Overview
DLR did not submit its fiscal year 2018 annual report13 to the Legislature by the October 28 deadline. We verified that the report was received by the Legislature on January 16, 2019, which was 80 days after the deadline. Further, we could not substantiate when DLR submitted its fiscal year 2017 annual report to the Legislature. Because DLR did not submit this information when required, the Legislature may not have had sufficient information to assess DLR’s performance or provide it with sufficient resources for the following fiscal year.
Authoritative Guidance
According to Section 9U of Chapter 23 of the General Laws,
[DLR] shall, within 120 days of the close of each fiscal year, make a detailed report in writing to the [Legislature], including without limitation: the number and types of cases filed with the division, including elections, and the disposition of all such cases; statistics regarding the number of decisions it has rendered and unresolved cases, and the timeliness of the division’s decisions; the names, salaries, and duties of all employees and officers in the employ or under the supervision of the division; and an account of all moneys it has disbursed.
Reason for Lack of Timely Filing
DLR has not established policies and procedures for the filing of its annual reports to ensure that it is completed on time.
Recommendation
DLR should develop policies and procedures to ensure that it files its annual report within 120 days of the close of its fiscal year.
Auditee’s Response
The DLR timely completed the required annual report, however, it did not submit it to the Legislature within the established timeframe. A copy of the Annual Report in question was supplied to the Office of the State Auditor as part of their information request at the beginning of the audit process and the report has since been filed with the Legislature.
DLR will work with [the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development] to develop protocols to ensure that annual reports are submitted to the Legislature within 120 days of the close of the fiscal year.
Date published: | May 15, 2019 |
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