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Published: January, 2023

Evaluating the Department of Commerce’s Major Economic Development Incentive Programs

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Evaluating the Department of Commerce’s Major Economic Development Incentive Programs

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The Department of Commerce has 5 major incentive programs that it uses to incent economic development in Kansas. Those programs are the High Performance Incentive Program (HPIP), Job Creation Fund (JCF), Kansas Industrial Training (KIT), Kansas Industrial Retraining (KIR), and Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK). As part of this audit, we used a research-based model to estimate the economic impacts, tax effects, and total return on investment for 28 projects that we selected. Based on model results from those 28 projects, we estimate all 5 of Commerce’s major economic development incentive programs will generate positive total returns on investment. However, we estimate they won’t cover their own costs to the state through higher tax revenues. For example, all 5 programs appeared to generate economic impacts that are greater than their costs. But none of the programs appear to generate enough tax effects to cover their costs.

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Published: December, 2022

Evaluating New Economic Development Incentive Programs Created in 2021

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Evaluating New Economic Development Incentive Programs Created in 2021

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N/A

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Published: December, 2022

3 Year Summary of Security Controls in Selected State and Local Entities (2020-2022)

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3 Year Summary of Security Controls in Selected State and Local Entities (2020-2022)

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We completed 21 audits on 16 agencies and 4 school districts between CY 2020 and 2022 (1 entity was audited twice during this time period). This summary report shows 10 of the 21 entities did not substantially comply with applicable IT security standards and best practices. Entities struggled with properly scanning and patching their computers. Entities also had compliance problems because they did not create, maintain, or test incident response plans or continuity of operations plans. Other significant issues included poor security awareness training or failed social engineering tests. Almost half the entities had significant management, contract, or policy-related weaknesses. Additional security weaknesses included inadequate account security controls, poor encryption, back up, or destruction processes of sensitive data. We also noted several entities had inadequate network boundary protection or had poor access or environmental controls for their data centers. Lastly, we identified significant security issues within agencies’ specific IT systems. The findings in this report are similar to those in previous summary IT reports. The main reasons for compliance problems across the 20 entities included insufficient top management attention and inadequate resources.

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Published: September, 2022

IT Security Audit – Great Bend

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IT Security Audit – Great Bend

Audit Statement

Under the provisions of K.S.A. 46-1135, the Legislative Division of Post Audit conducts information technology security audits of state agencies. Every three years, we conduct a risk assessment which we then use to select agencies for review. The audits compare the selected agency’s security practices to a number of the IT security standards adopted by the state’s Information Technology Executive Council, as well as a handful of best practices for emerging technology issues. This report is kept permanently confidential under K.S.A. 45-221(a)(12)&(45) because release of the information could jeopardize the agency’s IT security. No corresponding public report has been issued.

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Published: September, 2022

Kansas Bureau of Investigation ABIS Project (April 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022 Period)

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Kansas Bureau of Investigation ABIS Project (April 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022 Period)

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N/A

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Published: September, 2022

Reviewing Connectivity Emergency Response Grants (CERG) for Broadband Development

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Reviewing Connectivity Emergency Response Grants (CERG) for Broadband Development

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To increase connectivity in unserved and underserved areas in Kansas in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Department of Commerce (Commerce) and other stakeholders developed the Connectivity Emergency Response Grants program in 2020. The program received $50 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Commerce awarded about $48.5 million of that funding in connectivity grants to the internet service providers and Kansas communities that applied. 66 grants went to 39 entities across seven regions of Kansas. South Central Kansas received about $14 million. Southwest Kansas received about $11 million. Northeast Kansas received about $9 million. Southeast and East Central Kansas received just over $5 million each. North Central and Northwest Kansas received around $550,000 or less. The North Central and Northwest regions also requested the least in CERG funding.

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Published: September, 2022

COVID Relief Funding Distribution

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COVID Relief Funding Distribution

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In response to the COVID pandemic, the federal government enacted six major relief bills totaling over $5 trillion. The federal government allocated about $34 billion to the state of Kansas. Out of that, the state had discretion on how to spend about $2.6 billion. In May 2020, the governor established the Office of Recovery and created a taskforce to distribute and administer certain COVID relief funds. The state distributed CARES Act discretionary funding through a 3 round process that involved the SPARK taskforce and the State Finance Council. About $1.6 billion in ARPA funds are currently being distributed through legislative appropriation and the SPARK taskforce. The state's distribution of CARES Act funding appeared appropriate and reasonable. Most of the CARES Act expenditures we reviewed were likely allowable under federal spending rules. However, some expenditures appeared wasteful or raised other concerns even though the expenditure may be allowable under federal rules. Federal rules likely contributed to the problems we encountered.

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Published: September, 2022

A Comparison of Virtual School Expenditures and Outcomes in Kansas and Other States

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A Comparison of Virtual School Expenditures and Outcomes in Kansas and Other States

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Virtual school programs are an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Most of the state-run virtual school programs we identified still allowed local districts to operate virtual school programs, but we could not compare student outcomes or expenditures between states. In Kansas, local school districts operate virtual school programs. 105 school districts out of the 286 Kansas school districts spent at least $50 million on virtual school programs in the 2020-21 school year. We reviewed 4 state-run models, 3 of which also offered district operated virtual school programs like Kansas. A lack of data limited our comparison of other states' virtual school program expenditures and outcomes. Data reliability issues prevented us from evaluating outcomes for virtual students in Kansas.

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Published: July, 2022

IT Security Audit – Office of Attorney General

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IT Security Audit – Office of Attorney General

Audit Statement

Under the provisions of K.S.A. 46-1135, the Legislative Division of Post Audit conducts information technology security audits of state agencies. Every three years, we conduct a risk assessment which we then use to select agencies for review. The audits compare the selected agency’s security practices to a number of the IT security standards adopted by the state’s Information Technology Executive Council, as well as a handful of best practices for emerging technology issues. This report is kept permanently confidential under K.S.A. 45-221(a)(12)&(45) because release of the information could jeopardize the agency’s IT security. No corresponding public report has been issued.

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Published: July, 2022

IT Security Audit – Department of Labor

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IT Security Audit – Department of Labor

Audit Statement

Under the provisions of K.S.A. 46-1135, the Legislative Division of Post Audit conducts information technology security audits of state agencies. Every three years, we conduct a risk assessment which we then use to select agencies for review. The audits compare the selected agency’s security practices to a number of the IT security standards adopted by the state’s Information Technology Executive Council, as well as a handful of best practices for emerging technology issues. This report is kept permanently confidential under K.S.A. 45-221(a)(12)&(45) because release of the information could jeopardize the agency’s IT security. No corresponding public report has been issued.

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Published: July, 2022

Availability, Cost, and Quality of Centralized IT Security Services

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Availability, Cost, and Quality of Centralized IT Security Services

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The 2018 Kansas Cybersecurity Act created the Kansas Information Security Office (KISO) to reduce state agencies’ cybersecurity risk. KISO offers agencies 3 cybersecurity service levels--basic, intermediate, and advanced--that appear to align with the Cybersecurity Act requirements we could review. However, KISO’s services may not have as many effects as the Legislature intended because few agencies use intermediate or advanced services. Agency officials we surveyed had mostly positive opinions about KISO’s services but officials may not always know what their agencies’ needs are or what KISO services they receive. That may be because KISO’s communication with agencies isn’t proactive enough. KISO is funded through fees it collects from agencies. Its revenues appeared to be less than its costs in fiscal years 2020-2021. But we don't know if KISO’s services are cost-effective because of data limitations and neither do KISO officials or most of the 7 agencies we interviewed. KISO officials described steps they take to limit their costs, some of which may have unintended negative effects.

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Published: July, 2022

Reviewing Issues Related to State Cryptocurrency Tax Policies

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Reviewing Issues Related to State Cryptocurrency Tax Policies

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Kansas’s cryptocurrency tax policies generally aligned with federal policies, but some of those policies have been difficult to enforce in recent years. Federal tax policy is set up to tax cryptocurrency in several ways. Kansas’s income tax code mirrors federal tax policy. As a result, the state should receive income tax revenue from cryptocurrency transactions. However, it’s unlikely Kansas receives all income tax revenue from cryptocurrency transactions because of a lack of federal reporting guidelines. Finally, state governments have yet to agree on a set of best practices regarding the taxation of cryptocurrencies.

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Evaluating the Department of Commerce’s Major Economic Development Incentive Programs

Evaluating the Department of Commerce’s Major Economic Development Incentive Programs

Report Abstract

Evaluating New Economic Development Incentive Programs Created in 2021

Evaluating New Economic Development Incentive Programs Created in 2021

Report Abstract

3 Year Summary of Security Controls in Selected State and Local Entities (2020-2022)

3 Year Summary of Security Controls in Selected State and Local Entities (2020-2022)

Report Abstract

IT Security Audit – Great Bend

IT Security Audit – Great Bend

Audit Statement

Kansas Bureau of Investigation ABIS Project (April 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022 Period)

Kansas Bureau of Investigation ABIS Project (April 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022 Period)

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Reviewing Connectivity Emergency Response Grants (CERG) for Broadband Development

Reviewing Connectivity Emergency Response Grants (CERG) for Broadband Development

Report Abstract

COVID Relief Funding Distribution

COVID Relief Funding Distribution

Report Abstract

A Comparison of Virtual School Expenditures and Outcomes in Kansas and Other States

A Comparison of Virtual School Expenditures and Outcomes in Kansas and Other States

Report Abstract

IT Security Audit – Office of Attorney General

IT Security Audit – Office of Attorney General

Audit Statement

IT Security Audit – Department of Labor

IT Security Audit – Department of Labor

Audit Statement

Availability, Cost, and Quality of Centralized IT Security Services

Availability, Cost, and Quality of Centralized IT Security Services

Report Abstract

Reviewing Issues Related to State Cryptocurrency Tax Policies

Reviewing Issues Related to State Cryptocurrency Tax Policies

Report Abstract