Overview
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) did not always submit its annual reports for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023 to the Governor and to the Clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate in a timely manner. For fiscal year 2021, MCSW submitted its annual report to the Governor and the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate 49 days late. For fiscal years 2022 and 2023, MCSW submitted its annual report to the Governor 7 and 12 days late, respectively.
If MCSW does not submit its annual reports to the Governor and the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate on time, then these governing bodies will not have the information necessary to adequately review MCSW’s findings and activities for the preceding year. This could negatively affect MCSW’s ability to identify issues and advocate for legislation to advance the interests of women and girls in the Commonwealth. In addition, without this oversight, MCSW is also at greater risk of inappropriate spending on activities that do not align with its mission.
Authoritative Guidance
Section 66(3) of Chapter 3 of the Massachusetts General Laws states,
[MCSW] shall annually, on or before June 2, report the results of its findings and activities of the preceding year and its recommendations to the governor and to the clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Reasons for Issue
MCSW told us about the following reasons for the untimely submissions of its annual reports:
- For fiscal year 2021, MCSW declined to provide a reason because the individual responsible is no longer with MCSW.
- For fiscal year 2022, the email bounced back upon submission, and this was not discovered until after seven days.
- For fiscal year 2023, MCSW submitted a request to extend the deadline for the annual report, which is awaiting approval as of the date of this audit report.
Recommendation
MCSW should ensure that it submits its annual report in a timely manner to the Governor and to the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Auditee’s Response
In 2021, the Commission and the Commonwealth were still grappling with the pandemic. During this period, our Executive Director was transitioning out and assisting MCSW in the search for a new Executive Director. As a result, we are unable to provide a specific reason for the delayed report submission.
In 2022, as the new Executive Director, I relied on the enabling language and assistance from the Commissioners to submit the report. Unfortunately, we were unaware that the contact email for the Governor’s Office was incorrect. This issue was corrected for [fiscal year (FY)] 2024. Both the FY2022 and FY2023 Annual Reports were submitted on time to the Clerks of the House and Senate. To prevent future issues, we have implemented a procedure for MCSW Staff to regularly review and update recipient contact information within our internal contact tracking system. Additionally, MCSW will submit a legislative amendment request to change the due date of the annual report to July 31. This change will provide adequate time to compile the end-of-fiscal-year activities of the State and Regional Commissions. The current June 2 due date does not accommodate the full fiscal year’s activities, which extend to June 30.
Auditor’s Reply
Based on its response, MCSW is taking measures to address our concerns regarding this matter. As part of our post-audit review process, we will follow up on this matter in approximately six months.
| Date published: | December 27, 2024 |
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