U.S. Government Standard General Ledger Board and Issues Resolution Committee Meeting Minutes

April 28, 2005

GENERAL ITEMS

Judy Yuran (FMS) Judy Yuran (FMS) opened the meeting with introductions and a brief review of the meeting agenda. We will review changes to the USSGL fiscal year 2005 crosswalks today. The fiscal 2006 crosswalks will be brought to the IRC once the revised OMB Form and Content is released. This should be some time in June.

HANDOUTS

• Revision to Fund Balance With Treasury as it relates to Continuing Resolutions, dated April 21, 2005
  
  
• Balance Transfers - Unexpired TAFS to Expired TAFS (USSGL 4192) For Foreign Currency Fluctuations - Use only with OMB approval, dated April 26, 2005
  
  
• U.S. Government Standard General Ledger Summary of Changes, dated April 28, 2005
  
  
• Proposed Changes to the USSGL Crosswalks for Fiscal 2005:
  
  

  - FACTS II Attribute Table

  - FMS 2108

  - SF 133

  - OMB Balance Sheet

  - OMB Budget Program and Financing Schedule

  - OMB Statement of Financing

  - FMS GFRS Reclassified Balance Sheet

AGENDA ITEMS:

Fund Balance with Treasury
Melinda Pope discussed the proposed technical changes to USSGL account 1010, "Fund Balance With Treasury." The change acknowledges the negative balance effect of continuing resolutions on FBWT when an FMS warrant has not yet been issued. The definition was also revised to differentiate between the Department of Treasury bureaus and the General Fund of the Treasury.

Balance Transfers Unexpired to Expired TAFS
Keith Mertz (FMS) presented a proposal to account for balance transfers for unexpired to expired TAFS and new USSGL account 4192, "Balance Transfers - Unexpired TAFS to Expired TAFS." Currently, DoD is the only agency authorized to use the account. He noted that the use of this new account will be authorized by OMB on a case-by-case basis. Keith asked the agency representatives to review their activity and let him know if they think they may use the account. The "with OMB approval" statement will be included in the account definition. The new process is needed to minimize the effect of foreign currency fluctuations on the budget in expired TAFS. Page 3 of the handout illustrates reporting for the new account in P&F lines 2235 and 7340; however, OMB and FMS have not finalized their decision on mapping to the P&F. This accounting scenario will be available on the USSGL Web site in the specialized scenarios section.

2005 Statement of Financing Crosswalk
Melinda Pope (FMS) presented the USSGL crosswalk for the OMB Statement of Financing. For line 16, a distinction is made between exchange and nonexchange for the USSGL accounts that are added. This is to promote consistency with Form and Content.

2005 Yearend Closing Statement (FMS 2108) Crosswalk
Toni Clark (FMS) presented changes to the FMS 2108. In column 10, she added the new early implemented account 4320, "Adjustment for Changes in Prior-Year Allocation of Budgetary Resources." The IRC requested that a comment be added in the Additional Information Required (AIR) field, "used by SSA only" to assist with the audit process within their agencies.

2005 Form and Content Balance Sheet Crosswalk
Gwen Marshman (FMS) presented changes to the OMB Balance Sheet statement and the FMS GFRS Closing Package Reclassified Balance Sheet crosswalks. The GFRS TFM is in the third and final draft and will be released to agencies very soon. The changes to the USSGL crosswalk are reflective of the GFRS draft. We do not expect any additional changes for 2005.

2005 FACTS II Attribute Table
Karen Metler (FMS) presented changes to the FACTS II Attribute table. She will be adding the 2 new early implemented accounts 4192 and 4320 for fiscal 2005 reporting. They will be bolded with the footnote that indicates the purpose for bolded accounts on the crosswalk ("early implemented accounts," i.e., FACTS II will accommodate these accounts for 2005). Kim Klein (NOAA) asked why the credit cohort column for loans appropriation was deleted on the FACTS II attribute table. This may have occurred when the table was realigned last year. Karen will research and correct, if necessary.

Program and Financing Schedule Crosswalk
Karen presented changes to the crosswalk for the OMB Budget Program and Financing Schedule (P&F). OMB has designated specific fund symbols to record USSGL 4119, and there will be a validation check in FACTS II. Karen informed Barbara Harbell (DOE) that OMB has established line 5500 that should accommodate DOE's Clean Coal activity.

Mixed Funding
JFMIP system requirements separate appropriation and revenue funding. This affects intragovernmental eliminations when transferring special fund revenue and appropriation transfers. The USSGL has said that funding that is received first should be the first spent when there is mixed funding, but only if the law does not specify otherwise. The USSGL staff asked IRC members their opinion of the appropriate place for guidance on mixed funding. There was a suggestion that it should be in a USSGL scenario. One example of a problem caused by the lack of guidance is a transfer situation between NRC and DoE that use different accounting methods, which is causing a difference in agency eliminations. The IRC suggested that the guidance should also be included in the Form and Content for the Statement of Changes in Net Position.

The decision was made to revise one or more of the transfer scenarios to include the mixed funding issue and include a bullet point on the Introductory page of the USSGL Section III Accounting Transactions. In addition, it was mentioned that there may be an edit for SF 1151s that will require the source agency to include USSGL account 3100 or 5700.

Direct Appropriations in Special Fund TAFS
There was a discussion on feeder accounts going away for 30 or so direct appropriation TAFS and 15 or so special fund TAFS. There was a discussion on whether or not trust and special funds that receive direct appropriations from the General Fund of the Treasury should be invested. In theory, the answer is no, with some exceptions. Another question was mentioned as to if there is anything in writing to support this. The USSGL staff will conduct some research and reply to the IRC at a future date.

ATTENDEES: Judy Yuran, FMS
Melinda Pope, FMS
Karen Metler, FMS
Karl Foltz, FMS
Keith Mertz, FMS
Gwen Marshman, FMS
Toni Clark, FMS
Shadonna Broaddus, FMS
Tranise Travis, FMS
Marilyn Evans, DHS
Barbara Harbell, DOE
Patrice Cousins, NSF
Kim Williams, USDA
Cheryl Parker, USDA
Tonya Hobson, USDA
Godwin Okoro, FCC
Teresa Lampkin, DOT
Christine Chang, DOT
Don Dispanet, HUD
Traci Carroll, HUD
Gregory Parker, HUD
Joseph Henry, SBA
Grace Kim, Dept of Education
Gail Matthews, Dept of Education
Tara Tucker, Dept of Education
Christine Kent, OPM
Maryla Engelking, DoD
Barbara Hill, DoD
Lodi Holzbaur, DOC
Janet Erbacher, GSA
Stephen Hull, SSA