SJ0033 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0033 LRB097 11514 PJG 54287 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois' FY12 budget deficit is projected to be between $13 and $15 billion; and

WHEREAS, According to the State Comptroller's website, nearly $17 billion of the State's FY10 expenditures were for grants and awards; and

WHEREAS, It is primarily the responsibility of the individual State agencies making grants and awards (the "grantors") to monitor the recipient entities' (the "grantees'") expenditures, compliance with grant or award requirements, and programmatic outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Audit findings issued by the Auditor General have consistently demonstrated a failure by the grantor agencies to adequately monitor their grantees; and

WHEREAS, Any reasonable plan to address the State's budget deficit must include reductions in both the State's administrative operating lines as well as grant and award programs; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Auditor General is directed to conduct a management audit of grants and awards distributed by State agencies, excluding public universities, in Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the audit include, but need not be limited to, the following determinations:

(1) for each State agency, the amount of money it distributed in FY10 and FY11 for grants and awards; the recipients of those funds, by amount; and the purposes for which the funds were distributed;

(2) based on a sample of grantees selected by the auditors, evidence of programmatic outcomes that would demonstrate whether the grantees met the purposes for which State moneys were provided, with specific information concerning the portion of the grant or award used for the grantee's administrative costs, its staffing levels, and its executive compensation; and

(3) based on a sample of grantees selected by the auditors, whether the grantees complied with applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and grant and award agreements pertaining to the receipt of State moneys; and be it further

RESOLVED, That in selecting grants and awards for testing, the auditors may exclude grants and awards that are distributed pursuant to a formula or for which a written grant or award agreement is not required; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is given the discretion to determine which State agencies and which grants and awards to include within this management audit, with the goal of reviewing a variety of State agencies, grant and award programs, and grantees; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State agencies, recipients of State funds, and any other entity or person that may have information relevant to this audit cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's Office in its conduct; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as soon as practical and distribute the report upon completion in accordance with Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Auditor General.