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The United States has approximately 360 commercial sea and river ports. While no two ports in the United States are exactly alike, many share certain characteristics that make them vulnerable to terrorist attacks: they are sprawling, easily accessible by water and land, close to crowded metropolitan areas, and interwov... | From fiscal years 2006 through 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded nearly $1.7 billion dollars to port areas through its Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) to protect critical maritime infrastructure and the public from terrorist attacks. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)--a DHS com... |
High-performing public organizations have found that maintaining a quality workforce requires them to systematically assess current and future workforce needs and formulate a long-term strategy to attract, retain, develop, and motivate employees. While simple in theory, strategic planning can be difficult to carry out.... | Veterinarians are essential for controlling zoonotic diseases--which spread between animals and humans--such as avian influenza. Most federal veterinarians work in the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Defense (DOD), and Health and Human Services (HHS). However, there is a growing national shortage of veterinarians. G... |
The Navy has three levels of naval aviation maintenance—organizational, intermediate, and depot—to support naval aviation. Organizational maintenance is performed by sailors on the flight line and generally items are repaired on the aircraft, whether at sea or at a naval station. The intermediate maintenance activity i... | The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation to establish fleet readiness centers was expected to yield more savings than any other of the 2005 BRAC recommendations. To achieve these savings the Navy plans to integrate civilian depot personnel to complete some repairs at intermediate maintenance departme... |
The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 established NFIP as an alternative to providing direct disaster relief after floods. NFIP, which makes federally backed flood insurance available to homeowners and businesses, was intended to reduce the federal government’s escalating costs for repairing flood damage after disas... | The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has been on GAO's high-risk list since March 2006 because of concerns about its long-term financial solvency and related operational issues. Significant management challenges also affect the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) ability to administer NFIP. This report ... |
Although it first entered into force in 1975, the Convention evolved from years of discussions among several countries about conservation and sustainable trade. For example, in 1963, the General Assembly of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources passed a resolution calling for “an ... | International trade in wildlife is a multibillion-dollar industry that, in some cases, has taken species to the brink of extinction. To address the problem, several countries, including the United States, created an international treaty--the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flor... |
Officer candidates must complete education and military training programs, some of which take up to 4 years, before they are commissioned into the officer corps. The three federal accession programs that produce the most officer commissions are (1) military service academies; (2) ROTC; and (3) Officer Candidate School ... | Since the end of the Second World War, the role of women in the military has been evolving. Changes to laws and DOD policies have either eliminated or clarified restrictions on women serving in the military. A 2011 Military Leadership Diversity Commission reported that women comprise more than 50 percent of the recruit... |
Congress and other stakeholders have raised questions about USPS’ participation in the e-commerce area. Some stakeholders have expressed concerns that USPS is establishing e-commerce products and services in competition with those already existing in the private sector, a role they regard as not appropriate for a gover... | Management of the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) e-commerce program has been fragmented, and implementation of e-commerce initiatives has varied at different business units. Overall, USPS' performance in this area has fallen short of expectations. Last year, the Postmaster General announced a sweeping management restruct... |
Category I special nuclear materials are present at the three design laboratories—the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico; the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California; and the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico—and two production sites—the Pantex Plant in ... | A successful terrorist attack on Department of Energy (DOE) sites containing nuclear weapons or the material used in nuclear weapons could have devastating consequences for the site and its surrounding communities. Because of these risks, DOE needs an effective safeguards and security program. A key component of an eff... |
For each fiscal year, the District is required under P.L. 103-373 to develop and submit to Congress a statement of measurable and objective performance goals for all significant activities of the District government. After each fiscal year, the District is to report on its performance. The District’s performance report... | The District of Columbia's fiscal year 2000 performance report is an improvement in that it meets some of the statutory requirements that the previous year's report did not. However, the extensive changes that the District made to its fiscal year 2000 performance goals during the fiscal year undermine the report's usef... |
The purpose of the TAA for Firms program is to help trade-impacted, economically distressed U.S. manufacturing, production, and service firms make adjustments that may enable them to remain competitive in the global economy. The program delivers technical assistance to firms by developing business recovery plans and pr... | Over the past decade, U.S. imports of goods and services have almost doubled, reaching $2.7 trillion in 2011. Although trade expansion can enhance economic welfare, many firms and workers experience difficulties adjusting to import competition. The TAA for Firms program assists tradeimpacted, economically distressed U.... |
Combating world hunger and malnutrition is a stated objective of the Food for Peace Act, which authorizes international food assistance for developing countries. The United States has also stated its commitment to the Millennium Development Goal to halve world hunger by 2015, and it supports the Scaling-Up Nutrition (S... | In fiscal year 2011, USAID spent approximately $1.7 billion on food assistance reaching over 46 million people in 48 countries. USAID targets food assistance so that benefits accrue selectively to only a portion of the overall population, typically the most vulnerable. Effective targeting is important to maximize the i... |
In fiscal year 1998, authorized federal funding for drug treatment programs totaled approximately $3.2 billion, with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) receiving $1.7 billion. SAMHSA received more than half ($944 million) of HHS’ drug treatment budget. Approximately 80 percent of SAMHSA’s total budget, w... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the need for drug abuse treatment, focusing on: (1) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) efforts to estimate drug abuse treatment need on a national basis, including estimates of subpopulations, and possible limitations of these effor... |
The temperature of geothermal resources generally dictates their use. Low temperatures from 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (F) that occur in the ground at shallow depths are best used for geothermal heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground-source heat pumps, are devices that take advantage of the relatively... | The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Act) contains provisions that address a variety of challenges that face the geothermal industry, including the high risk and uncertainty of developing geothermal power plants, lack of sufficient transmission capacity, and delays in federal leasing. Among the provisions are means to simpli... |
Since 1979, when the United States and China signed a bilateral trade agreement, China’s economy has grown at an unprecedented rate, as has China’s bilateral economic engagement with the United States. In recent years, China’s economy grew an average of 10 percent a year, and in 2010 China replaced Japan as the world’s... | China is the largest destination for U.S. exports outside North America and also the source of the largest U.S. bilateral trade deficit. The countries engage in two high-level dialogues to address trade barriers and cross-cutting economic issues. These are the JCCT, co-led for the United States by Commerce and USTR, an... |
All employers must file their Form 941 returns quarterly, although some are to make employment tax deposit on differing schedules during a quarter. The form contains information concerning the tax deposits made for a quarter and is generally due by the end of the month after the close of the quarter. Until IRS receives... | Employers are required to withhold amounts from their employees' salary to cover individual federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes; match the amounts for Social Security and Medicare taxes; and deposit these amounts with the U.S. Treasury. In fiscal year 2000, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collect... |
EURATOM, a group of 15 western European countries in the European Union, was established in 1957 to promote and facilitate the growth of nuclear industries through the research and development of nuclear energy in the Union, to ensure a supply of nuclear materials, and to foster progress in the peaceful uses of nuclear... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the United States-European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) agreement, focusing on the: (1) amount of U.S. nuclear exports to EURATOM and Japan and U.S.-origin nuclear materials transferred from Japan to EURATOM; (2) value of U.S. nuclear exports to EURA... |
Overall policy direction for the TC program is set by IAEA’s policy-making bodies—the General Conference and the Board of Governors. The United States is a permanent member of the Board of Governors, which typically meets 5 times per year. IAEA’s Secretariat—led by a Director General and structured into six functional ... | A key mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy through its Technical Cooperation (TC) program, which provides equipment, training, fellowships, and other services to its member states. The United States provides approximately 25 percent of the TC program'... |
In its April 2013 report to Congress, in response to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 requirement that DOD provide a cost-benefit analysis and a risk-based assessment of the Aerospace Control Alert mission as it relates to expected future changes to the budget and force structure of such miss... | To protect U.S. airspace, DOD performs the Aerospace Control Alert mission, which includes military forces arrayed in a rapid response posture to conduct both air sovereignty and air defense operations against airborne threats over the United States and Canada. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 201... |
The FTZ program was created under the Foreign-Trade Zones Act of 1934, during the Great Depression, to expedite and encourage foreign commerce. Furthermore, according to CBP officials, the FTZ program aims to encourage companies to maintain and expand their operations in the United States. To encourage such expansion, ... | The FTZ program was established in 1934 to expedite and encourage international trade and commerce. FTZs provide benefits to companies that import foreign goods for distribution or for manufacturing in order to encourage them to maintain and expand their operations in the United States. The total value of foreign and d... |
The VCCR is an agreement that governs consular relations among approximately 165 nations. Under the VCCR, countries can conduct various consular functions, such as issuing travel documents and passports to their citizens. Consular registration—the practice by which an individual may register with his or her consulate i... | Several state and local government agencies and financial institutions accept consular identification (CID) cards, which are issued by foreign governments to their citizens living abroad. Mexico issued more than 2.2 million CID cards in 2002-2003 and Guatemala issued approximately 89,000 from mid-2002 to 2003. Critics ... |
In our past work on performance management, we have identified the alignment of individual performance expectations with organizational goals as a key practice for effective performance management systems. Having a performance management system that creates a “line of sight” showing how unit and individual performance ... | In 2003, Congress and the administration established a performance-based pay system for Senior Executive Service (SES) members that requires a link between individual and organizational performance and pay. Specifically, agencies are allowed to raise SES pay caps if their systems are certified by the Office of Personne... |
State is the lead agency responsible for implementing American foreign policy and representing the United States abroad. It staffs over 270 embassies, consulates, and other posts worldwide. Figure 1 shows the number and share of State’s Foreign Service, Civil Service, and Locally Employed staff. According to State, abo... | In 2009, GAO reported on challenges that State faced in filling its increasing overseas staffing needs with sufficiently experienced personnel and noted that persistent Foreign Service staffing and experience gaps put diplomatic readiness at risk. State is currently undertaking a new hiring plan, known as Diplomacy 3.... |
Operation Desert Storm revealed many weaknesses in medical capabilities of U.S. forces. Subsequent studies conducted by us and the DOD Inspector General revealed shortcomings in DOD’s ability to provide adequate, timely medical support during contingencies and problems with the planning and execution of these efforts. ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to reassess and improve its medical capabilities, focusing on: (1) DOD implementation of its Medical Readiness Strategic Plan (MRSP); (2) the services' medical reengineering efforts; and (3) the Military Health Services System (... |
The United States Housing Act of 1937 established the Public Housing Program to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for low-income families. For many years, this act was interpreted to exclude Native Americans living in or near tribal areas. In 1961, however, HUD and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) determined... | GAO discussed the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Native American housing programs, focusing on the: (1) funding history and results of HUD's housing programs for Native Americans; (2) factors that complicate and make costly the development and maintenance of affordable housing for Native Americans;... |
The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 established NRC as an independent agency, headed by a five-member Commission, to regulate the nation’s civilian use—commercial, industrial, academic, and medical— of nuclear energy and materials, including nuclear power reactors and research and test reactors. NRC’s mission is to e... | Nearly three decades after the last order for a new nuclear power reactor in the United States, electric power companies plan to submit 20 applications in the next 18 months to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for licenses to build and operate new reactors. Since 1989, NRC has developed a new license review proc... |
The funds that DOD managers need for their research and development programs first must be considered by DOD for inclusion in the President’s Budget. If the President includes the funds in the budget he transmits to Congress, then Congress considers the request. If Congress approves the request, it appropriates funds f... | Congress recognizes that the DOD needs some flexibility to adjust research and development program levels. A key mechanism--below threshold reprogramming (BTR)--enables DOD to adjust program funding levels without seeking prior congressional approval as long as a certain dollar amount or percentage threshold is not exc... |
FDA is responsible for assessing the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs marketed in the United States. As part of this role, it oversees the drug development process and is responsible for approving new drugs for marketing. Patients with serious or immediately life-threatening illnesses and no other FDA-approved th... | FDA's goal for the expanded access program is to allow patients with immediately life-threatening and serious ailments access to investigational drugs when appropriate. Stakeholders have raised concerns that FDA's process is confusing or burdensome, particularly for the entities that have roles in the process—such as p... |
As the lead federal agency for maritime homeland security within the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard is responsible for homeland and nonhomeland security missions, including ensuring security in ports and waterways and along coastlines, conducting search and rescue missions, interdicting drug shipments... | In 2002, the Coast Guard began a multiyear, $19 billion to $24 billion acquisition program to replace or modernize its fleet of deepwater aircraft and cutters, so called because they are capable of operating many miles off the coast. For several years now, the Coast Guard has been warning that the existing fleet--espec... |
After the Cold War, DOD’s base structure was larger than required to meet changing national security needs. Consequently, the Congress enacted two separate laws that instituted base closure rounds in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995. Through these four BRAC rounds, DOD has closed or scheduled to close 311 bases, installation... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the costs of the Department of Defense's (DOD) environmental cleanup efforts under the base realignment and closure (BRAC) process, focusing on the: (1) reasons that cleanups are so costly; and (2) potential for reducing costs and the impact on program goals. GAO found ... |
A number of events are important in the history of DOE’s U.S. Plutonium Disposition program. In 1994, the United States declared 38.2 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium as surplus to national security needs. In 1997, DOE announced a plan to dispose of surplus, weapons-grade plutonium through the following dual appr... | The end of the Cold War left the United States with a surplus of weapons-grade plutonium, which poses proliferation and safety risks. Much of this material is found in a key nuclear weapon component known as a pit. The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to dispose of at least 34 metric tons of plutonium by fabricating it... |
To protect the public from harmful medical devices, the 1976 Medical Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act expanded FDA’s responsibility for regulating medical devices in the United States. FDA uses three primary mechanisms to ensure that all medical devices are safe and effective for their inte... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed user facilities' compliance with the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990's (SMDA 90) reporting requirements, focusing on whether: (1) the enactment of SMDA 90 has led to an increase in reporting of device-related adverse events to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); ... |
The extent to which capital costs are reflected in the budget depends on how they are “scored.” CBO and OMB separately “score” or track budget authority, receipts, outlays, and the surplus or deficit estimated to result as legislation is considered and enacted. CBO develops estimates of the budgetary impact of bills re... | ESPCs finance energy-saving capital improvements, such as lighting retrofits for federal facilities, without the government incurring the full cost up front. Partnerships tap the capital and expertise of the private sector to develop real property. This report describes (1) what specific attributes of ESPCs and partner... |
Since 1993, GSA has built 79 new courthouses that replaced or supplemented 66 old courthouses. GSA considers 15 of the new courthouses to be annexes—additions that are often larger than the old courthouses. The judiciary identifies potential courthouse projects based on a capital-planning process that involves consulta... | During the last 20 years, GSA built 79 new courthouses for the judiciary that replaced or supplemented 66 old courthouses. Retaining and re-using or disposing old courthouses can be challenging for GSA because many of them are more than 80 years old, do not meet current court security standards, and have historic featu... |
VA pays Dependency and Indemnity Compensation to surviving spouses, children, and parents. The surviving spouse of a veteran may qualify for this compensation if the veteran died on or after January 1, 1957, (1) from a service-connected disability, or (2) after being rated as totally disabled due to service-connected c... | The Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program provides monthly payments to the survivors of those who died as a result of a service-connected disability or while on active duty in the military. In fiscal year 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paid over $4.7 billion to about 354,000 survivors, repl... |
Civilians comprise a significant portion of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) personnel strength; civilian employees alone account for one-third of DOD’s full-time work force. These civilians provide important support to military combat forces in peacetime and in war. Some deploy and provide needed support within theat... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) guidance and decisionmaking processes for determining when and whether to use civilian or military personnel in support positions, focusing on: (1) DOD and the military services' efforts to replace military personnel in support position... |
Families of OSP scholarship award recipients, as consumers, need complete and timely information about participating schools to make informed decisions about what school is best for the student. Further, federal internal control standards state that organizations must have relevant, reliable, and timely communications,... | School vouchers are one of many school choice programs. Vouchers provide students with public funds to attend private schools and are often featured in discussions on education reform. The District of Columbia’s (District) Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) has garnered national attention as the first federally-fund... |
The State Department advances U.S. national interests through diplomatic relations with 163 countries at 263 posts worldwide. About 5,900 Foreign Service generalists stationed overseas and at State headquarters perform much of this work. To become a Foreign Service officer, an individual must be an American citizen bet... | During the 1990s, the State Department lost more people than it hired. The resultant shortfalls in the number and skills of Foreign Service officers have endangered U.S. diplomatic readiness. Furthermore, recent studies, including several by GAO, have questioned whether State's recruitment system identifies people with... |
The Air Force is developing the F/A-22 aircraft to replace its fleet of F-15 air superiority aircraft. The F/A-22 is designed to be superior to the F-15 by being capable of flying at higher speeds for longer distances, less detectable, and able to provide the pilot with substantially improved awareness of the surroundi... | The Air Force is developing the F/A-22 aircraft to replace its fleet of F-15 air superiority aircraft. The F/A-22 is designed to be superior to the F-15 by being capable of flying at higher speeds for longer distances, less detectable, and able to provide the pilot with substantially improved awareness of the surroundi... |
As you know, Mr. Chairman, the decennial census is a constitutionally mandated enterprise critical to our nation. Census data are used to apportion seats and redraw congressional districts, and to help allocate hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid to state and local governments each year. In developing the 20... | In March 2008, GAO designated the 2010 Census a high-risk area in part because of information technology (IT) shortcomings and uncertainty over the ultimate cost of the census, now estimated at around $15 billion. The U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) has since made improvements to various IT systems and taken other steps to... |
Carbon dioxide is by far the most prevalent of the greenhouse gases— gases that trap heat in the atmosphere—emitted in the United States, accounting for about 85 percent of emissions. The other principal greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, and three types of synthetic gases—hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons... | Because of concerns about changes in Earth's climate due to greenhouse gas emissions and the potential economic and environmental consequences of these changes, GAO (1) inventoried greenhouse gas emissions generated by legislative branch operations in fiscal year 2006, as well as identified trends in emissions starting... |
The Food Stamp Program helps recipients—individuals and families with low incomes—to obtain a more nutritious diet by providing food stamp benefits to supplement the funds they have to spend on food. Recipients must use their food stamp benefits to purchase only allowable food products from retail food stores that FNS ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed food stamp trafficking at the retail level, focusing on: (1) the extent of retailer trafficking and the characteristics of the stores engaged in such trafficking; (2) the roles and efforts of federal agencies in minimizing food stamp trafficking by retailers; and (3) wh... |
Children in foster care tend to exhibit more numerous and serious medical conditions than other children, including mental health problems. Foster care begins when children are removed from their parents or guardians and placed under the responsibility of a state child welfare agency. Removal from the home can occur fo... | Providing health care services for foster children, who often have significant health care needs, can be challenging. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) oversees foster care, but state child welfare agencies are responsible for ensuring that these children receive health care services, which are often f... |
To implement a changing and highly technical tax code, IRS publishes approximately 400 tax forms and accompanying instructions each year. More detailed guidance is provided in approximately 100 different publications. Frequent changes to the tax laws necessitate revisions to both forms and publications. The development... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the accuracy and clarity of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) forms and publications, focusing on: (1) the adequacy of the process IRS uses to revise its tax forms; (2) IRS efforts to improve this process; and (3) IRS efforts to increase taxpayer invol... |
Outpatient therapy services—covered under part B of the Medicare program—comprise physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech- language pathology to improve patients’ mobility and functioning. Medicare regulations and coverage rules require that beneficiaries be referred for outpatient therapy services by a phys... | For years, Congress has wrestled with rising Medicare costs and improper payments for outpatient therapy services--physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. In 1997 Congress established per-person spending limits, or "therapy caps," for nonhospital outpatient therapy but, responding to conc... |
Farmer Mac is a government-sponsored enterprise or GSE that was chartered by Congress in 1987. It is a federally chartered and privately operated corporation that is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Farmer Mac is also an independent entity within the Farm Credit System or FCS, which is another GSE. As an... | This testimony is based on GAO's October 2003 report, Farmer Mac: Some Progress Made, but Greater Attention to Risk Management, Mission, and Corporate Governance Is Needed (GAO-04-116). GAO's testimony presents a brief overview of Farmer Mac and discusses issues raised in its 2003 report, including Farmer Mac's risk ma... |
Alaska is the largest state in the union—encompassing 586,412 square miles, it is one-fifth the size of the lower 48 contiguous states combined. The state is bounded on three sides by saltwater bodies—the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas to the north, the Bering Sea to the west, and the Gulf of Alaska to the south (see fig. 1... | In December 2003, GAO reported that most of Alaska's more than 200 Native villages were affected to some degree by flooding and erosion (GAO-04-142). Since 2003, state officials have identified the growing impacts of climate change, increasing the urgency of federal and state efforts to identify imminently threatened v... |
Various organizations across DOD perform functions related to the recruiting, accessions, and training of active-duty enlistees as shown in figure 1. Enlistment processing and qualification determinations for age, citizenship, education, dependency status, and moral character are made by each military service. Their re... | For fiscal years 2005 through 2015, the military services enlisted over 1.7 million servicemembers at an estimated cost of approximately $75,000 each. Incomplete medical information or inadequate screening of enlistees at MEPS may result in them not fulfilling their initial terms of commitment and the military services... |
Medicare, the nation’s largest health care payer, provides insurance coverage to more than 38 million elderly and disabled Americans. The program provides protection under two parts. Part A, the hospital insurance program, covers inpatient hospital care, posthospital care in skilled nursing homes, hospice care, and car... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed how the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA): (1) controls the entry of home health agencies (HHA) into the Medicare program; (2) ensures that certified HHAs continue to comply with Medicare's conditions of participation and associated standards; and (3) decertif... |
The 340B Program was created following the enactment of the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and gives 340B covered entities discounts on outpatient drugs comparable to those made available to state Medicaid agencies. HRSA is responsible for administering and overseeing the 340B Program, which, according to federal interna... | The 340B Drug Pricing Program requires drug manufacturers to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to eligible hospitals, clinics, and other entities—commonly referred to as covered entities—in order to have their drugs covered by Medicaid. HRSA, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is res... |
Prior to retiring the program, NASA will need to first return the space shuttle to flight and execute the remaining missions needed to complete assembly of and provide support for the ISS. At the same time, NASA will need to begin the process of closing out or transitioning to other NASA programs the space shuttle’s as... | The President's vision for space exploration (Vision) directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to retire the space shuttle following completion of the International Space Station, planned for the end of the decade. The retirement process will last several years and impact thousands of critically... |
Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, it is the responsibility of the services to recruit and train their forces. The service components depend on military recruiters to meet their annual recruiting missions. In fiscal year 2009, the service components utilized 30,936 military re... | To sustain a viable military force, the Department of Defense (DOD) depends on recruiting several hundred thousand qualified individuals into the military each year. The service components rely on their recruiters to act with the utmost integrity because even a single incident of wrongdoing on the part of a recruiter--... |
Each state, and the District of Columbia, imposes an excise tax on the sale of cigarettes, which vary from state to state. As of January 1, 2003, the state excise tax rates for a pack of 20 cigarettes ranged from 2.5 cents in Virginia to $1.51 in Massachusetts (see fig.1). The liability for these taxes generally arises... | The Jenkins Act requires any person who sells and ships cigarettes across a state line to a buyer, other than a licensed distributor, to report the sale to the buyer's state tobacco tax administrator. The act establishes misdemeanor penalties for violating the act. Compliance with this federal law by cigarette sellers ... |
Greenhouse gases—including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, among other gases—trap some of the sun’s heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and prevent the heat from returning to space. This insulating effect, known as the greenhouse effect, moderates atmospheric temperatures, keeping the Earth warm enough to suppor... | Climate change has implications for the vast land and water resources managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Forest Service (FS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Park Service (NPS). These resources generally occur within four ecosystem ... |
MDA’s mission is to develop an integrated and layered system to defend the United States and its deployed forces, friends, and allies against ballistic missile attacks. The BMDS aims to engage all ranges of ballistic missiles during all phases of flight. This challenging expectation requires complex coordination within... | The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has spent about $56 billion and will spend about $50 billion more through 2013 to develop a Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). GAO was directed to assess the annual progress MDA made in developing the BMDS as well as improvements in accountability and transparency in agency operat... |
GAO’s body of work related to prior workforce reductions at DOD and other organizations demonstrates the importance of strategic workforce planning, including a consideration of costs, to help ensure that DOD has a fully capable workforce to carry out its mission. According to GAO’s Standards for Internal Control, mana... | DODs workforce of 783,000 civilians performs a wide variety of duties, including some traditionally performed by military personnel, such as mission-essential logistics support and maintenance, as well as providing federal civilian experts to Afghanistan and other theaters of operations. With the long-term fiscal chal... |
The advantages of wireless technology for federal agencies include increased flexibility, easier installation, and easier scalability than wired technologies. If a federal agency has installed a wireless infrastructure, users with wireless-enabled devices can more easily connect to the agency’s network throughout its f... | Over the past several years, federal agencies have rapidly adopted the use of wireless technologies for their information systems. In a 2005 report, GAO recommended that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in its role overseeing governmentwide information security, take several steps to help agencies better secu... |
For information on the composition of the SPR, see DOE, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Annual Report for Calendar Year 2006. difference were to persist over the duration of the new fill period, DOE would save about $1.2 billion in nominal terms by filling the SPR with ... | The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) was created in 1975 to help insulate the U.S. economy from oil supply disruptions and currently holds about 700 million barrels of crude oil. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to increase the SPR storage capacity from 727 million barrels to 1 bil... |
The Postal Service is a corporation-like organization that was created by the government to provide postal services and to help bind the nation through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. Over the years, the government has created a number of corporations or corporation-like ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO obtained information on Postal Service governance issues, focusing on: (1) any major areas of concern, including specific issues, that current and former members of the Postal Service Board of Governors have about the Board and their suggested legislative changes; (2) major char... |
In its fight against terrorism, the United States has focused on individuals and entities supporting or belonging to terrorist organizations including al Qaeda, Hizballah, HAMAS and others. Al Qaeda is an international terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden that seeks to rid Muslim countries of western influence and ... | Cutting off terrorists' funding is essential to deterring terrorist operations. The USA PATRIOT Act expanded the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to access and share financial information regarding terrorist investigations, but terrorists may have adjusted their activities by increasing use of alter... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: We are pleased to have this opportunity to discuss issues related to the proposed legislation entitled “Honesty in Sweepstakes Act of 1998,” (S. 2141), which was introduced on June 5, 1998, by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. In my statement, I will provide information on t... | GAO discussed the issues related to the Honesty in Sweepstakes Act of 1998, introduced on June 5, 1998, by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, focusing on: (1) the extent and nature of problems that consumers may have experienced with various sweepstakes mailings; and (2) information related to the mailing of documents th... |
DOD’s current space network is comprised of constellations of satellites, ground-based systems, and associated terminals and receivers. Among other things, these assets are used to perform surveillance and intelligence functions; detect and warn of attacks; provide communication services to DOD and other government use... | The United States is increasingly dependent on space for its security and well being. The Department of Defense's (DOD) space systems collect information on capabilities and intentions of potential adversaries. They enable military forces to be warned of a missile attack and to communicate and navigate while avoiding h... |
This section provides information on BLM’s mission and organizational structure for management of oil and gas development, BLM’s process for overseeing the development of federal oil and gas resources and mitigating environmental impacts, and our prior work on BLM’s management of federal oil and gas resources. BLM’s mi... | BLM is responsible for managing oil and gas development on federal lands while mitigating related environmental impacts. BLM seeks to do so, in part, by applying requirements to the leases and drilling permits it issues to operators. These requirements may include environmental mitigation practices outlined in BLM's be... |
DOD’s directive on personal commercial solicitation establishes the policies and practices governing supplemental life insurance sales on installations in the United States and overseas. Each service provides additional policies and practices regarding on-installation commercial solicitation, and some installations fur... | Servicemembers are engaged overseas in hostile actions that threaten their lives and possibly the future financial security of their families, should they die. To address their financial security needs, some servicemembers have purchased additional life insurance to supplement that offered by the government. Concerns h... |
USPS’s mission is to provide reliable, affordable, and universal mail delivery and postal retail services to the entire U.S. population as nearly as practicable, regardless of where people live. In the past 5 years, USPS’s delivery workload has increased on average by about 1 million delivery points, or addresses, per ... | The United States Postal Service (USPS) has the world's largest civilian fleet, with many of its delivery vehicles reaching the end of their expected 24-year operational lives. USPS is subject to legislative requirements governing the federal fleet, including a requirement in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which provid... |
Risk management has been endorsed by the Congress, the President, and Secretary of DHS as a way to direct finite resources to those areas that are most at risk of terrorist attack under conditions of uncertainty. The purpose of risk management is not to eliminate all risks, as that is an impossible task. Rather, given ... | Since 2002, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has distributed over $19 billion in homeland security grants to enhance the nation's preparedness and response capabilities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for all preparedness efforts including allocating and managing these grants. Th... |
Section 5164 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 amended the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and designated the metric system as the preferred system of weights and measurements for U.S. trade and commerce. The major reasons given for converting to metric are international trade competitiveness and ease ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Federal Highway Administration's (FHwA) metric conversion plan, focusing on the: (1) status of federal and states' efforts to convert highway signs to metric units; and (2) possible costs involved in implementing the conversion. GAO found that: (1) in... |
VA’s 157 medical centers serve about 2.3 million veterans each year at a cost of about $14 billion. The Albuquerque medical center provides a wide range of inpatient and outpatient care to about 31,000 veterans who reside primarily in New Mexico, the southern part of Colorado, and the western part of Texas. The center ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Albuquerque Medical Center's contracting practices, focusing on: (1) whether the center fully recovered the government's cost of providing nonveteran lithotripsy services; and (2) the effects of the center's pricing policy on com... |
JSF restructuring continued throughout 2011 and into 2012 with additional costs and extended schedules incurred for key activities and decisions. The Department’s actions have helped reduce near term risks by lowering annual procurement quantities and allowing more time for flight testing. The Department is expected to... | The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the JSF, is DODs most costly and ambitious aircraft acquisition, seeking to simultaneously develop and field three aircraft variants for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight international partners. The JSF is critical to DODs long-term recapitalization plans as it is inten... |
The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 created Amtrak to provide U.S. intercity passenger rail service because existing railroads found such service unprofitable. Today, Amtrak continues to be the main provider of intercity passenger rail service in the United States, operating a 22,000-mile network that provides servi... | Intercity passenger rail service is at a critical juncture in the United States. Amtrak, the current service provider, requires $1 billion a year in federal subsidies to stay financially viable but cannot keep pace with its deteriorating infrastructure. At the same time, the federal government faces growing fiscal chal... |
As the lead federal agency for maritime homeland security within the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard is responsible for homeland and nonhomeland security missions, including ensuring security in ports and waterways and along coastlines, conducting search and rescue missions, interdicting drug shipments... | In 2002, the Coast Guard began a multiyear, $19 billion to $24 billion acquisition program to replace or modernize its fleet of deepwater aircraft and cutters, so called because they are capable of operating many miles off the coast. For several years now, the Coast Guard has been warning that the existing fleet--espec... |
Annually, nearly 1 million people buy a home using a mortgage that HUD’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insures. Private lenders, not FHA, make the loans to borrowers. FHA insures the lender against losses it may incur when a borrower defaults on his or her mortgage and the lender has to foreclose on the home. FH... | In the 1990s, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) dealt with a series of instances where buyers had not been notified of serious problems revealed by their appraisals. This led to several reforms, some of which allegedly may have caused some buyers to forgo home ... |
Education administers discretionary grants both through competitions and through consideration of unsolicited proposals. In 2003, OII awarded 267 competitive grants totaling $335 million and 41 grants based on unsolicited proposals totaling $64 million. In 2004, the department approved 254 competitive grants for $826 m... | In the past 3 years, Education awarded an average of $4.8 billion annually in discretionary grants through its competitive awards process and through consideration of unsolicited proposals. GAO assessed Education's policies and procedures for both competitive awards and unsolicited proposals awarded by its Office of In... |
EPA manages its environmental enforcement and compliance responsibilities primarily through its OECA. OECA monitors the compliance of regulated entities, identifies national enforcement concerns and sets priorities for addressing them, and provides overall direction on enforcement policies. OECA can take enforcement ac... | The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees many environmental programs that seek to protect public health and the environment. Substantial noncompliance with these regulations and increasing budget pressures, among other things, led EPA to propose a new enforcement and compliance initiative in fiscal year 2012.... |
Audit work we performed on FEMA’s IHP payments and DHS’s purchase card program identified widespread fraud, waste, and abuse. Findings from these audits and our related investigations show the result of ineffective preventive controls. As shown by our IHP work, ineffective preventive controls can result in hundreds of ... | Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed homes and displaced millions of individuals. While federal and state governments continue to respond to this disaster, GAO has identified significant control weaknesses--specifically in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) and in... |
For several years after the fall of the South Vietnamese government in 1975, countries in Southeast Asia agreed to grant temporary asylum to the thousands of people who fled Vietnam. By the late 1980s, however, the rate of resettlement was far less than the huge and growing influx of asylum seekers from Vietnam. In res... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the implementation and outcomes of the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) for Vietnamese asylum seekers in Southeast Asia, focusing on how the refugee status determination process worked for family unit, victim of violence, and general merit cases by: (1) reviewing fact... |
Since the Social Security Act became law in 1935, workers have had the right to review their earnings records on file at SSA to ensure that they are correct. In 1988, SSA introduced the PEBES to better enable workers who requested such information to review their earnings records and obtain benefit estimates. According... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) overall progress in issuing the Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate Statement (PEBES), focusing on: (1) whether the PEBES benefit estimates are reasonable; (2) what SSA has done to improve the statement; (3) the extent to w... |
The Department of Labor’s mission is to promote the welfare of job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, enhancing opportunities for profitable employment, and protecting their retirement investments. Established as a department in 1913, Labor is responsible for... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the significant information technology challenges that the upcoming century change poses to the Department of Labor, and to several of its agencies, focusing on: (1) specific year 2000 issues facing two elements of Labor's Employment and Training Administration; (2) th... |
Several federal programs—mainstream and targeted—may be available to assist those experiencing homelessness in rural and nonrural areas. Mainstream programs—such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, public housing, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, and the Workforce Investment Act—provide ... | The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 directed GAO to conduct a broad study of homelessness in rural areas. In this report, we provide information about rural homelessness issues, based in significant part on our work in rural areas within six selected states. Specifical... |
To qualify for Medicaid coverage for long-term care, including nursing home care, individuals must be within certain eligibility categories—such as those who are aged or disabled—and meet functional and financial eligibility criteria. The financial eligibility standards differ based on whether an individual is married ... | Medicaid paid for nearly one-third of the nation's $158 billion in nursing home expenditures in 2012. To be financially eligible for Medicaid, individuals cannot have assets above certain limits. Not all assets are countable in determining Medicaid eligibility; federal law discourages individuals from reducing their co... |
The Bureau’s 2020 Census early research agenda is focused on conducting the 2020 Census at a lower cost than the 2010 Census while maintaining high quality results. In order to do this the Bureau has developed a range of design alternatives for the 2020 Census. The Bureau’s 2020 design alternatives have potential for c... | GAO's prior work has shown that it will be important for the Bureau to reexamine the design of the census in order to ensure a cost effective census in 2020. As requested, this report evaluates the Bureau's efforts to improve the cost-effectiveness of the enumeration, paying particular attention to the following three ... |
The MMWR series is one of three scientific publications published by CDC and is regarded as CDC’s flagship publication. The publication’s primary audience is made up of professionals, including medical professionals, such as clinicians, and state and local public health officials, and the publication also reaches CDC’s... | In February 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was asked to assess the effects of elevated lead levels in tap water on Washington, D.C., residents. In April 2004, CDC published the results. However, an inaccurate statement and incomplete descriptions of the limitations of the analyses resulted i... |
The federal government is using a risk-management strategy for reducing its fiscal exposure to climate change that involves providing technical assistance to state, local, and private sector decision makers. Decision makers from all levels of government and the private sector use different types of climate information ... | Over the last decade, the federal government incurred over $300 billion in costs due to extreme weather and fire, according to the President's 2016 budget request. Costs are expected to grow as rare events become more common and intense due to climate change, according to the National Academies. State, local, and priva... |
Although reserve personnel have been used for contingency and emergency operations through the involuntary “Presidential Reserve Call- up” and “Partial Mobilization” authorities, a significant number of reserve personnel on active duty for these and other missions have been provided on a voluntary basis. Agency officia... | The Department of Defense (DOD) and Congress have expressed concern with the frequency and length of time that volunteer reservists serve on active duty. In fiscal year 2006, DOD nearly doubled its fiscal year 2005 estimate for the total maximum levels of reservists volunteering to be on active duty for operational sup... |
The UI program was established by Title III of the Social Security Act in 1935 and is a key component in ensuring the financial security of America’s workforce. The program serves two primary objectives: (1) to temporarily replace a portion of earnings for workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and... | Unemployment Insurance (UI) has been a key component in ensuring the financial security of America's workforce for over 70 years. In fiscal year 2004, UI covered about 129 million wage and salary workers and paid about $41 billion in benefits to nearly 9 million workers who lost their jobs. The Department of Labor (Lab... |
One of IRS’ strategic goals is to provide top-quality service to all taxpayers through fair and uniform application of the law. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue has stated that measuring voluntary compliance is essential for determining IRS’ progress in meeting this goal. However, IRS’ last measure of voluntary rep... | The U.S. tax system is based on voluntary reporting. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reviews all tax returns after they are filed to ensure compliance with tax laws governing this voluntary system. Despite these efforts, each year billions of dollars in taxes owed are not voluntarily reported and paid, which could r... |
Share-in-savings contracts fall under the umbrella of performance-based contracting, in which a federal agency specifies the outcome or result it desires and lets the contractor decide how best to achieve the desired outcome. In theory, share-in-savings contracting can provide a number of potential benefits to both an ... | Federal agencies spend billions of dollars every year on information technology and are increasingly using performance-based contracting methods where agencies specify desired outcomes and allow contractors to design the best solutions to achieve those outcomes. Share-in-savings contracting is one such method under whi... |
MPOs, representing local governments and working in coordination with state departments of transportation and major providers of transportation services, have responsibility for the regional transportation planning processes in urbanized areas. (See figure 2 for a summary of these processes.) A core function of MPOs is... | Metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) are responsible for transportation planning in metropolitan areas; however, little is known about what has been achieved by the planning efforts. This congressionally requested report describes (1) the characteristics and responsibilities of MPOs, (2) the challenges that MPOs f... |
Since the onset of OIF and OEF, over 1 million servicemembers have been deployed. As of the end of June 2005, more than 393,000 active duty, Reserve, and National Guard servicemembers from OIF and OEF have separated from active duty. Of these, over 100,000 have sought health care services from VA, including over 2,400 ... | Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) servicemembers and those who are discharged from military service may receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Since the onset of OIF and OEF, the Department of Defense (DOD) has reported that more than 15,000 servicemembers hav... |
While LSC’s board and management have taken actions to improve its governance and accountability practices towards fully implementing the recommendations from our August 2007 report additional actions to fully implement the other key recommendations are needed. In August 2007 we reported, that since its inception over ... | In August 2007, GAO reported (GAO-07-993) that Legal Services Corporation (LSC) had not kept up with evolving reforms aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and internal controls. In December 2007, GAO reported (GAO-08-37) weaknesses in LSC's internal controls over grants management and oversight of grantees... |
Established in 1800, the Library of Congress is the world’s largest library and serves as the research arm of Congress. Its collections include more than 36 million books and other print materials, 3.5 million recordings, 13.7 million photographs, 5.5 million maps, 6.7 million pieces of sheet music, and 69 million manu... | The Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution and the world's largest library. Its mission is to preserve and make available works of creativity and human knowledge, and to serve as the research arm of the U.S. Congress. In addition, the Library houses the U.S. Copyright Office, which is charged wi... |
IRS does not have internal controls over its financial reporting process adequate to provide reasonable assurance that its principal financial statements are reliable. As a result, IRS (1) was unable to prepare reliable statements of net cost, changes in net position, budgetary resources, and financing and (2) could no... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the results of its audit of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) fiscal year (FY) 1998 financial statements. GAO noted that: (1) serious internal control and financial management issues continue to plague the IRS; (2) pervasive weaknesses in the design and operation of... |
ISTEA authorized over $122 billion for highway programs for fiscal years 1992 through 1997. The authorization was funded primarily through federal highway user taxes such as those on motor fuels (gasoline, gasohol, and diesel), tires, and trucks. Funds from these sources are collected from users and credited to the Hig... | GAO discussed the status of federal surface transportation programs in the absence of funding from a new federal highway reauthorization act, focusing on a comparison of unobligated federal highway fund balances at the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 1998 with the highway funds that the states obligated during the first ... |
To achieve its facility protection mission, in fiscal year 2012, FPS has a budget of $1.3 billion; over 1,200 full-time employees; and about 12,500 contract security guards. Contract guards are responsible for controlling access to federal facilities, screening access areas to prevent the introduction of weapons and ex... | FPS provides security and law enforcement services to over 9,000 federal facilities under the custody and control of the General Services Administration (GSA). GAO has reported that FPS faces challenges providing security services, particularly completing FSAs and managing its these challenges, FPS spent about $35 mill... |
Despite a substantial investment in IT, the federal government’s management of information resources has produced mixed results. Although agencies have taken constructive steps to implement modern strategies, systems, and management policies and practices, our work continues to find that agencies face significant chall... | Although the federal government has invested substantially in information technology (IT), its success in managing information resources has varied. Agencies have taken steps to implement modern strategies, systems, and management policies and practices, but they still face significant information and technology manage... |
SSA administers two programs that provide benefits for individuals who are unable to work because of disability. Although they differ with respect to program purpose and requirements for entitlement, both DI and SSI use the same definition of disability for initial entitlement. Specifically, in order to be found disabl... | In calendar year 2001, the Social Security Administration (SSA) paid cash benefits of $60 billion to more than six million working-age adults with disabilities and eligible family members under its Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) program, and $20 billion to more than 3.5 million working-age adults with disabi... |
Responsibility for providing care and services to foster children is shared by federal, state, and county governments, with HHS having responsibility for oversight of federal foster care programs. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within HHS helps the states to develop plans required under title IV-B o... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the health-related services needed and received by young children in foster care, focusing on: (1) the relationship between the receipt of health-related services and foster care placements with relatives versus placements with nonrelatives; and (2) how r... |
Internal control is not one event, but a series of actions and activities that occur throughout an entity’s operations and on an ongoing basis. Internal control should be recognized as an integral part of each system that management uses to regulate and guide its operations rather than as a separate system within an ag... | In its role as the nation's tax collector, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a demanding responsibility in annually collecting trillions of dollars in taxes, processing hundreds of millions of tax and information returns, and enforcing the nation's tax laws. Since its first audit of IRS's financial statements in f... |
State is authorized to designate acceptance facilities—in addition to its own passport offices—to provide passport execution services to the American public. The majority of passport applications are submitted at acceptance facilities nationwide; these include post offices; federal, state, and probate courts; some publ... | As early as January 31, 2008, U.S. citizens will be required to present a passport or other approved document to enter the United States at all ports of entry. The Department of State (State) is developing a "passport card" as a means of establishing U.S. citizenship for individuals crossing U.S. land borders or arrivi... |
According to SSA, 84 percent of households with someone 65 or older received Social Security benefits in 2014. To qualify for benefits, an individual must typically earn at least 40 credits, based on earnings on which they and their employer pay Social Security payroll taxes. According to SSA, as of 2015, 69 percent of... | Many eligible individuals claim Social Security retirement benefits at the earliest eligibility age, even though they would receive higher benefits if they waited until older ages. In order to make an informed decision about when to claim, people need to understand how various Social Security rules and other factors af... |
Located just north of the equator in the Pacific Ocean are the two island nations of the FSM and the RMI (see fig. 1). The FSM is a grouping of 607 small islands—including 65 of which are inhabited—in the western Pacific totaling 270 square miles. The country, which is comprised of four states— Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and... | The Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands provides direct U.S. economic assistance and extends U.S. domestic programs and federal services to these two Pacific Island nations. The Compact also allows for migration from Micro... |
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.