“What’s New” on FMX

The Benefit Voucher Data Worksheet (Excel) in Salary Benefit Appropriation Allocations (APS 019) (FPP A.042) has been updated to be used by state agencies and institutions of higher education to create benefit entries.

Effective Dec. 15, agencies and institutions must use the updated APS 019 Benefit Voucher Data Worksheet (Excel) for benefit entries. Older versions of the worksheet will no longer be accepted. The updated standardized Excel template contains:

• All applicable USAS fields for benefits entries
• Helpful information accessed by hovering over column headings (definitions, requirements, etc.)

A new Benefit Voucher Data Worksheet – Features and Instructions section is also available. See APS 019 for the updated worksheet and features/instructions section. For questions, contact your appropriation control officer (ACO).

The maximum state mileage reimbursement rate for state employee travel in a personal vehicle will increase from 53.5 cents to 54.5 cents per mile, effective Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018. This rate is consistent with the Internal Revenue Service’s standard mileage rate.

Note: State agencies may adopt an internal policy for a rate that is lower than the maximum rate; however, the agency must distribute the internal policy before their employees begin any travel under the lower rate.

See Current Rates or Transportation: Mileage in Personal Vehicle in Textravel for more information.

State and federal holidays listed on the System Outages and Holidays Calendar with no scheduled USAS cycle are excluded when determining the direct deposit effective settlement date of a payment.

Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must exclude these dates when determining when to process their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.

Note: If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, please see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.

Under the authority of Texas Government Code, Section 403.011 and the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts requires agencies and institutions of higher education to use additional Uniform Statewide Accounting System coding requirements to track expenditures and revenues directly related to significant natural disaster relief efforts.

For Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, agencies may now start following this new policy to record new disaster response financial activity or to perform prior period activity adjustments. All prior period adjustments must be completed by Jan. 31, 2018.

See Tracking Expenditures and Revenues Related to Natural Disaster Relief Efforts (FPP K.014) for details or contact your agency’s appropriation control officer.

The Fiscal 2018 First Quarter Post-Payment Audit Reports are now available for view, print and download. See the Audit topic page for more audit resources, including Fiscal Policies and Procedures, forms and contact information.

Subscribe via GovDelivery to receive email notifications on each audit report posted.

Due to inclement weather, the Comptroller’s office will be closed on Friday, Dec. 8. However, weather permitting, warrant pickup will be available from 12–2 p.m. Agencies may call (512) 475-0510 to confirm that warrants are available for distribution.

On days the Comptroller’s office is closed but warrant pickup is available, your authorized representative must have photo identification and a cell phone to call (512) 475-0510 upon arrival at the LBJ building if no guard is present.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) requires employers to offer affordable health insurance that provides minimum essential coverage to their full-time (and full-time equivalent) employees and their dependents or incur tax penalties.

The Comptroller’s office has issued ACA 1094-C and 1095-C Reporting Requirements (FPP F.039). The most important thing to note is that your agency is responsible for 1094-C and 1095-C reporting.

USPS and CAPPS Central Agencies are required to update 1094-C contact information by Dec. 31, 2017.

Review this guidance for how it affects your agency.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, FMX web links containing the old fmx.cpa.state.tx.us identifier will no longer be active and only FMX links with the newer fmx.cpa.texas.gov identifier will work. 

OLD FMX home page URL: https://fmx.cpa.state.tx.us/fmx/index.php

NEW FMX home page URL: https://fmx.cpa.texas.gov/fmx/index.php

By Friday, Dec. 29, you should remove all FMX links with the old fmx.cpa.state.tx.us identifier from your browsers’ Bookmarks/Favorites and replace those with the newer fmx.cpa.texas.gov equivalents.

Note: Training Center is not affected by this change.

For questions or assistance, contact fiscal.documentation@cpa.texas.gov.

State agencies and institutions of higher education must report payables and binding encumbrances for first quarter fiscal 2018 appropriations no later than Dec. 30 to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Quarterly certification must be entered in the online form.

For more information, see Encumbrance Report and Lapsing of Appropriations (APS 018) (FPP A.019).

USPS will be unavailable all day Saturday, Dec. 9, for the calendar year-end (CYE) file split.

All USPS payrolls finalized after the 2017/2018 file split must have a warrant date in calendar year 2018 and will be reflected in the 2018 files.

For more information, see USPS Calendar Year-End Close Process (FPP R.014).

For questions, contact the USPS Help Desk at (512) 463-4008 or your assigned USPS representative.