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<br /> <br />Preparedness Grants Manual | February 2021 42 <br />action to disallow costs takes place during the record retention period. See 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.334, <br />200.345(a). Closeout also does not affect the obligation of the non-federal entity to return any funds due <br />as a result of later refunds, corrections, or other transactions. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.345(a)(2). <br /> <br />The types of funds FEMA might attempt to recover include, but are not limited to, improper payments, <br />cost share reimbursements, program income, interest earned on advance payments, or equipment <br />disposition amounts. <br /> <br />FEMA may seek to recover disallowed costs through a Notice of Potential Debt Letter, a Remedy <br />Notification, or other letter. The document will describe the potential amount owed, the reason why <br />FEMA is recovering the funds, the recipient’s appeal rights, how the amount can be paid, and the <br />consequences for not appealing or paying the amount by the deadline. <br /> <br />If the recipient neither appeals nor pays the amount by the deadline, the amount owed will become final. <br />Potential consequences if the debt is not paid in full or otherwise resolved by the deadline include the <br />assessment of interest, administrative fees, and penalty charges; administratively offsetting the debt <br />against other payable federal funds; and transferring the debt to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for <br />collection. <br /> <br />FEMA notes the following common areas of noncompliance for the preparedness grant programs: <br /> <br />• Insufficient documentation and lack of record retention. <br />• Failure to follow the procurement under grants requirements. <br />• Failure to submit closeout documents in a timely manner. <br />• Failure to follow EHP requirements. <br />• Failure to comply with the POP deadline. <br /> <br />Audits <br />FEMA grant recipients are subject to audit oversight from multiple entities including the DHS OIG, the <br />GAO, the pass-through entity, or independent auditing firms for single audits, and may cover activities <br />and costs incurred under the award. Auditing agencies such as the DHS OIG, the GAO, and the pass- <br />through entity (if applicable), and FEMA in its oversight capacity, must have access to records pertaining <br />to the FEMA award. Recipients and subrecipients must retain award documents for at least three years <br />from the date the final FFR is submitted, and even longer in many cases subject to the requirements of 2 <br />C.F.R. § 200.334. In the case of administrative closeout, documents must be retained for at least three <br />years from the date of closeout, or longer subject to the requirements of 2 C.F.R. § 200.334. If documents <br />are retained longer than the required retention period, the DHS OIG, the GAO, and the pass-through <br />entity, as well as FEMA in its oversight capacity, have the right to access these records as well. See 2 <br />C.F.R. §§ 200.334, 200.337. <br /> <br />Additionally, non-federal entities must comply with the single audit requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, <br />Subpart F. Specifically, non-federal entities, other than for-profit subrecipients, that expend $750,000 or <br />more in federal awards during their fiscal year must have a single or program-specific audit conducted for <br />that year in accordance with Subpart F. 2 C.F.R. § 200.501. A single audit covers all federal funds <br />expended during a fiscal year, not just FEMA funds. The cost of audit services may be allowable per 2 <br />C.F.R. § 200.425, but non-federal entities must select auditors in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.509, <br />including following the proper procurement procedures. For additional information on single audit <br />reporting requirements, see the section in this Manual titled “Single Audit Report.” <br />