monitoring and oversight responsibilities?

(a) The Secretary is authorized to monitor all recipients and subrecipients of all Federal financial assistance awarded and funds expended under title I of WIOA and the Wagner-Peyser Act to determine compliance with these statutes and Department regulations, and may investigate any matter deemed necessary to determine such compliance. Federal oversight will be conducted primarily at the recipient level.

(b) As funds allow, in each fiscal year, the Secretary also will conduct in-depth reviews in several States, including financial and performance monitoring, to assure that funds are spent in accordance with WIOA and the Wagner-Peyser Act.

(c)(1) Each recipient and subrecipient must monitor grant-supported activities in accordance with 2 CFR part 200.

(2) In the case of grants under secs. 128 and 133 of WIOA, the Governor must develop a State monitoring system that meets the requirements of § 683.410(b). The Governor must monitor Local WDBs and regions annually for compliance with applicable laws and regulations in accordance with the State monitoring system. Monitoring must include an annual review of each local area's compliance with 2 CFR part 200.

(d) Documentation of monitoring, including monitoring reports and audit work papers, conducted under paragraph (c) of this section, along with corrective action plans, must be made available for review upon request of the Secretary, Governor, or a representative of the Federal government authorized to request the information.

§ 683.410 - What are the oversight roles and responsibilities of recipients and subrecipients of Federal financial assistance awarded under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Wagner-Peyser Act?

(a) Each recipient and subrecipient of funds under title I of WIOA and under the Wagner-Peyser Act must conduct regular oversight and monitoring of its WIOA and Wagner-Peyser Act program(s) and those of its subrecipients and contractors as required under title I of WIOA and the Wagner-Peyser Act, as well as under 2 CFR part 200, including 2 CFR 200.327, 200.328, 200.330, 200.331, and Department exceptions at 2 CFR part 2900, in order to:

(1) Determine that expenditures have been made against the proper cost categories and within the cost limitations specified in WIOA and the regulations in this part;

(2) Determine whether there is compliance with other provisions of WIOA and the WIOA regulations and other applicable laws and regulations;

(3) Assure compliance with 2 CFR part 200; and

(4) Determine compliance with the nondiscrimination, disability, and equal opportunity requirements of sec. 188 of WIOA, including the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 3003).

(b) State roles and responsibilities for grants under secs. 128 and 133 of WIOA:

(1) The Governor is responsible for the development of the State monitoring system. The Governor must be able to demonstrate, through a monitoring plan or otherwise, that the State monitoring system meets the requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(2) The State monitoring system must:

(i) Provide for annual on-site monitoring reviews of local areas' compliance with 2 CFR part 200, as required by sec. 184(a)(3) of WIOA;

(ii) Ensure that established policies to achieve program performance and outcomes meet the objectives of WIOA and the WIOA regulations;

(iii) Enable the Governor to determine if subrecipients and contractors have demonstrated substantial compliance with WIOA and Wagner-Peyser Act requirements;

(iv) Enable the Governor to determine whether a local plan will be disapproved for failure to make acceptable progress in addressing deficiencies, as required in sec. 108(e) of WIOA; and

(v) Enable the Governor to ensure compliance with the nondiscrimination, disability, and equal opportunity requirements of sec. 188 of WIOA, including the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 3003).

(3) The State must conduct an annual on-site monitoring review of each local area's compliance with 2 CFR part 200, as required by sec. 184(a)(4) of WIOA.

(4) The Governor must require that prompt corrective action be taken if any substantial violation of standards identified in paragraph (b)(2) or (3) of this section is found.

(5) The Governor must impose the sanctions provided in secs. 184(b)-(c) of WIOA in the event of a subrecipient's failure to take required corrective action required under paragraph (b)(4) of this section.

(6) The Governor may issue additional requirements and instructions to subrecipients on monitoring activities.

(7) The Governor must certify to the Secretary every 2 years that:

(i) The State has implemented 2 CFR part 200;

(ii) The State has monitored local areas to ensure compliance with 2 CFR part 200, including annual certifications and disclosures as outlined in 2 CFR 200.113, Mandatory Disclosures. Failure to do so may result in remedies described under 2 CFR 200.338, including suspension and debarment; and

(iii) The State has taken appropriate corrective action to secure such compliance.

§ 683.420 - What procedures apply to the resolution of findings arising from audits, investigations, monitoring, and oversight reviews?

(a) Resolution of subrecipient-level findings. (1) The Governor or direct grant recipient is responsible for resolving findings that arise from the monitoring reviews, investigations, other Federal monitoring reviews, and audits (including under 2 CFR part 200) of subrecipients awarded funds through title I of WIOA or the Wagner-Peyser Act.

(i) A State or direct grant recipient must utilize the written monitoring and audit resolution, debt collection and appeal procedures that it uses for other Federal grant programs.

(ii) If a State or direct grant recipient does not have such written procedures, it must prescribe standards and procedures to be used for this grant program.

(2) For subrecipients awarded funds through a recipient of grant funds under subtitle D of title I of WIOA, the direct recipient of the grant funds must have written monitoring and resolution procedures in place that are consistent with 2 CFR part 200.

(b) Resolution of State and other direct recipient-level findings. (1) The Secretary is responsible for resolving findings that arise from Federal audits, monitoring reviews, investigations, incident reports, and audits under 2 CFR part 200 for direct recipients of Federal awards under title I of WIOA and the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended by WIOA title III.

(2) The Secretary will use the Department audit resolution process, consistent with 2 CFR part 200 (and Department modifications at 2 CFR part 2900), and Grant Officer Resolution provisions of § 683.440, as appropriate.

(3) A final determination issued by a Grant Officer under this process may be appealed to the Department of Labor Office of Administrative Law Judges under the procedures at § 683.800.

(c) Resolution of nondiscrimination findings. Findings arising from investigations or reviews conducted under nondiscrimination laws will be resolved in accordance with WIOA sec. 188 of WIOA and the Department of Labor nondiscrimination regulations implementing sec. 188 of WIOA, codified at 29 CFR part 38.

§ 683.430 - How does the Secretary resolve investigative and monitoring findings?

(a) As a result of an investigation, on-site visit, other monitoring, or an audit (i.e., Single Audit, OIG Audit, GAO Audit, or other audit), the Secretary will notify the direct recipient of the Federal award of the findings of the investigation and give the direct recipient a period of time (not more than 60 days) to comment and to take appropriate corrective actions.

(1) Adequate resolution. The Grant Officer in conjunction with the Federal project officer, reviews the complete file of the monitoring review, monitoring report, or final audit report and the recipient's response and actions under paragraph (a) of this section. The Grant Officer's review takes into account the sanction provisions of secs. 184(b)-(c) of WIOA. If the Grant Officer agrees with the recipient's handling of the situation, the Grant Officer so notifies the recipient. This notification constitutes final agency action.

(2) Inadequate resolution. If the direct recipient's response and actions to resolve the findings are found to be inadequate, the Grant Officer will begin the Grant Officer resolution process under § 683.440.

(b) Audits from 2 CFR part 200 will be resolved through the Grant Officer resolution process, as discussed in § 683.440.

§ 683.440 - What is the Grant Officer resolution process?

(a) General. When the Grant Officer is dissatisfied with the a recipient's disposition of an audit or other resolution of findings (including those arising out of site visits, incident reports or compliance reviews), or with the recipient's response to findings resulting from investigations or monitoring reports, the initial and final determination process as set forth in this section is used to resolve the matter.

(b) Initial determination. The Grant Officer makes an initial determination on the findings for both those matters where there is agreement and those where there is disagreement with the recipient's resolution, including the allowability of questioned costs or activities. This initial determination is based upon the requirements of WIOA, the Wagner-Peyser Act, and applicable regulations, and the terms and conditions of the grants or other agreements under the award.

(c) Informal resolution. Except in an emergency situation, when the Secretary invokes the authority described in sec. 184(e) of WIOA, the Grant Officer may not revoke a recipient's grant in whole or in part, nor institute corrective actions or sanctions, without first providing the recipient with an opportunity to present documentation or arguments to resolve informally those matters in dispute contained in the initial determination. The initial determination must provide for an informal resolution period of at least 60 days from issuance of the initial determination. If the matters are resolved informally, the Grant Officer must issue a final determination under paragraph (d) of this section which notifies the parties in writing of the nature of the resolution and may close the file.

(d) Final determination. (1) Upon completion of the informal resolution process, the Grant Officer provides each party with a written final determination by certified mail, return receipt requested. For audits of recipient-level entities and other recipients which receive WIOA funds directly from the Department, ordinarily, the final determination is issued not later than 180 days from the date that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issues the final approved audit report to the Employment and Training Administration. For audits of subrecipients conducted by the OIG, ordinarily the final determination is issued not later than 360 days from the date the OIG issues the final approved audit report to ETA.

(2) A final determination under this paragraph (d) must:

(i) Indicate whether efforts to resolve informally matters contained in the initial determination have been unsuccessful;

(ii) List those matters upon which the parties continue to disagree;

(iii) List any modifications to the factual findings and conclusions set forth in the initial determination and the rationale for such modifications;

(iv) Establish a debt, if appropriate;

(v) Require corrective action, when needed;

(vi) Determine liability, method of restitution of funds, and sanctions; and

(vii) Offer an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with § 683.800.

(3) Unless a hearing is requested, a final determination under this paragraph (d) is final agency action and is not subject to further review.

authority: Secs. 102, 116, 121, 127, 128, 132, 133, 147, 167, 169, 171, 181, 185, 186, 189, 195, 503, Public Law 113-128, 128 Stat. 1425 (Jul. 22, 2014)
source: 81 FR 56410, Aug. 19, 2016, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 20 CFR 683.420