“What’s New” on FMX

An accounting policy meeting will be held on Aug. 29 from 2 – 4 p.m. in the William B. Travis Building, Room 1-100.

See Accounting Policy Meetings for the agenda, parking pass and webinar registration.

The Outstanding Warrants Control Report (DAFR8171) is generated on the first Friday of every month. Agencies should monitor their reports before warrants become void on Aug. 31.

The Outstanding Warrant Report (DAFR 8161) can be requested through the Report Request Profile, USAS 91 screen. It includes two special select options:

• SPEC SEL 1: Provides a report by payee number in ascending order. To select this report, enter V on the 91 screen and check that the SPEC SEL 2 field is blank.
• SPEC SEL 2: Provides a report for specific dollar amount thresholds in descending order. To select this report, enter values A-D on the 91 screen as follows:
  • A = over $500
  • B = over $1,000
  • C = over $5,000
  • D = over $10,000

The 91 Report Request Profile in USAS Coding Instructions (FPP Q.010) provides detailed information on this profile screen.

Agencies are also reminded of the following:

• Vendor requests for a list of outstanding warrants must exclude the warrant number and TIN.
• Payments can be assigned to a third party via contract. If payees request a third-party assignment, a copy of the contract should be submitted for approval by your agency’s legal staff. See Assignments in TexPayment Resources.

For questions, please contact Payment Services.

The interest rate the state pays on a late payment due to a vendor under the state’s prompt payment law will be 6.00 percent for fiscal 2019. The interest calculation is one percentage point higher than the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day of July.

See Interest Rate on eXpendit (FPP I.005) for more information.

State agencies and institutions of higher education must report certain salary supplements to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the State Auditor’s Office and the Secretary of State no later than Sept. 15.

For complete information including instructions and online report form, see Salary Supplements Paid From Sources Other Than Appropriated Funds (FPP F.031).

Per Texas Government Code, Section 403.273, the property manager of each state agency must conduct an annual physical inventory of the trust, capitalized and controlled personal property (excluding libraries and historical arts and treasures) in the agency’s possession. The inventory must be completed by Aug. 31.

Agencies must then submit to the Comptroller’s office by Sept. 20 the Certification of Physical Inventory Conducted by Agency (73-283) form for fiscal 2018 with the signature of the agency head or designee.

For more information, see Certification of Physical Inventory in Chapter 2 of the SPA Process User’s Guide.

The Treasury Operations’ Web Warrant Inquiry and Cancellation System (WWIC) (login required) has a new edit that checks for hold status on cancelled warrants.

When cancelling a warrant that is on hold, WWIC defaults the Cancel Reason to 304 Warrant on Hold. This change was made to:

• Assist agencies with statutory compliance that requires consent from the hold source agencies before a warrant is cancelled
• Alert agencies that the warrant is on hold and not lost when a payee reports they did not receive the warrant

Note that a held warrant may be cancelled after it is released from hold. Agencies are advised to check the Payee Held Warrants Released (PYWTHR) screen in TINS. If listed on PYWTHR, the agency does not need to seek approval, since the warrant is no longer on hold, but must still select Cancel Reason 304 Warrant on Hold.

For questions, contact Payment Services.

Financial reporting analysts can help agencies reconcile the 2018 annual financial report (AFR) to USAS either by phone or during scheduled work sessions. Prior to scheduling a work session or making travel arrangements for a work session, agencies must attempt to complete the fiscal year-end USAS entries.

Contact your agency’s financial reporting analyst if you encounter problems with USAS entries. Your analyst may request copies of the USAS entries. If the issue cannot be resolved by phone or email, then you may schedule a work session.

Agencies that reimburse employees for state-related hotel stays are due a refund for the associated hotel occupancy taxes. USAS automatically generates the refunds each quarter.

The hotel occupancy tax refund for June through July will be available on DAFR reports 8190 and 8200 on Aug. 9.

For more information, refer to Hotel Occupancy Tax Quarterly Refund (FPP B.006).

Institutions of higher education must report certain information about jobs and reappointments at the beginning of each fiscal year. Submit reappointment information via electronic file transfer (EFT) by:

• Sept. 5: EFT #1 — Classifications and Carriers
• Sept. 7: EFT #2 — Reappointments for Fiscal 2019
• Sept. 14: EFT #3 — Terminations for Fiscal 2018

The HRIS September maintenance deadline is Oct. 7. See HRIS Higher Education Reporting Procedures for Reappointments (FPP M.003) for reappointment details and instructions.

USPS agencies must use the fiscal 2018 USPS Fiscal Year-End Close Manual and USPS Year-End Close Schedule to correctly prepare files for the 2018 fiscal year-end close.

For complete information, including training calendar and links to the manual/schedule, see USPS Fiscal Year-End Close Process (FPP R.016).

The multi-system user group meeting is scheduled for July 24 from 10 – 11 a.m. in the Travis Building, Room 1-100.

All system user groups will be combined to include USPS, SPRS, HRIS, CAPPS Central and CAPPS Hub. The primary topic will be emergency leave.

See Payroll Systems User Group Meetings for the meeting agenda, which includes teleconferencing instructions and contact information.

All simplified and full reporting agencies are required to complete and submit every GASB Questionnaire by Aug. 15. The Reporting Requirements’ GASB Questionnaires page provides:

• Descriptions of each GASB questionnaire (links to each interactive GASB questionnaire will be emailed directly to each agency)
• PDF previews of each questionnaire
• More information regarding GASB requirements within the AFR website

If you have questions about any GASB questionnaire, contact your financial reporting analyst.

CAPPS Central agencies must follow CAPPS HR/Payroll Year-End Processing Instructions (FPP T.003) to properly prepare for the fiscal year-end process.

The system will be unavailable beginning at 5 p.m. on Aug. 31through close of business on Sept. 3. Normal activities will resume at 7 a.m. on Sept. 4.

The effective start date for budget T-codes 001, 003, 006, 009, 012, 015, 018, 021, 036, 039, 040, 041, 042 and 043 will be changed to “09012018” at 7 a.m. on Nov. 2.

Fiscal Management’s Financial Reporting section verifies general revenue information submitted by state agencies and needs to ensure that agencies cannot backdate entries, which would change the agency’s general revenue amount.

The general revenue reconciliation certification is due Nov. 1. If you have questions about these changes, contact your financial reporting analyst.

Fiscal 2019 appropriation budgets must be entered into USAS and all required documentation submitted by July 27.

Budget entry and documentation submission must be completed before appropriation control officers can approve a budget setup.

For more information including schedule spreadsheets (Excel), instructions, definitions and samples, see Establishing Appropriations by Method of Finance, Rider and Capital Budget Schedules (FPP A.020).

The USAS annual cash-basis close for fiscal 2018 will occur on Friday, Aug. 31. The instructions, including important deadlines for submitting documents, are now available in USAS Annual Close Process (FPP Q.004).

Detailed information by appropriation year, including deadlines, can be found at Scheduling Critical Payments at Year-End.

Agencies using CAPPS Financials need to also follow CAPPS Financials Year-End Processing Instructions (FPP T.001).

Please see the 2018 Master Schedule of Year-End Close Events that includes:

• Processing deadlines
• Dates and times the online systems will be unavailable
• Contacts for any issues

SPRS agencies must process transactions in the prescribed order for the rollover to fiscal 2019. See SPRS Fiscal Year-End Processing Instructions for the Rollover to Fiscal 2019 (FPP O.002) for complete information.