President Obama has signed an executive order with the stated intent of reducing improper payments by intensifying efforts to eliminate payment error, waste, fraud, and abuse in the major programs administered by the federal government.
It calls on OMB to within 90 days identify the federal programs in which the highest dollar value or majority of government-wide improper payments occur, establish targets for reducing improper payments associated with high-priority programs, and establish a working group consisting of federal, state, and local officials to make recommendations to OMB designed to improve the measurement of access to federal programs by the programs’ intended beneficiaries.
The order also directs the heads of agencies responsible for operating high priority programs to designate an official who holds an existing Senate-confirmed position to be accountable for meeting targets for reducing as well as recovering improper payments.
Within 180 days the government must publish online information about improper payments under high-priority programs, including the names of accountable officials, the order said.
It said that with 180 days Treasury must also establish a website where anyone can submit information about suspected incidents of waste, fraud, and abuse by an entity receiving federal funds that have led or may lead to improper payments by the federal government.
Under the order agencies would be required to place a prominent link to that website on their homepages. Implementing guidance is forthcoming.
