60 Minutes, Audits, Online Notarization, and More

newsletter from Secretary of State Bev Clarno

900 Court Street NE, Salem, Oregon 97310  -  oregon.sos@oregon.gov


News from the Secretary of State

60 Minutes

Last month, I discussed Oregon’s vote-by-mail system with Bill Whitaker on 60 Minutes. Oregon’s system is very secure and produces some of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. As I’ve said before, we have 20 years of experience that proves vote-by-mail is a success. You can watch the segment, which aired on June 28, here.

Audits Division

DOJ Contract Review Services

performance audit

In addition to supporting Oregon’s District Attorneys and law enforcement agencies, the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) provides legal advice and counsel to all state agencies. Whenever state agencies engage in contracts exceeding $150,000, they are required by law to send those contracts to DOJ for review and approval. On June 17, the Audits Division released a report that found while state agencies are generally satisfied with DOJ’s contract review services, DOJ’s ability to evaluate and ensure the timeliness and cost-effectiveness of those services is limited. To address these concerns, the audit recommends that DOJ develop a formal performance management strategy, including metrics to track attorney workload and ensure that its services are provided efficiently. The audit also found that, while DOJ is pursuing a change to how it bills state agencies for its services, it should address specific technical details as it moves forward with that change. You can read the full report here.

Keeping Oregon Accountable

financial audit

Every year, the Audits Division audits the state’s financial statements and compliance with federal law in administering federal programs — together, these reports comply with the federal Single Audit Act, which is required for the state to receive over $12 billion in federal funds. These two audits are summarized in the annual “Keeping Oregon Accountable” report. On June 18, the division released this year’s report, in which it identified state accounting errors totaling $1.3 billion — although with no evidence of fraud — as well as $2.8 million in questionable expenditures of federal funds. It’s my hope that agency management will strive to improve controls to address these errors before next year’s report is released. You can read the full report here.

Students Experiencing Disabilities

On June 24, the Audits Division released a report which found that, from 2018 to 2019, only 33.4% of children under the age of three who experienced disabilities received an adequate level of educational services. The audit further found that only 6.2% of children with moderate needs and 0.7% of children with high needs from age 3 to Kindergarten received such services, and that older children who enter the school system — particularly in rural areas of the state — may not have their ongoing needs met. The audit highlighted the fact that, while disability services in early childhood programs are coordinated through a statewide case management system, no such system exists for school-age children in grades K-12. While recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges and altered agencies’ priorities, the audit recommends that the Department of Education develop a statewide strategic plan for special education services and take specific steps to improve identification of disabilities, document efforts to improve delivery of services in early childhood, prioritize the transition of children experiencing disabilities from early childhood to school-age programs, increase the availability and retention of special education staff, and improve data sharing for K-12 special education. You can read the full report here.

Remote Online Notarization

On June 30, Governor Brown signed House Bill 4212A into law, legalizing Remote Online Notarization in Oregon. Remote Online Notarization allows consumers and notaries to complete notarizations from the comfort and safety of their homes through an online platform that meets specific technology requirements, including multi-factor identity authentication, secure document upload and transmission, and secure and recorded video conferencing. Notaries are commissioned through the Corporation Division of the Secretary of State’s Office. I’m proud of the work that our Corporation Division did to advocate for the successful passage of HB 4212A. Because of this innovation, Oregonians now have safer options to perform notarizations without sacrificing security or identity protections. This comes at a time when health and safety is particularly crucial. For more information, please visit our website here.

Summer 2020

fossil2

I hope all of you are able to get outside and safely enjoy Oregon’s mountains, lakes, rivers, and beaches this summer with your family. My husband and I had a fantastic time visiting Fossil, Oregon, over the Fourth of July and seeing the beautiful Wheeler County Courthouse. Stay healthy and stay safe this summer.

Sincerely

Bev Clarno signature

Bev Clarno