All correspondence must be made through the Vendor Portal. Specifications include, but are not limited to: 2.1 Audits awarded by this RFQ shall be performed in accordance with GAAS, and will additionally require compliance testing and a study of internal accounting controls. The Contractor shall be required to certify that each and every audit is performed in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) regulations, and in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to include the following guidelines: 2.1.1 GASB 34 Requirements when in relation to Trust Funds reported as internal service funds of the County.; 2.1.2 The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) - a federal law that requires the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information (PHI) from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge.; 2.1.3 IRS regulations and filings for PCORI Fees including IRS Form 5500 and any accompanying documents.; 2.1.4 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) thresholds as set forth by the IRS.; 2.1.5 The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) – Federal regulation that requires continuation of group health benefits be offered to eligible employees.; 2.2 The contractor’s audit shall include, but not limited to, an examination of the following areas: 2.2.1 Benefit Payments; 2.2.2 Employer and Employee Contributions; 2.2.3 Investment Income; 2.2.4 Administrative Expenses; 2.2.5 Data of Participants; 2.2.6 Plan Obligations and Liabilities; 2.3 The contractor’s report shall include an assessment on the following areas of internal control: 2.3.1 Segregation of Duties: Procedures in place for double checking work, decreasing clerical error, and reducing the chance that any one employee has the opportunity to commit fraud.; 2.3.2 Controlled Access: Internal controls in place to make sure only authorized individuals can access assets and have access to the organization’s network.; 2.3.3 Authorization: Procedures in place for authorizing financial statements and specific transactions.; 2.3.4 Record Keeping: Ensure financial statements prepared with general ledger reports and other schedules.; 2.3.5 Verification: Manager approval and/or review of critical general ledger accounts and financial statements for accuracy.; 2.4 The financial statement audit shall be performed prior to December 31, 2022, and the final report shall be issued by December 31st, for the same fiscal year in which the audit is being performed.; 2.4.1 Field work and Draft report shall be completed and submitted by December 1st. At this time, the contractor shall review the findings of the financial statements and internal controls with Pinal County Office of Budget and Finance. The department shall have an opportunity to respond to the findings and create a correction action plan at this point.; 2.4.2 Final audit report package along with Management, Discussion Analysis and GASB required supplementary information shall be submitted by December 31st.; 2.5 At the beginning of each fiscal year, the contractor shall provide a comprehensive project plan to address auditing services as needed by the County.