On April 30, 2025, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the following audits of state departments and agencies have been issued.
Department of Motor Vehicles – Language Access Services (Follow-Up) (2024-F-33)
New York State Executive Law expanded the State’s language access policy requiring translation of vital documents into the 12 most common non-English languages and Executive agencies to publish a Language Access Plan (Plan) to ensure meaningful access to services for Limited English Proficiency New Yorkers. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), one of the agencies required to develop and follow a Plan, operates 31 public-facing offices and 100 public-facing office locations operated by the County Clerks (County DMVs). A prior audit, issued in October 2023, found that some offices were not using Language Line for interpretation services, as required by the Plan. Auditors also determined that, due to gaps in the law, DMV did not have sufficient authority to enforce its language access policies at County DMVs despite these offices accounting for over 75% of the total customer-facing DMV offices. DMV officials made some progress in addressing the five recommendations in the initial audit report, implementing two and partially implementing three.
New York City Department of Transportation – Street Construction-Related Permits (Follow-Up) (2024-F-20)
The New York City Department of Transportation’s (DOT) issues 150 different types of sidewalk and roadway construction permits. A prior audit, issued in June 2022, found that DOT did not perform all required inspections, did not set a time frame for inspectors to return to reinspect after issuance of Corrective Action Requests or Notices of Immediate Corrective Action, and did not ensure that applicants complied with registration and permit application requirements. DOT officials made some progress in addressing the initial report’s nine recommendations, implementing two, partially implementing six, and not implementing one.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority – Management and Maintenance of Non-Revenue Service Vehicles (Follow-Up) (2024-F-16)
Under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City Transit (Transit) is responsible for operating the subways and most of the public bus service throughout New York City, and MTA Bus Company (MTA Bus) provides bus service in portions of the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn, and express routes from those boroughs to Manhattan. Transit and MTA Bus are responsible for the acquisition, maintenance, disposition, and preventive maintenance of the non-revenue service vehicles in their fleet. A prior audit, issued in January 2023, found that Transit and MTA Bus did not always adhere to their own guidance or practice to provide annual service and service based on mileage intervals as part of preventive maintenance on their vehicles. The MTA made some progress in addressing the 11 recommendations in the initial audit report, implementing four, partially implementing two, and not implementing five.
Empire State Development – Oversight of Select High-Technology Projects (Follow-Up) (2024-F-19)
Empire State Development (ESD) is the chief agency responsible for the coordination of the State’s economic development programs. ESD supports high-technology (high-tech) sectors—highly valued targets of economic development—by providing loans and grants and administering tax credit programs. A prior audit, issued in August 2020, found that, while ESD had effective practices for monitoring specific programs, it had not adequately monitored other high-tech projects within the SUNY Polytechnic and/or Buffalo Billion portfolio to ensure that taxpayer money was effectively spent and was producing the intended results. Despite millions of dollars of State funding, selected high-tech projects had yet to create the expected number of jobs. ESD officials made progress in addressing the initial report’s three recommendations, implementing one and partially implementing two.
Hudson River–Black River Regulating District – Security Over Critical Systems (Follow-Up) (2025-F-5)
The Hudson River–Black River Regulating District (HRBRRD) is a New York State public benefit corporation that regulates the flow of streams or rivers when required by public welfare. HRBRRD must adhere to the Office of Information Technology Services’ (ITS) policies, including ITS’ Information Security Policy and Acceptable Use Policy, for its IT assets and abide by Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). A prior audit, issued in January 2024, found that HRBRRD could improve in some areas to better meet PCI DSS requirements, including documenting certain policies and procedures. HRBRRD officials made significant progress in addressing the issue identified in the initial audit report, implementing the one recommendation from the initial report.