§240h. Annual report on auditable financial statements

(a) In General.-Not later than January 30 of each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes a ranking of all of the military departments and Defense Agencies in order of how advanced each such department and Agency is in achieving auditable financial statements, as required by law. In preparing the report, the Secretary shall seek to exclude information that is otherwise available in other reports to Congress.

(b) Bottom Quartile.-Not later than June 30 of each year, the head of each of the military departments and Defense Agencies that were ranked in the bottom quartile of the report submitted under subsection (a) for that year shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes the following information for that military department or Defense Agency:

(1) A description of the material weaknesses of the military department or Defense Agency.

(2) The underlying causes of such weaknesses.

(3) A plan for remediating such weaknesses.

(4) The total number of open audit notices of findings and recommendations (hereinafter referred to as "NFRs") for the most recently concluded fiscal year and the preceding two fiscal years, where applicable.

(5) The number of repeat or reissued NFRs from the most recently concluded fiscal year.

(6) The number of NFRs that were previously forecasted to be closed during the most recently concluded fiscal year that remain open.

(7) The number of closed NFRs during the current fiscal year and prior fiscal years.

(8) The number of material weaknesses that were validated by external auditors as fully resolved or downgraded in the current fiscal year over prior fiscal years.

(9) A breakdown by fiscal years in which open NFRs are forecasted to be closed.

(10) Explanations for unfavorable trends in the information under paragraphs (1) through (9).

(Added Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title X, §1004(a)(1), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1572 .)