October, 2021
AFR Deadline [posted 10/29/21]
The deadline for the fiscal 2021 annual financial report (AFR) is Saturday, Nov. 20. The Financial Reporting section strongly recommends that agencies make and release all USAS entries related to the AFR by 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 19.
Agencies that need to make USAS entries on Nov. 20 must use Batch Edit Mode 2 for all entries. No USAS entries for fiscal 2021 may be made after Nov. 20.
All entries for the fiscal 2021 AFR must be backdated using an effective date of 08322021.
Contact your financial reporting analyst for questions about AFR submission requirements and deadlines.
Benefits Proportional by Method of Finance Reports Due [posted 10/29/21]
State agencies and institutions of higher education must ensure payments of benefit costs are proportional to the agency’s or institution’s method of finance, unless another legal provision prohibits proportionality.
Benefits Proportional by Method of Finance Reports and related adjustments are due Nov. 19.
Agencies and institutions funded with a single method of finance must submit a letter confirming this status by Nov. 19.
See Benefits Proportional by Method of Finance (APS 011)(FPP A.010) for more information, including forms and sample letters.
Reminder – Benefit Replacement Pay Leveling Election Due [posted 10/29/21]
State agencies that permit eligible employees to level their benefit replacement pay must update their payroll/personnel systems for December payrolls paid in calendar year 2022.
See Benefit Replacement Pay (BRP) Leveling Election (FPP F.035) for more information.
Semiannual Verification of Users’ Security Access Levels Due [posted 10/28/21]
Security coordinators are required to certify that their records are up to date through a semiannual security verification process that is concurrent for all Fiscal Management applications.
Email sfs.security@cpa.texas.gov with any questions.
USAS 1099 Reporting Procedures [posted 10/25/21]
State agencies and institutions of higher education must file 1099 forms with the IRS (electronically or as hard copies) and mail 1099 forms to recipients by Jan. 31, 2022.
Agencies may request forms in USAS Jan. 4-28, and they will be available for pickup the following business day in the LBJ Building, room G17.
See USAS Procedures for 1099 Reporting for Calendar Year 2021 (FPP E.001) for instructions on requesting 1099 data from USAS.
CBA and CLIBA Payment Procedures [posted 10/22/21]
Entering procurement and travel card transactions in USAS or CAPPS Financials requires special considerations for timely payment reconciliation.
Agencies should review the procedures for entering credit card information into USAS and CAPPS invoice number fields as detailed in the section on central billed account (CBA) and corporate liability individual billed account (CLIBA) numbers in USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023).
See Processing Third-Party Transactions in USAS for Payment/Travel Cards, Direct Bill Payments and Reimbursements (FPP A.043) (login required) for more information. Contact Expenditure Assistance with questions.
Reminder – Budget T-Codes Effective Date Change [posted 10/22/21]
Nov. 2, at 7 a.m., the effective start date for USAS budget T-codes 001, 003, 006, 009, 012, 015, 018, 021, 036, 039, 040, 041, 042 and 043 will be changed to 09012021.
Fiscal Management’s Financial Reporting section verifies general revenue (GR) information submitted by state agencies and must ensure agencies cannot backdate entries, which would change the agency’s GR amount.
The GR Reconciliation Certification is due Nov. 1. Contact your financial reporting analyst with questions.
Reminder – Annual Encumbrance Certification and Automated Lapsing [posted 10/22/21]
Per Encumbrance Report and Lapsing of Appropriations (APS 018) (FPP A.019), state agencies and institutions of higher education must submit the online Annual Certification form by Oct. 30. (The recommended due date for GR consolidated agencies was Sept. 30.)
An automatic lapse program will run in USAS as early as the Nov. 1 nightly cycle.
Final EEO Report [posted 10/15/21]
Final copies of the 2021 Equal Employment Opportunity Report (FPP F.016) will arrive at agencies and institutions of higher education via electronic file transfer on Oct. 28.
Oct. 26 is the deadline for making data corrections. Corrections entered or submitted after this date will not be reflected in the final report. The Comptroller’s office will send the final report to the Civil Rights Division of the Texas Workforce Commission on Oct. 28.
87th Legislature eXpendit/Textravel Updates [posted 10/15/21]
These eXpendit topics were updated to reflect legislative changes:
This Textravel topic was also updated:
Contact Expenditure Assistance with any questions.
Benefit Replacement Pay Leveling Election Due [posted 10/15/21]
State agencies that permit eligible employees to level their benefit replacement pay must update their payroll/personnel systems for December payrolls paid in calendar year 2022.
See Benefit Replacement Pay (BRP) Leveling Election (FPP F.035) for more information.
Fourth Quarter Audit Reports [posted 10/15/21]
Fiscal 2021 fourth-quarter expenditure audit reports are available for view, print and download. See the Audit page for forms, fiscal policies and procedures, and audit contact information.
Subscribe via GovDelivery for quarterly email notifications of audit reports posted.
Reminder – TFOA 2022 Nominations [posted 10/15/21]
Nov. 10 is the deadline to nominate candidates for the 2022 Texas Fiscal Officers Academy (TFOA), a professional development program for state agency fiscal officers. Candidates must be nominated by their executive directors or chief fiscal officers.
The 2022 TFOA curriculum has three week-long sessions:
- The Art of the Budget Process
- Fiscal Management
- Accountability and Transparency
See the TFOA website for details.
USAS and CAPPS Invoice Number and Description Fields [posted 10/08/21]
Transaction entry screens in USAS and CAPPS let state agencies and institutions of higher education enter payment information in the invoice number and description fields.
Never enter confidential or sensitive information such as complete or partial Social Security numbers or information covered by the protected health information prohibition.
See USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023) for more information and to review your agency’s procedures for compliance.
Reminder – SPA/AFR Reconciliation Deadlines [posted 10/08/21]
State agencies (and institutions of higher education reporting to SPA) must annually reconcile SPA ending balances with their annual financial reports (AFRs). Due dates for certifying SPA fiscal balances and Note 2 using the Capital Asset Note Submission System (CANSS) web application are:
- Sept. 20 — GR consolidated agencies
- Oct. 20 — Full reporting agencies
- Nov. 1 — Consolidated university systems (applies only to institutions of higher education reporting to SPA)
See SPA Fiscal Year-End Reconciliation and Certification of Fiscal Balances in Chapter 2 of the SPA Process User's Guide (FPP N.005) for more information.
Reminder – Annual Encumbrance Certification and Automated Lapsing [posted 10/08/21]
By Oct. 30 each year, state agencies and institutions of higher education must lapse appropriation balances above the level needed to satisfy outstanding binding encumbrances and/or payables. All agencies must also submit the online annual certification form by Oct. 30. (Sept. 30 is the recommended due date for GR consolidated to lapse appropriation balances and submit annual certifications.)
An automatic lapse program will run in USAS as early as the Nov. 1 nightly cycle to lapse all unencumbered nonconstruction appropriation balances for all prior appropriation years.
See Encumbrance Report and Lapsing of Appropriations (APS 018) (FPP A.019) for details.
Budget T-Codes Effective Date [posted 10/01/21]
Nov. 2, at 7 a.m., the effective start date for USAS budget T-codes 001, 003, 006, 009, 012, 015, 018, 021, 036, 039, 040, 041, 042 and 043 will be changed to 09012021.
Fiscal Management’s Financial Reporting section verifies general revenue (GR) information submitted by state agencies and must ensure agencies cannot backdate entries, which would change the agency’s GR amount.
The GR Reconciliation Certification is due Nov. 1. Contact your financial reporting analyst with questions.
TFOA Accepting 2022 Nominations [posted 10/01/21]
State agency officials have until Nov. 10 to nominate candidates for the 2022 Texas Fiscal Officers Academy (TFOA), a professional development program for state agency fiscal officers. Candidates must be nominated by their executive directors or chief fiscal officers.
The 2022 TFOA curriculum contains three week-long sessions:
- The Art of the Budget Process
- Fiscal Management
- Accountability and Transparency
See the TFOA website for details.
Reminder – Preliminary EEO Report [posted 10/01/21]
Preliminary copies of the 2021 Equal Employment Opportunity Report (FPP F.016) will arrive at agencies and institutions of higher education via electronic file transfer on Oct. 14 with each agency’s regular daily downloads.
Deadlines:
- Oct. 21 – Preliminary Equal Employment Opportunity Report Acknowledgment form due
- Oct. 26 – Data corrections due
Data corrections entered or submitted after Oct. 26 will not be reflected in the final report issued on Oct. 28.