FEMA Cerro Grande Claims: Payments Properly Processed, but Reporting Could Be Improved
GAO-04-129
Published: Dec 24, 2003. Publicly Released: Dec 24, 2003.
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Highlights
The Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Act (CGFAA) mandated that GAO annually audit all claim payments made to compensate the victims of the Cerro Grande Fire in northern New Mexico. For this third report on this topic, GAO determined whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is now a part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, (1) paid fire claims in accordance with applicable guidance and (2) implemented corrective actions to address prior GAO recommendations, including determining if FEMA properly reported claim payments to the Congress.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response | The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Under Secretary of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate to include summary-level claim information in its annual report to the Congress, including amounts claimed, approved, and paid and remaining estimated program liabilities. |
Closed – Implemented
In FEMA's fiscal year 2004 annual report to the Congress on Cerro Grande, dated November 17, 2004, it disclosed the recommended summary-level claim information on amounts claimed, approved, and paid to date. Additionally, in January 2005, FEMA provided the amount of remaining estimated program liabilities.
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Audit reportsAuditing standardsClaimsClaims processingDamage claimsPaymentsReporting requirementsPolicies and proceduresHomeland securityEmergency preparedness