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Consent-General Government # 15.
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| Board of Supervisors |
Financial Services |
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| Subject |
| Adopt revision to the County's Purchase Card Policy. (No general fund impact) (Rinde/Pistochini) |
| Recommended Action |
| Adopt revision to the County's Purchase Card Policy. |
| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
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In Support of All Goals (Internal Departments Only) |
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| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
The Purchase Card Policy details how County employees are to use purchase cards, which are functionally similar to a credit card, during the course of County business. Purchase cards provide an expedient way to purchase low value items as needs arise. All purchases must have supporting documentation to justify the need and reasonableness for the purchase. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) administers the County's purchase card program. DFS requires a copy of all supporting documentation in the performance the department's program administration and/or internal audit functions.
Often, purchase cards used at the Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) are used to purchase items for clients. The supporting documentation may include protected health information (PHI) or the client's personal identifying information (PII). HHSA identified that in order to strictly comply with federal Health Information Portability and Accountability Act law (HIPAA) that supporting documentation containing PHI or PII cannot be sent to DFS unless DFS undertakes certain steps HIPAA. These steps include keeping the information in a secure area, authorizing certain DFS employees who can access that information, and requiring authorized staff to complete HIPAA training. After a collaborative effort involving County Counsel, HHSA, Innovation & Technology Services, and an independent consultant, the new section 8 of this policy will resolve the HIPAA related concern. Upon adoption of this policy, supporting documentation containing PHI/PII will resume flowing from HHSA to DFS allowing required oversight of purchases under the Purchase Card program to resume. |
| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
| The revision to the purchase card policy was reviewed by the County Counsel's Office, the Health & Human Services Agency, and the Innovation & Technology Services Department. |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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Explanation (Expenditure and/or Revenue) |
| Further explanation as needed: |
| Adopting this policy will have no fiscal impact on the County. |
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