E-Financial Transactions Issues

1. E-Collections
This Issue Group will be focused on the legal & administrative issues which surround receipt of payments. In recognition of chronic concerns expressed by state controllers and treasurers, particular emphasis will be placed on federal payments, including identification of, and remittance data for, drawdowns.

Another areas of attention within this issue group are credit cards – from the merchant/receiving end. Fees charged for credit card processing have hampered many efforts to web-enable or otherwise automate government processes. This group will explore both options to drive down fees within current parameters and to organize efforts to recognize government transactions as a special, low-risk category.

Online bill presentment for government (from, and to, vendors) will be another topic for this group – with the input & cooperation of the eDisbursements group. Cost savings, improved administrative flows, audit concerns, and risk in using this method of billing will be discussed.

E-Collections Project Group Members: Kara LaPierre (Chair),  Rod Armstrong, Dr. Harsh Virma, Bob Allen, Jerry Johnson and Herb Rochman.

2. E-Disbursement
The E-Disbursements workgroup was formed as a subwork group of the E-Financial Transactions Group. It will be our mission to provide insight to workgroup members and other interested parties regarding the mechanic’s of electronic disbursement of money to include the remittance of payment related information. We will need to develop an understanding of current regulatory requirements, operational responsibilities and liabilities of originators, financial institutions, vendors, and receivers. This would be accomplished with teleconference presentations from the different participants in the process. Through this education process we will develop a network of contacts for members to utilize for assistance in resolving EFT questions, implementing new programs and act as a sounding board for new ideas

As a greater understanding of EFT-structure is completed an evaluation would be made by group members as to the need to recommend changes in the industry that would provide for better efficiencies for the parties involved.

E-Disbursement Project Group Members: Mary Brock (Chair), Steve Allison, Angie Billings, Les Usiak, Ruth Walters and Keith Baker.

3. Audit Guidance (Description coming)
The audit guidance workgroup is committed to facilitating the education of auditors to insure they are prepared to provide assistance to build controls as e-government is developed in their states, assess risk, and give assurance that proper controls are in place over these electronic transactions. The workgroup will accomplish this through the following mechanisms.

· Monitoring trends and prioritizing what specific issues auditors should focus on in the current environment

· Educational white papers

· Specific audit programs

· Providing links to related web-site with information on auditing electronic commerce.

Audit Guidence Project Group Members: Nancy Rainosek (Chair) and Mark Matlock.

If you are interested in any of these issues, please contact Brandon W. Lenoir, nasactbl@sso.org, to volunteer.