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In their efforts to modernize their health information systems and share medical information, VA and DOD begin from different positions. As shown in table 1, VA has one integrated medical information system, VistA (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture), which uses all electronic records. All ... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) are engaged in ongoing efforts to share medical information, which is important in helping to ensure high-quality health care for active-duty military personnel and veterans. These efforts include a long-term program to develop modernized healt... |
In response to concerns about the lack of a coordinated federal approach to disaster relief, President Carter established FEMA by Executive Order in 1979 to consolidate and coordinate emergency management functions in one location. In 2003, FEMA became a component of the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R) Direc... | Public Law No. 110-28 directed GAO to review how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) develops its disaster cost estimates. Accordingly, GAO addressed the following questions: (1) What is FEMA's process for developing and refining its cost estimates for any given disaster? (2) From 2000 through 2006, how clos... |
Concerns about the procurement of currency paper resulted in Congress including in the 1997 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act a requirement that we complete a comprehensive analysis of the “optimum circumstances for government procurement of distinctive currency paper” and report our findings to the House and S... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the: (1) optimum circumstances for the procurement of distinctive currency paper; (2) effectiveness of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's (BEP) efforts to encourage competition in the procurement of currency paper; (3) fairness and reasonableness of... |
As part of our audit of the fiscal years 2008 and 2007 CFS, we evaluated the federal government’s financial reporting procedures and related internal control. Also, we determined the status of corrective actions by Treasury and OMB to address open recommendations relating to the processes used to prepare the CFS detail... | Since GAO's first audit of the fiscal year 1997 consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS), material weaknesses in internal control and other limitations on the scope of our work have prevented GAO from expressing an opinion on the accrual basis CFS. Certain of those material weaknesses relate to in... |
Money laundering is the disguising or concealing of illicit income in order to make it appear legitimate. Over the past two decades, federal law enforcement efforts to detect money laundering have evolved into a strategy that is heavily dependent upon the reporting of large currency transactions and tactical and strate... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on money laundering activities, focusing on: (1) how suspicious transactions are reported; (2) how currency transactions reports are used by law enforcement agencies; and (3) whether the reporting process can be improved. GAO found that: (1) financial instit... |
Merchandise trade, the exchange of goods with other nations, is an increasingly important component of the U.S. economy. The U.S. Customs Service collects data on imports and exports that the U.S. Census Bureau uses to produce statistics on U.S. trade. While Customs has numerous import responsibilities, its export func... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the potential impact of the Customs Service's Automated Export System (AES) and the views of the export community regarding AES, focusing on whether AES is likely to achieve its objectives of improving export data, enhancing enforcement efforts, and streamlining export ... |
The Recovery Act was enacted on February 17, 2009, to help stimulate the United States economy by creating new jobs, as well as saving existing ones, and investing in projects that will provide long-term economic benefits. The Recovery Act requires that the President and heads of the federal agencies manage and expend ... | The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), estimated to cost $862 billion over 10 years, is intended to stimulate the economy and create jobs. The Recovery Act provides funds to federal agencies and states, which in turn may award contracts to private companies and other entities to carry out th... |
Passenger screening is a process by which screeners inspect individuals and their property to deter and prevent an act of violence or air piracy, such as the carrying of any unauthorized explosive, incendiary, weapon, or other prohibited item on board an aircraft or into a sterile area. Screeners inspect individuals fo... | The December 25, 2009, attempted bombing of flight 253 raised questions about the federal government's ability to protect the homeland and secure the commercial aviation system. This statement focuses on the government's efforts to use the terrorist watchlist to screen individuals and determine if they pose a threat, a... |
Foreign science students and scholars generally begin the visa process by scheduling a visa interview. On the day of the appointment, a consular officer reviews the application, checks the applicant’s name in the Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS), takes the applicant’s digital fingerprints and photograph, and... | In February 2004, GAO reported that improvements were needed in the time taken to adjudicate visas for science students and scholars. Specifically, a primary tool used to screen these applicants for visas (the Visas Mantis program) was operating inefficiently. We found that it took an average of 67 days to process Mant... |
The lowest wage that a worker can earn is generally the federal minimum wage. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 first established a minimum wage of 25 cents per hour, which has been raised numerous times eventually reaching its current level of $7.25 per hour. Since 1980 the federal government has increased the fede... | According to the Department of Labor, private-sector employers have added millions of jobs to the economy since the end of the most recent recession in 2009; however, many are in low-wage occupations. GAO was asked to examine several characteristics of low-wage workers and their families, including their use of federal... |
ORI is an independent group within HHS; its Director reports to the Secretary. Created from a merger of two offices within HHS, ORI’s mission is to oversee and direct PHS research integrity activities, which it does primarily through its handling of scientific misconduct investigations. In fiscal year 1994, ORI had a t... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO determined whether the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Research Integrity (ORI): (1) has the appropriate policies, procedures, and investigative practices for handling misconduct allegations in a timely; and (2) has any staffing issues that may adversely... |
To determine which federal government programs and functions should be added to the High Risk List, we consider whether the program or function is of national significance or is key to government performance and accountability. Further, we consider qualitative factors, such as whether the risk involves public health or... | The federal government is one of the world's largest and most complex entities; about $3.5 trillion in outlays in fiscal year 2014 funded a broad array of programs and operations. GAO maintains a program to focus attention on government operations that it identifies as high risk due to their greater vulnerabilities to ... |
Many firms of varying sizes make up the U.S. petroleum industry. While some firms engage in only limited activities within the industry, such as exploration for and production of crude oil and natural gas or refining crude oil and marketing petroleum products, fully vertically integrated oil companies participate in al... | Gasoline is subject to dramatic price swings. A multitude of factors cause volatility in U.S. gasoline markets, including world crude oil costs, limited refining capacity, and low inventories relative to demand. Since the 1990s, another factor affecting U.S. gasoline markets has been a wave of mergers in the petroleum ... |
The Comanche program was established in 1983 to replace the Army’s light helicopter fleet. The contractor team of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Boeing Helicopter Company were expected to design a low-cost, lightweight, advanced technology helicopter capable of performing the primary missions of armed reconnaissance... | GAO reviewed the Army's Comanche helicopter program, focusing on cost and technical issues associated with the restructured program. GAO found that: (1) the past risks associated with the Comanche's development and production will continue under the Army's restructured program; (2) production decisions will be made bef... |
Available data and interviews with lenders and other mortgage industry participants indicate that appraisals are the most frequently used valuation method for home purchase and refinance mortgage originations. Appraisals provide an opinion of market value at a point in time and reflect prevailing economic and housing m... | This testimony discusses our work on residential real estate valuations. Real estate valuations, which encompass appraisals and other value estimation methods, play a critical role in mortgage underwriting by providing evidence that the market value of a property is sufficient to help mitigate losses if the borrower is... |
U. S. critical infrastructure is made of systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on the nation’s security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combinatio... | U. S. critical infrastructures, such as financial institutions, commercial buildings, and energy production and transmission facilities, are systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, vital to the nation's security, economy, and public health and safety. To secure these systems and assets, federal policy and the ... |
USERRA applies to public and private employers in the United States, regardless of size, and includes federal, state, and local governments, as well as for-profit and not-for-profit private sector firms. In addition to the reemployment provisions, USERRA also prohibits discrimination in employment against individuals b... | The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) protects the employment and reemployment rights of individuals who leave their employment to perform uniformed service. Concerned with the timeliness of USERRA complaint processing and data reliability of agency reports, Congress imposed tim... |
From its origin in 1956, the Disability Insurance (DI) program has provided compensation for the reduced earnings of individuals who, having worked long enough and recently enough to become insured, have lost their ability to work due to a severe, long-term disability. The program is administered by SSA and is funded t... | The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Disability Insurance (DI) program paid $50 billion in cash benefits to more than five million disabled workers in 2000. Eligibility for DI benefits is based on whether a person with a severe physical or mental impairment has earnings that exceed the Substantial Gainful Activit... |
Under the Communications Act, as amended, FCC regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. FCC regulates these industries by carrying out various activities, including issuing licenses for radio and television broadcast stations; overseeing the licensing, enfor... | The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates industries that affect the lives of virtually all Americans. FCC-regulated industries provide Americans with daily access to communications services, including wireline and wireless telephone, radio, and television. To ensure FCC is carrying out its mission, the com... |
In the face of continuing reports of financial management weaknesses across the federal government, including wasteful spending, poor management, and losses totaling billions of dollars, the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990 was signed into law. The act focuses on establishing a leadership structure; improving... | Given the federal government's continuing fiscal challenges, it is more important than ever that the Congress, the administration, and federal managers have reliable, useful, and timely financial and performance information to help ensure fiscal responsibility and demonstrate accountability, particularly for the federa... |
Medicare hospice benefit services include nursing services, services provided by a physician to a hospice, drugs and medical supplies necessary for treating pain and other symptoms of a terminal illness, as well as dietary, spiritual, and bereavement counseling; medical social worker services; homemaker services; and s... | The Medicare hospice benefit provides care to patients with a terminal illness. For each patient, hospices are paid a per diem rate corresponding to one of four payment categories, which are based on service intensity and location of care. Since implementation in 1983, the payment methodology and rates have not been ev... |
RUS, established by the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-354, Oct. 13, 1994), administers the electricity and telecommunications loan programs that formerly were operated by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA).As part of a general program of une... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Rural Utilities Service's electricity and telecommunication loan programs, focusing on: (1) ways to make the loan programs more effective and less costly for the government; (2) ways to decrease the Rural Utilities Service's vulnerability to loan losses; and (3) loa... |
FPS MegaCenters provide federal agencies with three primary security services—alarm monitoring, radio monitoring, and dispatch—through four locations using a variety of IT systems. MegaCenters monitor intrusion, panic, fire/smoke, and other alarms. They also monitor FPS police officers’ and contract guards’ radio commu... | The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Protective Service (FPS) through its control centers (MegaCenters) helps provide for the security and protection of federally owned and leased facilities. This report (1) identifies the services MegaCenters provide, (2) determines how FPS assesses MegaCenter performance and... |
The Department of the Interior’s National Park Service is responsible for managing a large and diverse array of park units that include some of the most significant natural and cultural resources in the nation. In recent years, concern has grown that the parks’ responsibilities and popularity might be hampering the par... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the current condition of 12 national park units, focusing on: (1) whether any deterioration in visitor services or park resources is occurring at the 12 units; (2) what factors contribute to the degradation of visitor services and parks' natural and cultural resources; ... |
Securing the northern border while at the same time facilitating trade is the primary responsibility of various components within DHS, in collaboration with other federal, state, and local entities. CBP is the lead agency responsible for securing the nation’s borders while facilitating legitimate trade and travel. CBP’... | The United States and Canada share a border of nearly 5,525 miles. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for securing the borders while facilitating trade and travel. CBP launched the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program in 2002 to expedite processing... |
U.S. insular areas receive hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants from a variety of federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, the Interior, Labor, and Transportation. The Secretary of the Interior has administrative responsibility ove... | U.S. insular areas face serious economic and fiscal challenges and rely on federal funding to support their governments and deliver critical services. The Department of the Interior, through its Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), provides about $70 million in grants annually, including technical assistance grants, to inc... |
In fiscal year 1986, Congress directed DOD to destroy the U.S. stockpile of lethal chemical agents and munitions. DOD designated the Department of the Army as its executive agent for the program, and the Army established the Chemical Demilitarization (or Chem-Demil) Program, which was charged with the destruction of th... | Congress expressed concerns about the Chemical Demilitarization Program cost and schedule, and its management structure. In 2001, the program underwent a major reorganization. Following a decade long trend of missed schedule milestones, in September 2001, the Department of Defense (DOD) revised the schedule, which exte... |
MCPP-N consists of six climate-controlled caves spread across central Norway that are used for the storage of U.S.-owned munitions and ground equipment. In addition, the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organization manages two aviation maintenance facilities that contain U.S.-owned aviation support equipment, co-located at... | MCPP-N was established in 1981 as part of a DOD agreement to support the defense of Norway and global U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary operations. In 2012 the Marine Corps began transforming MCPP-N from an engineering and transportation capability to a Marine Air Ground Task Force capability, which includes combat vehic... |
Many entities are involved in the production and distribution of television content to households, as shown in figure 1. Local television stations may acquire network content from the national broadcast networks that they are affiliated with, such as CBS; from syndicators for syndicated content, such as game shows and ... | Local television stations negotiate with content providers—including national broadcast networks, such as ABC—for the right to be the exclusive provider of content in their markets. FCC's network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity rules (“exclusivity rules”) help protect these contractual rights. In 2014, FCC i... |
HUD is the principal government agency responsible for programs dealing with housing, community development, and fair housing opportunities. HUD’s missions include making housing affordable by providing mortgage insurance for multifamily housing, providing rental assistance for about 4.5 million lower-income residents,... | GAO discussed management issues concerning the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), focusing on: (1) the progress HUD has made in addressing management deficiencies and the need for additional improvement; (2) the activities under HUD's 2020 management reform and other efforts to address its deficiencies;... |
In 1934, the Eximbank was created to facilitate exports of U.S. goods and services by offering a wide range of financing at terms competitive with those of other governments’ export financing agencies. Such financing includes (1) loans to foreign buyers of U.S. exports; (2) loan guarantees to commercial lenders, provid... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) how the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Eximbank) spends its program appropriation; (2) program options that the Eximbank may want to consider to reduce the cost of its export financing programs; (3) potential implications of these options; and (4) the nat... |
FAA is the key federal agency responsible for certification of U.S. aviation products to be used in the United States and has a significant role in supporting approvals of U.S. products in other countries. Located in FAA’s Office of Aviation Safety (Aviation Safety), the Aircraft Certification Service (Aircraft Certifi... | FAA issues certificates for new U.S.-manufactured aviation products, based on federal aviation regulations. GAO and industry stakeholders have questioned the efficiency of FAA's certification process and the consistency of its regulatory interpretations. As required by the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, FAA cha... |
The National Wildlife Refuge System comprises the only federal lands managed primarily for the benefit of wildlife. The refuge system consists primarily of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and Waterfowl Production Areas and Coordination Areas. The first national wildlife refuge, Florida’s Pelican Island, was established... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) National Wildlife Refuge System, focusing on the extent to which wildlife refuges contribute to the protection and recovery of endangered species. GAO found that: (1) of about 900 endangered species, 215 occur or have... |
In the United States, patients injured while receiving health care can sue health care providers for medical malpractice under governing state tort law, usually the law of the state where the injury took place. Laws governing medical malpractice vary from state to state, but among the goals of tort law are compensation... | The recent rising cost of medical malpractice insurance premiums in many states has reportedly influenced some physicians to move or close practices, reduce high-risk services, or alter their practices to preclude potential lawsuits (known as defensive medicine practices). States have revised tort laws under which malp... |
HHS is charged with ensuring that HHAs meet conditions of participation in the Medicare program that are adequate to protect the health and safety of beneficiaries. As shown in table 1, Medicare has 12 conditions of participation covering such areas as patient rights; acceptance of patients, plans of care, and medical ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed how Medicare: (1) controls the entry of home health agencies (HHA) into the Medicare Program; and (2) ensures that HHAs in the program comply with Medicare's conditions of participation and associated standards. GAO noted that: (1) it is finding that Medicare's survey ... |
VA provides health care through a direct delivery system of 173 hospitals and over 200 free-standing clinics nationwide. VA facilities also purchase health care from other public and private providers under certain conditions, such as medical emergencies. VA served over 2.6 million veterans at a cost of about $16.2 bil... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) planned construction of an outpatient clinic and additional bed space at the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, focusing on whether: (1) the project could be adequately justified; and (2) there ar... |
The financial services industry is a major source of employment in the United States. EEOC data we obtained and analyzed showed that financial services firms we reviewed for this work employed more than 2.9 million people in 2011. We defined the financial services industry to include the following sectors: depository c... | As the U.S. workforce has become increasingly diverse, many private- and public-sector entities recognize the importance of recruiting and retaining minorities and women for management-level positions to improve their business. The 2007-2009 financial crisis has renewed questions about commitment within the financial s... |
The communications sector’s infrastructure is a complex system of systems that incorporates multiple technologies and services. The infrastructure includes wireline, wireless, satellite, cable, and broadcasting capabilities, and includes the transport networks that support the Internet and other key information systems... | The communications sector is essential to the nation's economy and government operations and for the delivery of public safety services, especially during emergencies. As the sector transitions from legacy networks to IP-based networks, consumer and public safety groups and others have raised concerns about how the com... |
Offset arrangements are not new to military export sales. The use of offsets, specifically coproduction agreements, began in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Europe and Japan. A country’s desire to coproduce portions of weapon systems was based on needs such as maintaining domestic employment, creating a national defe... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed offset requirements associated with military exports, focusing on: (1) how the offset goals and strategies of major buying countries have changed; (2) the offset requirements of these countries and how they are being satisfied; and (3) the impact of offsets and any acti... |
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) created the Recovery Board composed of Inspectors General to promote accountability by overseeing recovery-related funds. The board was to do so, in part, by providing the public with easily accessible information. The Recovery Act appropriated $84 milli... | Improper payments government-wide increased approximately $19 billion in fiscal year 2014, resulting in an estimated total of $124.7 billion. The DATA Act authorized Treasury to establish a data-analysis center or expand an existing service. Congress included a provision in the DATA Act for GAO to review the implementa... |
In February 2011, Boeing won the competition to develop the Air Force’s next generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft, the KC-46. This program is one of a few weapon system programs to use a fixed price incentive (firm target) contract for development in recent years. Defense officials stated that a fixed price ince... | Aerial refueling allows U.S. military aircraft to fly farther, stay airborne longer, and transport more weapons, equipment, and supplies. Yet the mainstay of the U.S. tanker forces—the KC-135 Stratotanker—is over 50 years old. It is increasingly costly to support and its age-related problems could potentially ground th... |
Under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq., as amended) (MLA), revenues for federal onshore minerals, which include bonuses, rents, and royalties, are distributed as follows: 50 percent to the state in which the production occurred, 10 percent to the general treasury, and 40 percent to the reclamation fund. L... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether the costs borne by Wyoming, New Mexico, and California for managing federal minerals were comparable to these states' own programs, focusing on: (1) how much the three states paid to the federal government for managing minerals on federal lands within their boun... |
In 1943, Public Law 78-16 authorized the vocational rehabilitation program to provide training to veterans with service-connected disabilities. Between 1943 and 1980, program features and criteria underwent several legislative changes. In 1980, the Congress enacted the Veterans’ Rehabilitation and Education Amendments ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) vocational rehabilitation program, focusing on: (1) the percentage of rehabilitated veterans; (2) the services provided; (3) the characteristics of clients served; (4) the cost of rehabilitation; and (5) VA efforts to improve pro... |
Youth aiming to develop advanced skills, compete at a high performance level, and achieve competitive excellence in a sport have a variety of options for honing their skills. Youth can participate through private athletic clubs—local sport-specific organizations that serve athletes who compete, or may be interested in ... | Media reports of the sexual abuse of youth athletes by their coaches have raised questions about how athletic organizations protect against such abuse. Research shows that the power dynamic between coaches and athletes aiming for high performance makes those athletes uniquely vulnerable to abuse. Although states are pr... |
In 2000, a report of the Surgeon General noted that tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. Left untreated, the pain and infections caused by tooth decay may lead to problems in eating, speaking, and learning. Tooth decay is almost completely preventable, and the pain, dysfunction, or on extremely rar... | In recent years, concerns have been raised about the adequacy of dental care for low-income children. Attention to this subject became more acute due to the widely publicized case of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old boy who died as a result of an untreated infected tooth that led to a fatal brain infection. Deamonte had ... |
Within FDA, the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco is responsible for providing leadership for the medical product centers and coordinating their plans, strategies, and programs. Under the office’s direction, three FDA centers have primary responsibility for overseeing medical products and developing strategic plan... | FDA—an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—has faced challenges in carrying out its responsibilities to ensure the safety and efficacy of medical products sold in the United States. In 2012, Congress required FDA to develop a SIMP for the three centers overseeing medical products that identi... |
For the past several years, concerns about the cost of operating and maintaining federal recreation sites within the federal land management agencies have led the Congress to provide a significant new source of funds. This additional source of funding—the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program—was authorized in 1996. T... | In 1996, the Congress authorized an experimental initiative called the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program that provides funds to increase the quality of visitor experience and enhance resource protection. Under the program, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service--all wit... |
DOE has a vast complex of sites across the nation dedicated to the nuclear weapons program. DOE largely ceased production of plutonium and enriched uranium by 1992, but the waste remains at the sites. Most of the tanks in which the waste is stored have already exceeded their design life. For example, many of Hanford’s ... | The Department of Energy (DOE) oversees the treatment and disposal of 94 million gallons of highly radioactive nuclear waste from the nation's nuclear weapons program, currently at DOE sites in Washington, Idaho, and South Carolina. In 2002, DOE began an initiative to reduce the estimated $105-billion cost and 70-year ... |
“Mobility” is an overarching term that describes the ability of employees, enabled by information technology, to perform their work in areas other than an assigned office or workstation. GSA has been reporting since the late 1990s that federal agencies could do more to reduce their space needs and achieve savings by re... | New technologies and the adoption of alternative work arrangements have increasingly enabled employees to perform some aspects of their work outside of the traditional office environment. As requested, GAO examined how aspects of mobility have affected agencies' space needs. This report identifies (1) actions selected ... |
NASA established DSN over 40 years ago with the intention of coordinating all deep space communications through a single ground system to improve efficiency and minimize duplication. Today, DSN consists of communications antennas at three major sites around the world—Goldstone, Calif.; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Aust... | The President's Vision for Space Exploration calls for human and robotic missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In response, over the next two decades, NASA may spend $100 billion on new technologies and facilities that will require reliable ground communications to achieve those missions. Presently, that communicatio... |
We found that BSEE leadership has started several initiatives to improve its safety and environmental oversight capabilities, but its limited efforts to obtain and incorporate input from within the bureau have hindered its progress. Since 2012, BSEE has sought to augment its annual inspection program with a risk-based ... | This testimony summarizes the information contained in GAO's March 2017 report, entitled Oil and Gas Management: Stronger Leadership Commitment Needed at Interior to Improve Offshore Oversight and Internal Management ( GAO-17-293 ). The Department of the Interior's (Interior) Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcem... |
Mexico’s Maquiladora program has been a central feature of the U.S.- Mexico border. The U.S.-Mexico border stretches nearly 2,000 miles, from the Pacific Ocean in California to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Four U.S. states (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas) and six Mexican states (Baja California, Chihuahua, ... | Mexico's maquiladoras have evolved into the largest component of U.S.-Mexico trade. Maquiladoras import raw materials and components for processing or assembly by Mexican labor and reexport the resulting products, primarily to the United States. Most maquiladoras are U.S. owned, and maquiladoras import most of their co... |
To help ensure the safety of the more than one million people who travel on thousands of flights throughout the United States each day, FAA inspects and certifies the aviation community’s compliance with FAA regulations. To better focus its limited inspection resources, FAA needs quick access to meaningful information ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS), focusing on: (1) whether FAA is effectively managing the SPAS acquisition; (2) the extent to which SPAS will rely on Aviation Safety Analysis System (ASAS) databases; and (3) whether ... |
Armed forces must be trained and ready in peacetime to deter wars, to fight and control wars that do start, and to terminate wars on terms favorable to the U.S. and allied interest. Historical experiences indicate that there is a correlation between realistic training and success in combat. Hence, training should be as... | Rigorous, realistic training is key to military readiness. All U.S. military forces conduct frequent training exercises to hone and maintain their war-fighting skills. Combat units stationed outside the continental United States are able to meet many of their training requirements but face constraints in such areas as ... |
SCA was enacted to give labor standards protection to employees of contractors and subcontractors providing services to federal agencies in the United States. SCA requires that, for contracts exceeding $2,500, contractors pay their employees, at a minimum, the wage rates and fringe benefits that have been determined by... | Recipients of federal government contracts for services are subject to wage, hour, benefits, and safety and health standards under the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) of 1965, as amended, which specifies wage rates and other labor standards for employees of contractors. SCA requires the Department of Labor (... |
In addition to the 50-50 requirement in 10 U.S.C. 2466, two other title 10 provisions directly affect the reporting of workload allocations to the public and private sectors. Section 2460 defines depot maintenance to encompass material maintenance or repair requiring the overhaul, upgrade, or rebuilding of parts, assem... | Under 10 U.S.C. 2466, not more than 50 percent of each military department's annual depot maintenance funding can be used for work done by private-sector contractors. The Department of Defense (DOD) also must submit two reports to the Congress annually on the division of depot maintenance funding between the public and... |
JPDO has continued to make progress in facilitating the collaboration that is central to its mission and in furthering its key planning documents. However, JPDO faces a number of challenges involving its organizational structure, institutionalization of its efforts, research and development activities, and stakeholder ... | The skies over America are becoming more crowded every day. The consensus of opinion is that the current system cannot be expanded to meet projected growth. In 2003, recognizing the need for system transformation, Congress authorized the creation of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), housed within the Fe... |
DOD has taken some steps to implement internal safeguards to help ensure that the NSPS performance management system is fair, effective, and credible; however, we believe continued monitoring of safeguards is needed to help ensure that DOD’s actions are effective as implementation proceeds. Specifically, we reported in... | DOD is in the process of implementing this human capital system, and according to DOD, about 212,000 civilian employees are currently under the system. On February 11, 2009, however, the House Armed Services Committee and its Subcommittee on Readiness asked DOD to halt conversions of any additional employees to NSPS un... |
Treasury has continued to focus on CPP, but a variety of other programs have been created or are in progress, as shown in table 1. As of March 5, 2009, Treasury had disbursed almost 80 percent of the $250 billion it had allocated for CPP to purchase almost $197 billion in preferred shares of 467 qualified financial ins... | This testimony discusses our work on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), under which the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) has the authority to purchase and insure up to $700 billion in troubled assets held by financial institutions through its Office of Financial Stability (OFS). As Congress may know, Treasu... |
USPS’s financial condition continued to decline over the past fiscal year and its financial outlook is poor for fiscal year 2011 and the foreseeable future. Key USPS results for fiscal year 2010 included a $1.0 billion decline in total revenue to $67.1 billion, and a $3.7 billion increase in total expenses to $75.6 bil... | The U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) financial condition and outlook deteriorated sharply during fiscal years 2007 through 2009. USPS actions to cut costs and increase revenues were insufficient to offset declines in mail volume and revenues. Mail volume declined from 213 billion pieces in fiscal year 2006, to 171 billion ... |
The final medical privacy regulation requires that most providers obtain patient consent to use or disclose health information before engaging in treatment, payment, or health care operations. As defined in the regulation, health care operations include a variety of activities such as undertaking quality assessments an... | The Department of Health and Human Services issued a final regulation in December 2000 that established rights for patients with respect to the use of their medical records. The regulation requires that most providers obtain patient consent to use or disclose health information before engaging in treatment, payment, or... |
The tax gap is an estimate of the difference between the taxes—including individual income, corporate income, employment, estate, and excise taxes—that should have been paid voluntarily and on time and what was actually paid for a specific year. The estimate is an aggregate of estimates for the three primary types of n... | The tax gap--the difference between the tax amounts taxpayers pay voluntarily and on time and what they should pay under the law--has been a long-standing problem in spite of many efforts to reduce it. Most recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimated a gross tax gap for tax year 2001 of $345 billion and esti... |
The Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) has substantially rebuilt its reserves over the last 3 years from a deficit position at the end of calendar year 1991. The Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF), while also building its reserves, is doing so at a significantly slower rate. The Congress, administration, savings associat... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC) proposed reduction of bank insurance premiums once the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) is recapitalized, focusing on: (1) the likelihood, potential size, and timing of a premium rate differential between banks and thrifts; (2... |
This section provides brief descriptions of the financial services industry and its component sectors, the changing demographic characteristics of the United States, and diversity management. The financial services industry plays a key role in the U.S. economy by, among other things, providing vehicles, such as insured... | During a hearing in 2004 on the financial services industry, congressional members and witnesses expressed concern about the industry's lack of workforce diversity, particularly in key management-level positions. Witnesses stated that financial services firms (e.g., banks and securities firms) had not made sufficient p... |
To be eligible for the 7(a) loan program, a business must be an operating for-profit small firm (according to SBA’s size standards) located in the United States. To determine whether a business qualifies as small for the purposes of the 7(a) program, SBA uses size standards that it has established for each industry. SB... | The Small Business Administration's (SBA) 7(a) program, initially established in 1953, provides loan guarantees to small businesses that cannot obtain credit in the conventional lending market. In fiscal year 2006, the program assisted more than 80,000 businesses with loan guarantees of nearly $14 billion. This testimo... |
The National School Lunch Program was established in 1946 by the National School Lunch Act and is intended to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s children. The program provides nutritionally balanced low-cost or free lunches to children in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care ... | The National School Lunch Program served more than 31 million children in fiscal year 2012, in part through $11.6 billion in federal supports. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 required USDA to update nutrition standards for lunches. USDA issued new requirements for lunch components--fruits, vegetables, grains,... |
FOIA, which was originally enacted in 1966 and subsequently amended several times, establishes a legal right of access to government records and information, on the basis of the principles of openness and accountability in government. Before the act, an individual seeking access to federal records had faced the burden ... | The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) establishes that federal agencies must provide the public with access to government information, thus enabling them to learn about government operations and decisions. To help ensure appropriate implementation, the act requires that agencies report annually to the Attorney General,... |
Dual-eligible beneficiaries—individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid—generally fall into two categories: low-income seniors (those aged 65 years old and over) and individuals with disabilities under the age of 65 years. Requirements to protect the rights of beneficiaries under both programs are of particular... | Dual-eligible beneficiaries are low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. In 2010, there were about 9.9 million dual-eligible beneficiaries. Both programs have requirements to protect the rights of beneficiaries. These requirements are particularly important to dual-eligibl... |
Women represent a small but rapidly growing segment of the nation’s veteran population. In 1982, there were about 740,000 women veterans. By 1997, that number had increased by 66 percent to over 1.2 million, or 4.8 percent, of the veteran population. Today, women make up nearly 14 percent of the active duty force and, ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) health care program for women, focusing on: (1) the progress VA made in removing barriers that may prevent women veterans from obtaining VA health care services; and (2) the extent to which VA health care services, ... |
The Food Stamp Program provides eligible low-income households with paper coupons or electronic benefits that can be redeemed for food in stores nationwide. FNS funds food stamp benefits and about half of the states’ administrative costs and establishes regulations for implementing the Food Stamp Program. FNS regulatio... | To help states administer their Food Stamp Programs, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) offers options and waivers to their program rules and regulations. Almost all states used options or waivers in their food stamp eligibility determination process. More than half of the states chose to make households receiving Te... |
Consumers may access location-based services through smartphones or from in-car location-based services. Four types of companies are primarily responsible for smartphone products and services in the United States: mobile carriers, such as AT&T and Verizon; developers of operating systems, such as Apple’s iPhone iOS and... | Smartphones and in-car navigation systems give consumers access to useful location-based services, such as mapping services. However, questions about privacy can arise if companies use or share consumers' location data without their knowledge. Several agencies have responsibility to address consumers' privacy issues, i... |
Insurance can spread risk over time, across geographical areas, and among industries and individuals. While private insurers assume some financial risk when they write policies, they employ various strategies to manage risk so that they limit potential financial exposures, earn profits, and build capital needed to pay ... | The May 2014 National Climate Assessment indicates that the frequency and/or severity of many weather and climate extremes may increase with climate change. Public and private property insurers can bear a large portion of the financial impact of such weather-related losses. In the public sector, federal insurance inclu... |
I am pleased to be here today to discuss the implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). As you requested, I will summarize our recent reports and testimonies on the PRA and provide our analysis of data on expired paperwork authorizations that were recently submitted to the Subcommittee by the Office o... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). GAO noted that: (1) GAO's reports and testimonies all indicate that federal paperwork burden estimates have increased dramatically since the PRA was first enacted in 1980, although some of that increase is due to... |
Unaccompanied personnel who are not assigned to government-owned housing, or are above certain pay grades, are authorized to receive the BAH, and the amount of the allowance is based on factors that include a servicemember’s pay grade, dependency status, and geographic location. Additionally, each service determines pa... | Partly in response to concerns that inadequate housing might be contributing to servicemembers' decisions to leave the military, Congress enacted the MHPI in 1996. The initiative gave the Department of Defense (DOD) legal authorities to replace or renovate inadequate housing for unaccompanied military personnel (those ... |
Traditionally, the federal government has used a variety of access control techniques to protect its facilities and computer systems. Visual authentication of ID cards has typically been used as a way to control access to physical facilities. However, smart card technology can help authenticate the identity of an indiv... | To increase the security of federal facilities and information systems, the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) in 2004. This directive ordered the establishment of a governmentwide standard for secure and reliable forms of ID for employees and contractors who access government-contro... |
Before enactment of the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974, few rules governed the funding of defined benefit pension plans, and participants in these plans had no guarantees they would receive the benefits promised. When Studebaker’s pension plan failed in the 1960s, for example, many plan par... | More than 34 million workers and retirees in 30,000 single-employer defined benefit pension plans rely on a federal insurance program managed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to protect their pension benefits, and the program's long-term financial viability is in doubt. Over the last decade, the progr... |
Financial literacy can be described as the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage money effectively. It includes the ability to understand financial choices, plan for the future, spend wisely, and manage the challenges that come with life events such as a job loss and saving for retirement or a child’s education... | According to Census data, more than 12 million adults in the United States report they do not speak English well or at all. Proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the English language appears to be linked to multiple dimensions of adult life in the United States, including financial literacy--the ... |
The ADA requires that fixed-route transit systems be made accessible to persons with disabilities—for example, by having lift and ramp equipped vehicles and announcing transit stops—but acknowledges that some disabled individuals are not able to use fixed-route services even with such accessibility features. To ensure ... | The ADA, a civil rights law enacted in 1990, provided that it shall be considered discrimination for a public entity that operates a fixed-route transit system to fail to offer paratransit service to disabled individuals that is comparable to services provided to those without disabilities. FTA is responsible for overs... |
As a result of the District’s financial crisis in 1994, the Congress passed the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995 (the 1995 Act). The Congress established the Authority to perform the following functions, among others: eliminate budget deficits and cash shortages of the... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO compared the audited financial statements and management letters of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority for fiscal years (FY) 1996 and 1997 to the District's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) to determine: (1) whether ... |
EPA is required by the Clean Air Act to conduct reviews of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for the six criteria pollutants, including particulate matter, every 5 years to determine whether the current standards are sufficient to protect public health, with an adequate margin of safety. If EPA decides... | Scientific evidence links exposure to particulate matter--a widespread form of air pollution--to serious health problems, including asthma and premature death. Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) periodically reviews the appropriate air quality level at which to set national standards to ... |
SSA’s DI program provides cash benefits to individuals with disabilities, and paid $144 billion to 10.8 million beneficiaries and their families in fiscal year 2015. Individuals are generally considered to have a disability if (1) they cannot perform work that they did before and cannot adjust to other work because of ... | SSA's DI program provides cash benefits to millions of Americans who can no longer work due to a disability. While most benefits are paid correctly, beneficiary or SSA error can result in overpayments—that is, payments made in excess of what is owed. In fiscal year 2015, SSA detected $1.2 billion in new overpayments, a... |
The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (Post- Katrina Act) required that FEMA establish the national preparedness system to ensure that the nation has the ability to prepare for and respond to disasters of all types, whether natural or man-made, including terrorist attacks. The Community Preparedness ... | By preparing their families and property before an event, individuals can reduce a disaster's impact on them and their need for first responder assistance, particularly in the first 72 hours following a disaster. By law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS... |
The shipbuilding industry in the United States is predominantly composed of three different types of shipyards: (1) privately owned shipyards that build naval vessels; (2) small privately owned shipyards that build commercial vessels; and (3) U.S. government-owned naval shipyards that conduct maintenance, repairs, and ... | As fiscal constraints increasingly shape Navy shipbuilding plans, the pressure to increase efficiency mounts. Modernizing facilities and equipment at shipyards that build Navy ships can lead to improved efficiency, ultimately reducing the cost of constructing ships. In response to a request from the House Appropriation... |
During World War I, at a portion of American University and in other areas that became the Spring Valley neighborhood in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Army operated a large research facility to develop and test chemical weapons and explosives. After World War I, the majority of the site was returned to private ownership a... | During World War I, the U.S. Army operated a large research facility to develop and test chemical weapons and explosives in the area that became the Spring Valley neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Buried ordnance, discovered there in 1993, led to the designation by the Department of Defense (DOD) of 61 acres as a former... |
Productivity is defined as the efficiency with which inputs are used to produce outputs. It is measured as the ratio of outputs to inputs. Productivity and cost are inversely related—as productivity increases, average costs decrease. Consequently, information about productivity can inform budget debates as a factor tha... | In the past, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has experienced declines in enforcement productivity as measured by cases closed per Full Time Equivalent. Increasing enforcement productivity through a variety of enforcement improvement projects is one strategy being pursued by IRS. Evaluating the benefits of different ... |
USDA’s CBAs provide services such as farm loans and conservation assistance along with rural and economic development help. Under the E- File Act, these agencies were required to establish an electronic filing and retrieval system enabling farmers and other agricultural producers to access departmental forms, such as f... | The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made progress in implementing the Freedom to E-File Act and has partially met the act's initial deadlines for providing agricultural producers with access to forms via the Internet and submitting required reports on initial e-file activities and plans to Congress. However, imple... |
VA provides health care services to various veteran populations— including an aging veteran population and a growing number of younger veterans returning from the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. VA operates 152 hospitals, 133 nursing homes, 824 community-based outpatient clinics, and other facilities to pr... | The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 requires GAO to report whether the amounts for the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) health care services in the President's budget request are consistent with VA's budget estimates as projected by the Enrollee Health Care Projection Model (EHCPM) a... |
HHS is the federal government’s principal agency responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. The department manages more than 300 programs covering a wide spectrum of activities that include health and social ... | The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the nation's largest health insurer and the largest grant-making agency in the federal government. HHS programs impact all Americans, whether through direct services, scientific advances, or information that helps them choose medical care, medicine, or even food. For... |
Since the 1960s, geostationary and polar-orbiting environmental satellites have been used by the United States to provide meteorological data for weather observation, research, and forecasting. NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) is responsible for managing the civilian geostat... | The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series (GOES-R). This new series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the con... |
The Superfund process begins with the discovery of a potentially hazardous site or notification to EPA of the possible release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants that may threaten human health or the environment. EPA’s regional offices may discover potentially hazardous waste sites, or such sites may ... | Under the Superfund program, EPA places some of the most seriously contaminated sites on the NPL. At the end of fiscal year 2013, nonfederal sites made up about 90 percent of these sites. At these sites, EPA undertakes remedial action projects to permanently and significantly reduce contamination. Remedial action proje... |
If a vehicle leaves the roadway, ideally, the roadside would be clear of all obstructions and be traversable. However, because there are numerous roadside areas that cannot be practically cleared of all fixed objects or that have sharp declines, roadside safety hardware can be used to reduce the consequences of a depar... | In 2014, 54 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States occurred as a result of a vehicle's leaving the roadway, according to U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) data. Roadside safety hardware, such as guardrails, is meant to reduce the risk of a serious crash when leaving the roadway. But in the last seve... |
We identified 11 new areas in which we found evidence of fragmentation, overlap, or duplication and present 19 actions to executive branch agencies and Congress to address these issues. As described in table 1, these areas span a wide range of federal functions or missions. We consider programs or activities to be frag... | As the fiscal pressures facing the government continue, so too does the need for executive branch agencies and Congress to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government programs and activities. Opportunities to take action exist in areas where federal programs or activities are fragmented, overlapping, or dupl... |
Since the 1960s, the United States has operated two separate operational polar-orbiting meteorological satellite systems: the Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) series—managed by NOAA, and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)—managed by the Air Force. These satellites obtain enviro... | The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is a tri-agency acquisition--managed by the Departments of Commerce and Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration--which experienced escalating costs, schedule delays, and technical difficulties. These factors led to a J... |
The Customs Aviation Program was established in 1969 to reduce the level of smuggling, increase smugglers’ risk and cost, and improve detection and apprehension of drug smuggling by aircraft, boats, and vehicles. The Customs Aviation Program gets its authority from a number of sources. The Office of National Drug Contr... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Customs Service's Customs Aviation Program, focusing on the: (1) program's missions and how they have changed since fiscal year (FY) 1992; (2) annual level of resources and activities since FY 1992; and (3) adequacy of the performance measures Customs... |
Ally Financial is one of the country’s largest financial holding companies, with total assets of $148.5 billion as of March 31, 2014. Its primary line of business is automotive financing—both consumer financing and leasing and dealer floor-plan financing. Ally Financial (when it was known as GMAC) formerly served as Ge... | As part of its Automotive Industry Financing Program, funded through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), Treasury provided $17.2 billion of assistance to Ally Financial (formerly known as GMAC). Ally Financial is a large financial holding company, the primary business of which is auto financing. TARP's authorizin... |
In response to the creation of TANF, states implemented more work- focused welfare programs, and research shows that these changes—in concert with other policy changes and economic conditions—contributed to raising the incomes of single parent families so that fewer were eligible for cash assistance. In designing and i... | The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, created in 1996, is one of the key federal funding streams provided to states to assist women and children in poverty. A critical aspect of TANF has been its focus on employment and self-sufficiency, and the primary means to measure state efforts in this area ... |
The reserve components of the Army and Air Force include both the National Guard and Reserves. These components account for about 85 percent of the total reserve personnel and funding. The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have only Reserves. Because the Coast Guard Reserve is such a small force—about 8,000 personnel... | GAO discussed the readiness of armed forces reserve components. GAO noted that: (1) reserve components provided crucial support and combat functions in the Persian Gulf War and in various peacekeeping operations; (2) the Army National Guard's combat forces far exceed projected force requirements for two major regional ... |
Since it started development in 2003, FCS has been at the center of the Army’s efforts to modernize into a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force. The FCS concept involved replacing existing combat systems with a family of manned and unmanned vehicles and systems linked by an advanced information network. T... | Since 2003, the Future Combat System (FCS) program has been the centerpiece of the Army's efforts to transition to a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force. In 2009, however, concerns over the program's performance led to the Secretary of Defense's decision to significantly restructure and ultimately cancel... |
We found that as of September 30, 2011, more than $794 million in undisbursed balances remained in PMS in 10,548 expired grant accounts. These are accounts that were more than 3 months past the grant end date, had no activity for 9 months or more, and therefore should be considered for grant closeout. This is an improv... | As the federal government confronts long-term fiscal challenges, it is critical to improve the efficiency of federal grants processes, such as grant closeout procedures that allow for the return of unspent balances to the Treasury. In 2008, GAO reported that about $1 billion in undisbursed funding remained in expired g... |
Established in 1965, HUD is the principal federal agency responsible for programs in four areas—housing assistance, community development, housing finance, and regulatory issues related to areas such as lead-based paint abatement and fair housing. To carry out its many responsibilities, HUD was staffed by 9,386 employe... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Housing Urban Development's (HUD) fiscal year (FY) 2000 budget request, focusing on: (1) new initiatives or significant increases proposed by HUD; and (2) observations about HUD's request for funding related to several areas GAO has reported on in the... |
Subsets and Splits
Short Government Reports Sample
Retrieves short reports or summaries from the training dataset, which helps identify potentially incomplete or truncated entries that might need data quality improvement.
Short Government Reports Filtering
Retrieves short reports from the training dataset, providing basic filtering but offering limited analytical value beyond simple length constraints.