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DOD’s primary military medical mission is to maintain the health of 1.6 million active duty service personnel and be prepared to deliver health care during wartime. Also, as an employer, DOD offers health services to 6.6 million additional military-related beneficiaries, including active duty members’ dependents and mi... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) whether the Department of Defense (DOD) solicits feedback from beneficiaries of its managed health care program, TRICARE, and, if so, how this is done and what the data show; (2) what other means are available to beneficiaries to provide feedback and what such bene... |
Meth is relatively easy and cheap to make today by individuals with little knowledge of chemistry or laboratory skills or equipment. PSE, an ingredient used in OTC and prescription cold and allergy medications, is the key substance needed to make the dextrorotatory methamphetamine (d-meth) illicitly produced in most do... | Meth can be made by anyone using easily obtainable household goods and consumer products in labs, posing significant public safety and health risks and financial burdens to local communities and states where the labs are found. Meth cooks have discovered new, easier ways to make more potent meth that require the use of... |
On November 19, 2002, pursuant to ATSA, TSA began a 2-year pilot program at 5 airports using private screening companies to screen passengers and checked baggage. In 2004, at the completion of the pilot program, and in accordance with ATSA, TSA established the SPP, whereby any airport authority, whether involved in the... | TSA maintains a federal workforce to screen passengers and baggage at the majority of the nation's commercial airports, but it also oversees a workforce of private screeners at airports who participate in the SPP. The SPP allows commercial airports to apply to have screening performed by private screeners, who are to p... |
The mission of FAA, as a DOT agency, is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. To fulfill its mission, FAA must rely on an extensive use of technology, including many software-intensive systems. FAA constantly relies on the adequacy and reliability of the nation’s ATC system, which compris... | The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the nation's air traffic control (ATC) system has suffered from cost, schedule, and/or performance shortfalls in its system acquisitions for more than two decades and has been on our list of high risk programs since 1995. FAA's performa... |
The value of DOD inventory requirements needed to support acquisition leadtime grew from about $8 billion in 1979 to about $21 billion in 1989. Recognizing that excessively long acquisition leadtime was a major contributor to the large growth in defense inventories in the 1980s, in May 1990 DOD directed the military se... | GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to reduce acquisition leadtimes. GAO found that: (1) DOD has made only limited progress in reducing its acquisition leadtimes because the military services and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) have unevenly implemented the leadtime reduction initiatives; (2) no D... |
The United States and many of its trading partners have established laws to remedy the unfair trade practices of other countries and foreign companies that cause injury to domestic industries. U.S. law authorizes the imposition of AD/CV duties to remedy these unfair trade practices, namely dumping (i.e., sales at less ... | Since fiscal year 2001, the federal government has been unable to collect over $1 billion in antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duties imposed to remedy injurious, unfair foreign trade practices. These include AD duties imposed on products exported to the United States at unfairly low prices (i.e., dumped) and CV... |
The State Department conducts activities designed to promote and protect U.S. interests overseas. To support these activities, State maintains a headquarters with regional and functional bureaus and 252 overseas posts. The State Department received slightly less than $2.7 billion for the administration of foreign affai... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of State's reform and cost-cutting efforts and identified options that would enable State to adjust to reduced budgets. GAO found that: (1) State does not have a comprehensive strategy to restructure and downsize its operations to meet potential funding r... |
The NSLP is designed to provide school children with nutritionally balanced and affordable lunches to safeguard their health and well-being. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Consumer Service, is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. The... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on food waste from school lunches provided to school children under the National School Lunch Program. GAO found that: (1) school cafeteria managers had varying perceptions about the degree to which food waste was a problem; (2) elementary school cafeteria m... |
The federal Food Stamp Program is intended to help low-income individuals and families obtain a more nutritious diet by supplementing their income with benefits to purchase food. FNS pays the full cost of food stamp benefits and shares the states’ administrative costs—with FNS paying approximately 50 percent—and is res... | In fiscal year 2003, the federal Food Stamp Program made payment errors totaling about $1.4 billion in benefits, or about 7 percent of the total $21.4 billion in benefits provided to a monthly average of 21 million low-income participants. Because payment errors are a misuse of public funds and can undermine public sup... |
Information security is a critical consideration for any organization that depends on information systems and computer networks to carry out its mission or business and is especially important for government agencies, where maintaining the public’s trust is essential. While the dramatic expansion in computer interconne... | SEC enforces securities laws, issues rules and regulations that provide protection for investors, and helps to ensure that securities markets are fair and honest. SEC uses computerized information systems to collect, process, and store sensitive information, including financial data. Having effective information securi... |
The missions of DOE’s 23 laboratories have evolved over the last 55 years. Originally created to design and build atomic bombs under the Manhattan Project, these laboratories have since expanded to conduct research in many disciplines—from high-energy physics to advanced computing at facilities throughout the nation. D... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) progress in making needed management reforms in its national laboratories, focusing on: (1) the recommendations made by various advisory groups for addressing management weaknesses at DOE and the laboratories; and (2) how DOE and its lab... |
The Total Army Analysis process has evolved from one that determined the requirements for and allocated authorized personnel to units involved in war-fighting to one that does this for the entire Army. Although Total Army Analysis 2005 included some analysis of requirements for the “institutional Army,” the current ver... | The Army has made progress developing a sound basis for its force structure requirements. It has improved the rigor of its analysis through more realistic scenarios and the integration of Army plans and initiatives. It has also expanded the analysis to include requirements for the entire Army. However, the weaknesses G... |
The school lunch and breakfast programs are overseen and administered by USDA through FNS, state agencies, and local SFAs. FNS sets nationwide eligibility and program administration criteria and provides reimbursements to states for each meal served that meets federal menu planning and nutrition requirements and is ser... | In fiscal year 2008, the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program provided meals to 30.9 million and 10.5 million children, respectively. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued the first estimate of improper payments due to meal counting and claiming errors in these programs, which... |
The military has a system of pay grades and ranks that differs by military service. According to DOD, military rank is a badge of leadership, and responsibility for personnel, equipment, and mission grows with each increase in rank. Pay grades, such as E1 or O5, are administrative classifications used primarily to stan... | Junior enlisted servicemembers constitute more than half of DOD's enlisted force. To sustain the force and help ensure continued growth in all ranks, DOD provides a wide array of services and programs on its military bases, including dining facilities; fitness centers; and medical clinics. Senate Report 113-176 include... |
LANL is organized in a matrix that allows programs to draw on scientific, engineering, and experimental capabilities from throughout the laboratory. Programs are funded and managed out of LANL’s 15 directorates, such as Weapons Physics or Chemistry, Life and Earth Sciences, but LANL’s scientists and engineers work in 6... | In 2006, a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) contract employee unlawfully removed classified information from the laboratory. This was the latest in a series of high-profile security incidents at LANL spanning almost a decade. LANL conducts research on nuclear weapons and other national security areas for the Natio... |
BIA and FHWA (through its Office of Federal Lands Highway) jointly administer the TTP, to address transportation needs of tribes. The TTP is funded through the highway account of the Highway Trust Fund and is designed to address eligible transportation-related activities on tribal lands. Activities eligible for program... | Roads on tribal lands are of particular importance for connecting people to essential services, such as schools, because of the remote location of some tribes. These roads are often unpaved and may not be well maintained. The federal government funds two programs to improve and maintain roads on tribal lands. BIA maint... |
In 1989, the National Commission on the Public Service found that the federal government experienced difficulties in recruiting and retaining a quality workforce. The commission recommended that a student loan forgiveness program be established, and the SLR program was proposed in response to that recommendation. The r... | As federal workers retire in greater numbers, agencies will need to recruit and retain a new wave of talented individuals. Agencies need to determine if the federal student loan repayment (SLR) program is one of the best ways to make maximum use of available funds to attract and keep this key talent. GAO was asked to i... |
States’ increasing use of managed care for Medicaid beneficiaries needing long-term services and supports is a significant change from how states have historically met the needs of these vulnerable populations. While many states have extensive experience with using managed care programs to provide physical or behaviora... | Twenty-two states use MLTSS programs to provide care for Medicaid beneficiaries who need long-term support. Using managed care to deliver long-term services and supports can be a strategy for states to expand home- and community-based care, which many beneficiaries prefer, and to lower costs. However, given the potenti... |
Under the Rehabilitation Act, a person is considered to have a disability if the individual has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Existing federal efforts are intended to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities in the federal workforce and help ... | In July 2010, the president signed Executive Order 13548 committing the federal government to become a model employer of individuals with disabilities and assigned primary oversight responsibilities to OPM and Labor. According to OPM, the federal government is not on track to meet the goals of the executive order, whic... |
NCIC is a law enforcement database maintained by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division and was first established in 1967 to assist LEAs in apprehending fugitives and locating stolen property. In 1975, NCIC expanded to include the missing persons file to include law enforcement records associat... | Every year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing, and hundreds of human remains go unidentified. Two primary federal databases supported by DOJ—NCIC and NamUs—contain data related to missing and unidentified persons to help solve these cases. NCIC contains criminal justice information accessed by authorized ag... |
IRC section 501(c) specifies 28 types of entities that are eligible for tax- exempt status and over 1.6 million entities have been recognized as exempt as of 2005. One subset of these tax-exempt entities is classified as 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, of which slightly over 1 million existed in 2005, according to ... | Donor-advised funds and supporting organizations are two charitable-giving options that have received attention from Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for their potential to facilitate noncompliance with tax law. As requested, GAO is providing information on donor-advised funds and supporting organization... |
The permanent provisions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act took effect on November 30, 1998. Under the Brady Act, before a federally licensed firearms dealer can transfer a firearm to an unlicensed individual, the dealer must request a background check through NICS to determine whether the prospective firear... | Membership in a terrorist organization does not prohibit a person from owning a gun under current law. Thus, during presale screening of prospective firearms purchasers, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System historically did not utilize terrorist watch list records. However, for homeland security and ot... |
The 13th Congressional District of Florida comprises DeSoto, Hardee, Sarasota, and parts of Charlotte and Manatee Counties. In the November 2006 general election, there were two candidates in the race to represent the 13th Congressional District: Vern Buchanan, the Republican candidate, and Christine Jennings, the Demo... | In November 2006, about 18,000 undervotes were reported in Sarasota County in the race for Florida's 13th Congressional District (FL-13). After the contesting of the election results in the House of Representatives, the task force unanimously voted to seek GAO's assistance in determining whether the voting systems cont... |
The semiconductor manufacturing equipment and materials industry produces a variety of equipment, chemicals, gases, films, and other materials critical to manufacturing integrated circuits. According to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), the $86 billion global semiconductor manufacturing equipm... | Semiconductors are key components in weapons systems and consumer electronics. Since semiconductors have both civilian and military applications, U.S. export control policy treats the equipment and materials used to manufacture semiconductors as "dual-use" items, and controls the export of these items through licensing... |
VA provides medical 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 approximately 170 VAMCs, 130 nursing homes, and 1,000 outpatient sites of care. In general, veterans must... | VA projected a funding gap of about $3 billion in its fiscal year 2015 medical services appropriation account, which funds VA health care services except for those authorized under the Veterans Choice Program. To close this gap, VA obtained temporary authority to use up to $3.3 billion from the $10 billion appropriated... |
As part of its mission to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States, DOJ undertakes a number of law enforcement activities through its component agencies. The following six reports—which we issued in 2015 and 2016—contain key findings and recommendations in this area, and highlight potential areas f... | In fiscal year 2016, DOJ's $29 billion budget funded a broad array of national security, law enforcement, and criminal justice system activities. GAO has examined a number of key programs where DOJ has sole responsibility or works with other departments, and recommended actions to improve program efficiency and resourc... |
Since the enactment of key financial management reforms in the 1990s, the federal government has made significant progress in improving financial management activities and practices. As shown in appendix I, 20 of 24 Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act agencies were able to attain unqualified audit opinions on their fisc... | GAO annually audits the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS). Congress and the President need reliable, useful, and timely financial and performance information to make sound decisions and conduct effective oversight of federal government programs and policies. The federal government began pre... |
Retirement income in the United States includes Social Security benefits, asset income, pension benefits, and earnings. Over the last 40 years, receipt of Social Security has become almost universal while receipt of asset income has increased modestly, receipt of private pensions has tripled, and receipt of government ... | Today's workers will rely to a large extent on Social Security, private pensions, and personal wealth for their retirement income. But some analysts question whether these sources will provide sufficient retirement income to maintain workers' standards of living once they leave the labor force. Indeed, the Social Secur... |
DOD has reported to Congress since fiscal year 2004 on several items related to its training ranges in response to section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. The act as subsequently amended required annual progress reports to be submitted at the same time as the President subm... | DOD relies on its training ranges within the United States and overseas to help prepare its forces for combat and complex missions around the globe. Section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 required DOD to submit a comprehensive plan on its efforts to address training constra... |
To facilitate the public debate on FDIUS issues by improving existing government information, Congress enacted the Foreign Direct Investment and International Financial Data Improvements Act of 1990. This act required the Secretary of Commerce to submit an annual report addressing the history, scope, trends, and market... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Commerce's first three annual reports on foreign direct investment in the United States (FDIUS) and governmental efforts to improve the quality of FDIUS data, focusing on: (1) the extent to which Commerce's reports fulfilled legislative requirements ... |
The objective of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. The Congress established a series of national goals and policies to achieve this objective, including what is referred to as “fishable/swimmable” water quality. That is, whenever atta... | GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) authority to permit municipal wastewater treatment facilities to discharge pollutants into surface waters, focusing on: (1) differences in how EPA and the states control discharges of specific pollutants; and (2) EPA oversight of state water quality standards and... |
The safe travel of U.S. airline passengers is a joint responsibility of FAA and the airlines in accordance with the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, and the Department of Transportation Act, as amended. To carry out its responsibilities under these acts, FAA supports research and development; certifies that ne... | Airline travel is one of the safest modes of public transportation in the United States. Furthermore, there are survivors in the majority of airliner crashes, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Additionally, more passengers might have survived if they had been better protected from the impact... |
The Coast Guard’s fiscal year 2007 budget request shows continued growth but at a more moderate pace than that of the past 2 years. The current budget request reflects a proposed increase of about $328 million, compared to increases for each of the past 2 budget years that exceeded $500 million for each year. (See fig.... | The Coast Guard's fiscal year 2007 budget request total $8.4 billion, an increase of 4 percent ($328 million) over the approved budget for fiscal year 2006 and a slowing of the agency's budget increases over the past 2 fiscal years. This testimony, which is based on both current and past GAO work, synthesizes the resul... |
Since the 1940s, VA has provided vocational rehabilitation assistance to veterans with service-connected disabilities. In 1980, Congress enacted the Veterans’ Rehabilitation and Education Amendments, which mandated a change in the mission of VA’s vocational rehabilitation program from primarily providing training to he... | In 2004, the Veterans Affairs' Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program was reviewed by a VR&E Task Force. It recommended numerous changes, in particular focusing on employment through a new Five-Track service delivery model and increasing program capacity. Since then, VR&E has worked to implement these ... |
The size and cost of operating the federal vehicle fleet has been a subject of concern for many years. In 1986, Congress enacted legislation that required agencies, among other things, to collect and analyze the costs of their motor vehicle operations, including acquisition decisions, in order to improve the management... | Federal agencies spend about $1.7 billion annually to operate a fleet of about 387,000 vehicles. During the last decade, concerns have been raised about whether agencies have more vehicles than they need. In an April 2002 letter to federal agencies, the Office of Management and Budget stated that the size of the federa... |
Any discussion about the role of the federal government, about the design and performance of federal activities, and about the near-term federal fiscal outlook takes place in the context of two dominating facts: a demographic tidal wave is on the horizon, and it combined with rising health care costs threatens to overw... | This testimony discusses efforts to link resources to results--also known as "performance budgeting." During the past decade, Congress and several administrations have put in place a structure for increasing the focus on and accountability for government performance. Federal agencies have been working to carry out the ... |
In the last decade, weapon systems have increasingly been developed, produced, and marketed internationally through government-sponsored cooperative development programs and a variety of industry linkages. These linkages include international subcontracting, joint ventures, teaming arrangements, and cross-border merger... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed security arrangements used to protect sensitive information from foreign-owned U.S. defense contractors that perform on classified Department of Defense (DOD) contracts. GAO found that: (1) security arrangements are intended to protect foreign-owned U.S. defense contrac... |
Charities are organizations established to address the needs of the poor or distressed and other social welfare issues. Federal, state, and private agencies and the American public monitor how well charities are meeting these needs. Although not all charities have a disaster relief focus, historically charities have ad... | Surveys suggest that as many as two-thirds of American households have donated money to charitable organizations to aid in the response to the September 11 disasters. To provide the public with information on the role of charitable aid in assisting those affected by the attacks, GAO was asked to report on the amount of... |
VA manages a large health system for veterans, providing health care services to over 5 million beneficiaries. The cost of these services in fiscal year 2005 was over $30 billion. According to VA, its health care system now includes 157 medical centers, 862 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics, and 13... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) maintains affiliations with medical schools, including the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Services Center and University of Colorado Hospital (UCH), to obtain enhanced medical care for veterans. As part of their pla... |
Manufacturer drug coupon programs reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket costs for specific drugs and are typically available to privately insured patients regardless of income. Drug manufacturers provide these discounts to patients through several mechanisms. For example, manufacturers may provide patients with debit cards... | Use of drug coupons in the private sector has increased in recent years. GAO was asked to study coupon programs for drugs covered by Medicare Part B, including any implications for Part B spending. This report (1) identifies coupon programs associated with high-expenditure Part B drugs and describes the extent to which... |
Before a drug can be marketed in the United States, its sponsor must demonstrate to FDA that the drug is safe and effective for its intended use. Because no drug is absolutely safe—there is always some risk of an adverse reaction—FDA approves a drug for marketing when the agency judges that its known benefits outweigh ... | In 2004, several high-profile drug safety cases raised concerns about the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) ability to manage postmarket drug safety issues. In some cases there have been disagreements within FDA about how to address safety issues. In this report GAO (1) describes FDA's organizational structure and p... |
TBI is the injury most likely to result in death or permanent disability. Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data indicate that each year approximately 50,000 people die, 210,000 are hospitalized and survive, and 70,000 to 90,000 individuals are disabled due to a TBI. CDC cautions that these number... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal and state efforts to provide services the individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), focusing on the: (1) primary federal and state programs that provide adults with TBI services to help them function more independently; (2) strategies that states have devel... |
Section 861 of the NDAA for FY2008 directed the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the USAID Administrator to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) related to contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The law specified a number of issues to be covered in the MOU, including the identification of common data... | This statement discusses ongoing efforts by the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of State (State), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to track information on contractor personnel and contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reliable, meaningful data on contractors and the services they provi... |
Seniors are a heterogeneous group—many do not require assistance with transportation, and, in fact, most drive automobiles. However, according to data from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey conducted by DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Federal Highway Administration, and National Highway Traffic Safet... | The U.S. population is aging, and access to transportation, via automobile or other modes, is critical to helping individuals remain independent as they age. Various federal programs provide funding for transportation services for "transportation-disadvantaged" seniors--those who cannot drive or have limited their driv... |
After major disasters, various federal agencies provide a range of assistance to individual victims; state, territorial, and local governments; and nongovernmental entities. This assistance is administered through various federal programs, and is generally made available after the President issues a disaster declaratio... | In response to the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, Congress provided about $130 billion in disaster recovery assistance, including assistance for permanent housing. Congress has expressed an interest in how this assistance has been allocated to homeowners and rental property owners, particularly for state-administered prog... |
With the 21st century challenges we are facing, it is more vital than ever to maximize the performance of federal agencies in achieving their long-term goals. The federal government must address and adapt to major trends in our country and around the world. At the same time, our nation faces serious long-term fiscal ch... | Congress asked GAO to discuss the Government Performance and Results Act's (GPRA) success in shifting the focus of government operations from process to results and to evaluate the extent to which agency managers have embraced GPRA as a management tool. Further, Congress was interested in any recommendations GAO may ha... |
This section presents information on roles and responsibilities of EPA and states in the UIC class II program, information on UIC class II inspection and enforcement processes, information collected from state and EPA- managed programs, and activities to oversee state and EPA-managed programs. The UIC class II program ... | Since the early 2000s, increased oil and gas production has resulted in an increase in wastewater that must be managed properly. The majority of wastewater from oil and gas production is injected into underground wells known as class II wells. These wells are regulated to protect drinking water sources under EPA's UIC ... |
Congress has delegated to Treasury the power to borrow the money needed to operate the federal government and manage the government’s outstanding debt subject to a statutory limit. Treasury’s primary debt management goal is to finance the government’s borrowing needs at the lowest cost over time. To meet this objective... | One result of persistent fiscal imbalance is growing debt and net interest costs. Net interest is currently the fastest-growing "program" in the budget and, if unchecked, threatens to crowd out spending for other national priorities. This report was done under the Comptroller General's authority. GAO examined the Depar... |
VA’s health care system is divided into 22 regional Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN), which serve as the basic budgetary and decision-making units for determining how best to provide services to veterans at medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics located within their geographic boundaries. Spr... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs one of the nation's largest health care systems. In fiscal year 2000, roughly four million patients made 39 million outpatient visits to more than 700 VA health care facilities nationwide. However, excessive waiting times for outpatient care have been a long-standing problem... |
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) established TSA as the primary federal agency with responsibility for securing the nation’s civil aviation system. This responsibility includes the screening of all passengers and property transported from and within the United States by commercial passenger aircraft.... | Since the attacks of September 11, 2001 exposed vulnerabilities in the nation's aviation system, billions of dollars have been spent on a wide range of programs designed to enhance aviation security. Securing commercial aviation remains a daunting task, and continuing fiscal pressure highlights the need for TSA to dete... |
Based on state responses to our survey, we estimated that nearly 617,000, or about 89 percent of the approximately 693,000 regulated tanks states manage, had been upgraded with the federally required equipment by the end of fiscal year 2000. In comparison, EPA data at that time showed that about 70 percent of the total... | Nationwide, underground storage tanks (UST) containing petroleum and other hazardous substances are leaking, thereby contaminating the soil and water, and posing health risks. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which implements the UST program with the states, required tank owners to install leak detection and ... |
BLM’s mission is to manage public lands and resources to best serve the needs of the American people. The Bureau, which is part of the Department of the Interior (DOI), has 210 state, district, and resource area offices that manage about 270 million acres of public lands located in 28 states, primarily in the West and ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) modernization of its Automated Land and Mineral Record System (ALMRS), focusing on: (1) BLM progress in developing and implementing ALMRS modernization; and (2) potential modernization risks. GAO found that: (1) although BLM initiat... |
While DOD does not have a standard, department-wide definition of the IoT, the department has identified a number of existing definitions of it. As noted previously, a 2016 Defense Science Board study defined the IoT as the set of Internet Protocol-addressable devices that interact with the physical environment, noting... | Congress included provisions in reports associated with two separate statutes for GAO to assess the IoT-associated security challenges faced by DOD. This report (1) addresses the extent to which DOD has identified and assessed security risks related to IoT devices, (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has developed pol... |
In 1999, the Congress enacted the D.C. College Access Act for the purpose of expanding higher education opportunities for college-bound D.C. residents in an effort to stabilize D.C.’s population and tax base. The act created the D.C. TAG Program, a residency-based tuition subsidy program, which allows D.C. residents to... | Twenty-one percent of grant-eligible applicants who did not use the District of Columbia's tuition assistance grant (TAG) funding to attend a participating college or university may have encountered such barriers as college entrance requirements and the absence of minority outreach programs. Whether enrollment caps at ... |
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 granted the Postal Service its independent status and allowed the Service to develop its own purchasing rules and regulations. Although it had the authority for greater flexibility, the Service followed prevailing federal practices until 1988 when it adopted a new procurement manua... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether changes are needed in the Postal Service's purchasing program, focusing on whether: (1) certain problem purchases were due to some underlying causes that should be addressed through legislation; and (2) the Service should implement additional procedural safeguar... |
In 17 of the 31 new areas where agencies may be able to achieve greater efficiency or effectiveness, we found evidence of fragmentation, overlap, or duplication among federal programs or activities. As described in table 1, these programs or activities cover a wide range of federal functions and missions. We consider p... | As the fiscal pressures facing the nation 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 such action exist in areas where federal programs or activities are fragmented, overlapping, or dup... |
Illegal immigration is an important issue, especially in California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Arizona, and New Jersey—the states estimated to account for over three-fourths of the illegal alien population. Illegal aliens are a concern not only because they are breaking immigration laws but for various other ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the costs of providing benefits and services to illegal aliens, focusing on: (1) current estimates of the national net costs of illegal aliens to all levels of government; (2) the variation in these estimates; and (3) areas in which the estimates could be improved. GAO ... |
Grants to state and local governments have historically been classified as either categorical grants or block grants. In terms of this historic classification, the typical categorical grant permits funds to be used only for specific, narrowly defined purposes and populations and includes administrative and reporting re... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO conducted a comparative study of block grants and similar programs that give state or local governments substantial flexibility in determining how funds are to be used, focusing on: (1) examining the design characteristics of these programs that have implications for flexibility... |
IAEA is an independent organization affiliated with the United Nations. Its governing bodies include the General Conference, composed of representatives of the 138 IAEA member states, and the 35-member Board of Governors, which provides overall policy direction and oversight. The Secretariat, headed by the Director Gen... | The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) safeguards system has been a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation since the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was adopted in 1970. Safeguards allow IAEA to verify countries' compliance with the NPT. Since the discover... |
In our December 2009 report, we found that law enforcement agencies we surveyed generally reported finding FinCEN’s services and products useful, citing direct access to BSA data, on-site liaisons, and access to financial information on people or organizations suspected of being involved in significant money laundering... | Financial investigations are used to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, crimes that can destabilize national economies and threaten global security. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), within the Department of the Treasury, supports law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in their efforts to invest... |
The 1995 PRA reaffirms the principles in the original act and gives significant new responsibilities to OIRA and executive branch agencies. For example, the act requires OIRA to “oversee the use of information resources to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of governmental operations to serve agency missions,” an... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed how the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has implemented selected responsibilities assigned to it by the 1995 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), focusing on: (1) how OIRA reviews and controls paperwork; (2) OIRA's oversight of federal information resource... |
The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had a devastating effect on the U.S. financial markets with significant loss of life, extensive physical damage, and considerable disruption to the financial district in New York. Damage from the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings caused dust and debris to blanket a w... | The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks exposed the vulnerability of U.S. financial markets to wide-scale disasters. Because the markets are vital to the nation's economy, GAO's testimony discusses (1) how the financial markets were directly affected by the attacks and how market participants and infrastructure provi... |
Substantial questions remain on the efficacy and potential environmental impacts of proposed geoengineering approaches, in part, because geoengineering research and field experiments to date have been limited. According to the experts we spoke with, research related to proposed SRM geoengineering approaches is sparse. ... | Key scientific assessments have underscored the urgency of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide to help mitigate potentially negative effects of climate change; however, many countries with significant greenhouse gas emissions, including the United States, China, and India, have not committed to binding limits on emiss... |
Long-term care includes many types of services needed when a person has a physical or mental disability. Individuals needing long-term care may have difficulty performing some activities of daily living (ADL) without assistance, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, and moving from one location to another. They... | The confluence of the aging baby boom generation, longer life expectancies, and evolving options for providing and financing long-term care services will require substantial public and private investment in long-term care and the development of sufficient capacity to serve this growing population. Spending for long-ter... |
For the period 1991 through 1996, 49 countries were assessed about $688 million. The United States’ share was about $174 million, or about 25 percent of the total. Appendix I shows the assessments, payments, and outstanding balances for all 49 countries as of January 31, 1997. For the 3-year period 1997 through 1999, t... | GAO discussed its work on the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund, focusing on: (1) principal contributors to the Fund; (2) principal recipients of disbursements made from the Fund; (3) the purposes for which disbursements were made; (4) what has been accomplished with these disbursements; and (5) the controls and acco... |
FDA is responsible for regulating the marketing of medical devices to provide reasonable assurance of their safety and effectiveness for human use. As part of its regulatory responsibility, FDA reviews applications from manufacturers that wish to market their medical devices in the United States. Prior to marketing new... | Medicare fee schedule payments for durable medical equipment (DME) that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates as class III devices, those that pose the greatest potential risk, increased by 215 percent from 2001 through 2004. From 2004 through 2006, and for 2008, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, ... |
Although the Medicare and Medicaid EHR programs are generally similar, there are some differences related to the types of providers that are permitted to participate, the duration and amount of incentive payments and penalties, and information providers must submit to satisfy the programs’ requirements. The types of pr... | The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act established the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health records (EHR) programs. CMS and the states administer these programs which began in 2011 to promote the meaningful use of EHR technology through incentive payments paid to certain prov... |
OMB Circular A-126 sets forth executive branch policy with respect to the management and use of government aviation assets. The purpose of the circular is to minimize cost and improve the management of government aircraft. The circular provides that government aircraft must be operated only for official purposes. Under... | The federal government owns or leases over 1,700 aircraft to accomplish a wide variety of missions. Federal agencies are generally required to report trips taken by senior federal officials on their aircraft to GSA unless the trips are classified pursuant to executive branch requirements. In February 2013, GAO reported... |
The MMPA was enacted in 1972 to ensure that marine mammals are maintained at or restored to healthy population levels. Among other things, this act established the Marine Mammal Commission, which must continually review the condition of marine mammal stocks and recommend to the appropriate federal officials and Congres... | Because marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, often inhabit waters where commercial fishing occurs, they can become entangled in fishing gear, which may injure or kill them--this is referred to as "incidental take." The 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) require the National Marine Fisher... |
Amtrak was created by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 to operate and revitalize intercity passenger rail service. Prior to Amtrak’s creation, such service was provided by private railroads, which had lost money, especially after World War II. The act, as amended, gave Amtrak a number of goals, including providin... | GAO discussed: (1) Amtrak's financial performance during fiscal year (FY) 1997 and during the first quarter of FY 1998; (2) challenges Amtrak will face in improving its financial health; and (3) the potential impact that recently enacted legislation may have on Amtrak's financial condition. GAO noted that: (1) Amtrak's... |
In June 2007, the Army began establishing WTUs at United States military installations with MTFs that were providing medical care to 35 or more eligible servicemembers. As of January 2009, the Army was operating 33 of these WTUs. (See fig. 1.) The Army has also established WTUs at locations in Germany—Bavaria, Heidelbe... | In February 2007, a series of Washington Post articles disclosed problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, particularly with the management of servicemembers receiving outpatient care. In response, the Army established Warrior Transition Units (WTU) for servicemembers requiring complex case management. Each servicem... |
An ASC patient may acquire an HAI from bacteria or viruses contaminating, for example, the hands of a health care worker or a needle or tube used to deliver medicine, fluids, or blood. These bacteria or viruses may include those responsible for such illnesses as staphylococcus infections and hepatitis. Two agencies in ... | Health-care-associated infections (HAI) are a leading cause of death. Recent high-profile cases of HAIs in ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) due to lapses in recommended infection control practices may indicate a more widespread problem in ASCs, but the prevalence of such lapses is unknown. The Department of Health and... |
The scope of equipment reset efforts that will be required as a result of ongoing operations related to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is enormous. The services have committed a significant amount of equipment to these operations. From 2003 until April 2005, the Army had deployed mor... | The United States is engaged in an unconventional war, not a war against military forces of one country, but an irregular war against terrorist cells with global networks. Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom are sustained military operations, which are taking a toll on the condition and readiness of military ... |
We developed the conceptual framework for fiscal exposures in 2003, in order to facilitate the discussion of long-term costs and uncertainties that present risks for the federal budget in the future. Fiscal exposures vary widely as to source, extent of the government’s legal commitment, and magnitude. Figure 1 illustra... | The federal government's long-term fiscal imbalances are driven on the spending side by the effects of an aging population and rising health care costs on Social Security and major federal health programs. However, GAO identified a variety of other fiscal exposures--responsibilities, programs, and activities that may l... |
Trade adjustment assistance programs provide federal assistance to dislocated workers, firms, and communities. Economic adjustment assistance programs are also available for distressed communities, regardless of what has caused the adverse economic condition. The TAA and NAFTA-TAA programs assist U.S. workers displaced... | This report reviews trade adjustment assistance and other assistance programs, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement Transitional Adjustment Assistance (NAFTA-TAA) program, to determine if they have helped distressed communities deal with the adverse impacts of trade. GAO conducted case studies in six such tr... |
State is the lead agency responsible for implementing American foreign policy and representing the United States abroad. It staffs approximately 268 embassies, consulates, and other posts with over 8,000 Foreign Service positions overseas. Roughly two-thirds of these posts are in locations that qualify for a special sa... | The Department of State (State) has designated about two-thirds of its 268 overseas posts as hardship posts. Staff working at such posts often encounter harsh conditions, including inadequate medical facilities and high crime. Many of these posts are vital to U.S. foreign policy objectives and need a full complement of... |
Reflecting national trends, VA and DOD prescription drug expenditures have increased substantially in recent years and at a much higher rate than their overall health care expenditures. (See figure 1.) In fiscal year 2000, VA purchased about $2.1 billion in pharmaceuticals—$256 million more than in fiscal year 1999—to ... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have made important progress, particularly during the past year, in their efforts to jointly procure drugs to help control spiraling prescription drug costs. Although their collaborative efforts have been impressive, the two agencies have large... |
EULs are typically long-term leases of federal land or buildings to public sector or private sector companies. Some agencies with EUL authority are authorized to accept in-kind consideration, such as improvements to agency properties or construction of new facilities in place of cash rent. There is no government-wide d... | The federal government owns underutilized properties that are costly to operate, yet challenges exist to closing and disposing of them. To obtain value from these properties, some agencies have used EULs, which are generally long-term agreements to lease property from the federal government in exchange for cash or non-... |
Specialty hospitals have become a subject of debate among health care policymakers. One issue concerns physician ownership of specialty hospitals and whether such ownership might inappropriately affect physicians’ clinical decision-making and referral behavior. A related issue concerns the potential for specialty hospi... | The recent growth in specialty hospitals that are largely for-profit and owned, in part, by physicians, has been controversial. Advocates of these hospitals contend that the focused mission and dedicated resources of specialty hospitals both improve quality and reduce costs. Critics contend that specialty hospitals sip... |
This section provides an overview of material criticality and federal agencies’ critical materials roles. There is no single federal government-wide definition or list of what constitutes a critical material and different assessments have demonstrated that there are a wide variety of materials that are critical to U.S.... | Certain metals, minerals, and other “critical” raw materials play an important role in the production of advanced technologies across a range of industrial sectors and defense applications. Recently, concentration of the supply of some critical materials under foreign control has renewed questions about the U.S. govern... |
Since it started development in 2003, FCS was 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. The Ar... | 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... |
The Police Corps program was established to provide federal financial assistance to (1) prospective police officers who participate in the program (i.e., in the form of college scholarships for baccalaureate or graduate studies); (2) the entity selected and approved to provide basic training to the state’s Police Corps... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Justice's (DOJ) implementation of the Police Corps program under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office and, more recently, the Office of Justice Programs. GAO noted that: (1) the Police Corps program got off to a slower than expected s... |
The federal government’s real property portfolio reflects the diversity of agencies’ missions and includes a variety of building types, such as office buildings, courthouses, post offices, hospitals, prisons, laboratories, border stations, and park facilities. That portfolio includes many historic buildings held by GSA... | The federal government has made some progress addressing previously identified issues with managing federal real property. This includes establishing the Federal Real Property Council (FRPC) and creating the FRPP database to identify and report agencies' real property, including attributes such as historic status. GAO ... |
FAA is responsible for ensuring safe, orderly, and efficient air travel in and around the United States. NWS supports FAA by providing aviation-related forecasts and warnings at air traffic facilities across the country. Among other support and services, NWS provides four meteorologists at each of FAA’s 21 en route cen... | The National Weather Service's (NWS) weather products are a vital component of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control system. In addition to providing aviation weather products developed at its own facilities, NWS also provides on-site staff at each of FAA's en route centers--the facilities tha... |
The potential needs of the reentry population vary and generally cross over several areas, as shown in figure 1. For example, according to the BOP Director’s statement to Congress in March 2012, most inmates need assistance with things such as job skills, vocational training, education, substance abuse treatment, and p... | About 700,000 inmates are released from federal and state custody each year, and another 9 million are booked into and released from local jails. Former inmates face challenges as they transition into, or reenter, society, such as finding housing and employment. According to the most recent data available, more than tw... |
Through its development and use of PART, OMB has more explicitly infused performance information into the budget formulation process; increased the attention paid to evaluation and to performance information; and ultimately, we hope, increased the value of this information to decision makers and other stakeholders. By ... | The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) is meant to provide a consistent approach to evaluating federal programs during budget formulation. The subcommittee asked GAO to discuss our recent report, Performance Budgeting: Observations on the Use of OMB's Program Assessment Rating... |
In the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, as amended, Congress established various programmatic requirements for The Veterans Corporation to address perceived shortfalls in federally provided services for veterans. For example, The Veterans Corporation is to (1) expand the provision o... | The National Veterans Business Development Corporation (The Veterans Corporation) was created under Pub. L. No. 106-50 to provide veterans with small business and entrepreneurship assistance. The Act authorized, and Congress has appropriated to the corporation, $12 million in funding over 4 years, ending September 30, ... |
Soon after the creation of EPA, the library network was formed to provide staff and the public with access to environmental information in support of EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. Established in 1971, the network is composed of libraries and repositories located in the agency’s headquarters... | Established in 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) library network provides staff and the public with access to environmental information. Its 26 libraries contain a wide range of information and resources and are located at headquarters, regional offices, research centers, and laboratories nationwide. In... |
In 1936, following the enactment of the Social Security Act of 1935, the newly-formed Social Security Board (which later became SSA) created the 9-digit SSN to uniquely identify and determine Social Security benefit entitlement levels for U.S. workers. Originally, the SSN was not intended to serve as a personal identif... | SSNs are key pieces of identifying information that potentially may be used to perpetrate identity theft. Thieves find SSNs valuable because they are the identifying link that can connect an individual's information across many agencies, systems, and databases. This statement summarize GAO's draft report that: (1) desc... |
The Early Detection Program is implemented through cooperative agreements between the CDC and 68 grantees—health departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 5 U.S. territories, as well as 12 American Indian/Alaska Native tribal organizations. The program funds breast and cervical cancer screening se... | Tens of thousands of women die each year from breast or cervical cancer. While screening and early detection through mammograms and Pap tests--followed by treatment--can improve survival, low-income, uninsured women are often not screened. In 1990, Congress authorized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC... |
Basic training is the initial training provided to military recruits upon entering service into one of the military services. While the program and length of instruction varies somewhat among the services, the intent of the training is to transform male and female recruits from civilians into military service members. ... | The Department of Defense reports that is has been faced with difficulties adequately maintaining its facilities to meet mission requirements. Facilities have been aging and deteriorating as funds needed to sustain and recapitalize the facilities have fallen short of requirements. GAO's review of the services' conditio... |
In October 2008, we reported that Interior’s policies and practices for identifying and evaluating lease parcels and bids differ in key ways depending on whether the lease is located offshore—and therefore overseen by OEMM—or onshore—and therefore overseen by BLM. Identifying lease parcels. OEMM’s and BLM’s methods for... | The catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has drawn attention to the exploration and production of oil and gas from leases on federal lands and waters. The Department of the Interior oversees oil and gas activities on federal lands and waters. Onshore, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has oversight responsibi... |
The public faces a high risk that critical services provided by the government and the private sector could be severely disrupted by the Year 2000 computing crisis. Financial transactions could be delayed, flights grounded, power lost, and national defense affected. Moreover, America’s infrastructures are a complex arr... | GAO discussed the year 2000 computer system risks facing the nation, focusing on: (1) GAO's major concerns with the federal government's progress in correcting its systems; (2) state and local government year 2000 issues; and (3) critical year 2000 data exchange issues. GAO noted that: (1) the public faces a high risk ... |
Actions can also include compliance and monitoring, such as reviewing disclosures by exporters of possible export control violations, prelicense checks, and postshipment verifications. See GAO, Export Controls: Post-Shipment Verification Provides Limited Assurance That Dual-use Items Are Being Properly Used, GAO-04-357... | The U.S. government controls the export of sensitive defense and dual-use items (having both military and commercial use). The five agencies primarily responsible for export control enforcementthe Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security (DHS), Justice, State and the Treasuryconduct inspections and investigations, ... |
This section describes the factors affecting recent LNG activities in the United States, the liquefaction process, DOE’s responsibilities for authorizing export applications, FERC’s responsibilities for authorizing export facilities, and positions of those supporting or opposing the export of LNG. According to the Cong... | Technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of natural gas that can be produced domestically. DOE is responsible for reviewing applications to export LNG—natural gas cooled to a liquid state for transport—and, under the Natural Gas Act, must ... |
IQA consists of two major elements. The first element of IQA required OMB by the end of fiscal year 2001 to develop and issue guidelines that provide policy and procedure guidance for federal agencies to use for “ensuring and maximizing quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information, including statistical ... | The importance and widespread use of federal information makes its accuracy imperative. The Information Quality Act (IQA) required that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issue guidelines to ensure the quality of information disseminated by federal agencies by fiscal year 2003. GAO was asked to (1) assess OMB's ... |
Congress authorized ITEF in December 2014 to provide assistance, including training and equipment, to military and other security forces of, or associated with, the government of Iraq, including Kurdish and Tribal Security Forces or other local security forces with a national security mission. As of December 31, 2016, ... | In 2014, Congress authorized the creation of ITEF to provide equipment and other assistance to Iraq's security forces, including the Kurdistan Regional Government forces, to counter the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. As of December 2016, DOD had disbursed about $2 billion of the $2.3 billion Congress... |
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 provides the basis for DHS responsibilities in the protection of the nation’s critical infrastructure. The act assigns DHS responsibility for developing a comprehensive national plan for securing critical infrastructure and for recommending the measures necessary to protect the key res... | U.S. ports are part of an economic engine handling more than $700 billion in merchandise annually, and a disruption to port operations could have a widespread impact on the global economy. DHS has broad responsibility for protection and resilience of critical infrastructure. Within DHS, the Coast Guard is responsible f... |
During the storage and distribution of the billions of pounds of food consumed annually in the United States, some food is damaged or contaminated because of mishandling, accidents (e.g., fires, explosions, or truck and train accidents), or natural and man-made disasters (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, or riots... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the events surrounding a fire at a food storage warehouse in Kansas, focusing on the: (1) disposition of food salvaged from the facility; and (2) lessons learned from the incident that could be used to improve regulation of the food salvaging industry. GA... |
Agencies use vehicles in many ways, as vehicles support agency efforts to achieve various mission needs. These needs can be diverse, as demonstrated by the vehicle uses of the five agencies we selected for review: ferrying clients, conveying repair equipment, hauling explosive materials, and transporting employees, amo... | Federal agencies spent about $1 billion in fiscal year 2014 to lease about 186,000 vehicles from GSA. Assessing the utilization of leased vehicles is important to agency efforts to manage their fleet costs. GAO was asked to examine federal processes for assessing the utilization of leased vehicles. This report addresse... |
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.