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No single hotline or database captures the universe of identity theft victims. Some individuals do not even know that they have been victimized until months after the fact, and some known victims may choose not to report to the police, credit bureaus, or established hotlines. Thus, it is difficult to fully or accuratel... | Identity theft involves "stealing" another person's personal identifying information, such as their Social Security number (SSN), date of birth, or mother's maiden name, and using that information to fraudulently establish credit, run up debt, or take over existing financial accounts. Precise, statistical measurement o... |
DOD operates six geographic combatant commands, each with an assigned area of responsibility. Each geographic combatant command carries out a variety of missions and activities, including humanitarian assistance and combat operations, and assigns functions to subordinate commanders. Each command is supported by a servi... | In 2004, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced sweeping changes to restructure U.S. military presence overseas and reduce military posture in Europe. In August, 2010, the Secretary of Defense called for a review of DOD operations and activities to identify opportunities to decrease costs in order to free funds to s... |
The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (the act) aims to address the ongoing effects of the 2007-2009 financial crisis on small businesses and stimulate job growth by establishing the SSBCI program, among other things. SSBCI is designed to strengthen state programs that support private financing to small businesses and sm... | Congress enacted the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 in September 2010 in response to concerns that small businesses have been unable to access capital that would allow them to create jobs. Among other things, the act aims to stimulate job growth by establishing the $1.5 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative (... |
JPL is NASA’s only Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) and is operated under contract by Caltech. JPL is NASA’s field installation for solar system exploration and is a major operating division of Caltech. Together, these overlapping roles contribute to unique JPL management and oversight challenge... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the contract between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the operation of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and analyzed modifications to it. GAO found that: (1) NASA has improved the JPL ... |
Federal, state, and local government agencies have differing roles with regard to public health emergency preparedness and response. The federal government conducts a variety of activities, including developing interagency response plans, increasing state and local response capabilities, developing and deploying federa... | Since the terrorist attacks of September 2001, and the subsequent anthrax incidents, there has been concern about the ability of the federal government to prepare for and coordinate an effective public health response to such events. More than 20 federal departments and agencies carry some responsibility for bioterrori... |
Before implementing the nationwide 800-number service, SSA delivered most of its services to the public face-to-face in an SSA field office. In 1989, SSA implemented a national, toll-free 800 number to better enable individuals to request information on SSA programs or report events that affect their own or someone els... | The Social Security Administration (SSA) at some point touches the life of nearly every American. Each day thousands of people contact SSA to file claims, update records, and request information from its 1,300 field offices, website, and national toll-free 800 number. Implemented nationwide in 1989, SSA's 800-number ha... |
Since 2012, the government has made efforts to improve real property management. As we reported in 2016, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government-wide guidance—the National Strategy for the Efficient Use of Real Property— in 2015, which aligns with many of the desirable characteristics of effective n... | In 2003, GAO added “Federal Real Property” to GAO's biennial High-Risk list, in part, due to long-standing challenges federal agencies face in managing federally owned real property, including disposal of excess and underutilized property. Continuing to maintain these unneeded facilities puts the government at risk for... |
Three years ago when I appeared before this Committee, I spoke about a large and growing long-term fiscal gap driven largely by known demographic trends and rising health care costs. Unfortunately, despite a brief period with budget surpluses, that gap has grown much wider. Last year’s Medicare prescription drug bill w... | This testimony discusses the nation's long-term fiscal outlook and the challenge it poses for the budget and oversight processes. First, GAO provides results of its most recent simulations of the long-term fiscal outlook, updating a model GAO initially developed in 1992. GAO also discusses some ideas for increasing tra... |
While there is substantial variation among grant types, competitively awarded federal grants generally follow a life cycle comprising various stages—pre-award (announcement and application), award, implementation, and closeout—as seen in figure 1. Once a grant program is established through legislation, which may speci... | GAO has previously identified several management challenges that have hindered grants management reform efforts. GAO was asked to review recent federal grants management reform efforts. GAO reviewed (1) what OMB and other federal grants governance bodies have done since the passage of P.L. 106-107 to reform grants mana... |
The federal regulatory structure of the U.S. securities markets was established by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). Congress also created SEC as an independent agency to oversee the securities markets and their participants. Under the Exchange Act, the U.S. securities markets are subject to a com... | In the securities markets, competition among self-regulatory organizations (SRO) and their members for customer orders has heightened concerns about conflicts of interest in their roles as both market operators and regulators. Nasdaq--the market run by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD)--has been in ... |
A core function of privacy officers is to ensure that their agencies are in compliance with federal laws. The major requirements for th protection of personal privacy by federal agencies come from two laws, the Privacy Act of 1974 and the E-Government Act of 2002. The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002... | Advances in information technology make it easier than ever for the federal government to obtain and process personal information about citizens and residents in many ways and for many purposes. To ensure that the privacy rights of individuals are respected, this information must be properly protected in accordance wit... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: We are pleased to be here today to discuss your efforts to modernize the federal bank oversight structure. Recent financial market developments have clearly demonstrated that our existing regulatory structure has not kept pace with the dramatic and rapid changes that are occur... | GAO discussed efforts to modernize the U.S. federal bank oversight structure, focusing on: (1) how the U.S. oversight structure compares with five other industrialized countries; and (2) whether these countries' structures can be used to assist U.S. reform. GAO noted that: (1) U.S. structural reform should include a mo... |
Suspensions and debarments apply governmentwide—one agency’s suspension or debarment decision precludes all other agencies from doing business with an excluded party. Suspensions and debarments may be either statutory or administrative. Statutory debarments, also referred to as declarations of ineligibility, are based ... | Federal government purchases of contracted goods and services have grown to more than $300 billion annually. To protect the government's interests, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provides that agencies can suspend or debar contractors for causes affecting present responsibility--such as serious failure to per... |
FAA is responsible for setting standards, assessing compliance, and taking enforcement actions to ensure that the airlines meet safety standards. To carry out this responsibility, FAA monitors the airlines’ compliance with the Federal Aviation Regulations through periodic inspections. Those regulations set the standard... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) what actions the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken to make aviation safety information more available to the public; (2) what the public demand has been for FAA's aviation safety information; (3) FAA's plans to expand the aviation safety information a... |
It is essential that DOD employ sound practices when using contractors to support its missions or operations to ensure the department receives value. This means clearly defining its requirements, using the appropriate contract type, and properly overseeing contract administration. Our work, however, has repeatedly iden... | In fiscal year 2008, the Department of Defense (DOD) obligated over $200 billion on contracts for services, which accounted for more than half of its total contract obligations. Given the serious budget pressures facing the nation, it is critical that DOD obtain value when buying these services. Yet DOD does not always... |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for developing, administering, enforcing, and revising an effective, enforceable set of aviation safety regulations that enhance aviation safety and security and promote the efficient use of airspace. Generally, a regulation is an agency statement that is designe... | The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues regulations to strengthen aviation safety and security and to promote the efficient use of airspace. FAA's rulemaking is a complicated process intended to ensure that all aspects of any regulatory change are fully analyzed before any change goes into effect. During the l... |
The United States of America, in 1790, was the first modern nation to undertake a comprehensive and periodic count of its population as a regular responsibility of government. But the American decennial census—mandated in the Constitution—was also a component of a new, unprecedented concept of representative government... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on historical census issues and reviewed the Census Bureau's plans for the 2000 census. GAO did not evaluate the potential for success, or make recommendations, regarding the 2000 census. GAO noted that: (1) the framers of the Constitution established a requ... |
During Senate Finance Committee oversight hearings held in September 1997, several taxpayers testified about problems they had experienced when dealing with IRS. In response, the then Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue announced that IRS would hold monthly PSDs in each of its 33 districts, beginning in November 19... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effectiveness of Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) problem-solving days (PSD), focusing on: (1) how the PSDs were organized and advertised and what IRS did to make them conducive to discussing and resolving taxpayers' ongoing tax problems; (2) taxpayers' overall sati... |
Driving is a complex task that depends on visual, cognitive, and physical functions that enable a person to see traffic and road conditions; recognize what is seen, process the information, and decide how to physically act to control the vehicle. Although the aging process affects people at different rates and in diffe... | As people age, their physical, visual, and cognitive abilities may decline, making it more difficult for them to drive safely. Older drivers are also more likely to suffer injuries or die in crashes than drivers in other age groups. These safety issues will increase in significance because older adults represent the fa... |
The Javelin is a man portable, fire-and-forget, antitank weapon system composed of two major components—a command launch unit and a round, which is a missile sealed in a disposable launcher container. (See fig. 1.) For operation of the system, the round is mated with the launch unit, but the launch unit may also be use... | GAO reviewed the Army's procurement of the Javelin missile system, focusing on whether the: (1) system meets established criteria for multiyear production contracts; (2) Army adequately tested the system to determine its suitability for full-rate production; and (3) Army's purchase of command launch units during limite... |
The just compensation clause of the Fifth Amendment states “nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” Initially, this clause applied to the government’s exercise of its power of eminent domain. In eminent domain cases, the government invokes its eminent domain power by filing a con... | Each year federal agencies issue numerous proposed or final rules or take other regulatory actions that may potentially affect the use of private property. Some of these actions may result in the property owner being owed just compensation under the Fifth Amendment. In 1988 the President issued Executive Order 12630 on... |
DOD has implemented a number of initiatives to generate savings from reductions in its civilian and contract workforces in recent years. For example, in August 2010, the Secretary of Defense directed DOD to undertake department-wide efficiency initiatives to reduce duplication, overhead, and excess across the departmen... | In fiscal year 2013, DOD reported spending more than $170 billion on contract services—contractors performing functions such as information technology support or maintenance of military equipment—constituting more than half of DOD's total acquisition spending. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Ye... |
NTSB was established in 1966 as an independent government agency located within the newly formed DOT. In 1974, Congress made NTSB completely separate from DOT. NTSB’s principal responsibility is to promote transportation safety by investigating transportation accidents, determining the probable cause, and issuing recom... | The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a relatively small agency that plays a vital role in transportation safety and has a worldwide reputation for investigating accidents. With a staff of about 400 and a budget of $76.7 million in fiscal year 2006, NTSB investigates all civil aviation accidents in the Uni... |
The Stafford Act, as amended, outlines the federal government’s role during disaster response and recovery when the President declares a major disaster after a governor or chief executive of an affected tribal government finds that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state, tribal, and local government... | Each year, the federal government obligates billions of dollars through programs and activities that provide assistance to state and local governments, tribes, and certain nonprofit organizations and individuals that have suffered injury or damages from major disaster or emergency incidents, such as hurricanes, tornado... |
The responsibility for building and maintaining highways in the United States rests with state departments of transportation in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In addition, local governments finance road construction through sources such as property and sales taxes. In 2004, state gove... | Congestion is increasing rapidly across the nation and freight traffic is expected to almost double in 20 years. In many places, decision makers cannot simply build their way out of congestion, and traditional revenue sources may not be sustainable. As the baby boom generation retires and the costs of federal entitleme... |
Medicare provides health insurance for nearly all elderly Americans (those aged 65 and older) and certain of the nation’s disabled. Most Medicare beneficiaries receive services through the fee-for-service sector. However, as of April 1998, roughly 15 percent of Medicare’s beneficiaries—up from about 7 percent in mid-19... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) oversight of Medicare payments to health maintenance organizations (HMO) for institutionalized beneficiaries, focusing on: (1) the criteria HCFA uses to determine a beneficiary's institutional status; (2) the methods HCF... |
To accomplish our objectives, we reviewed Customs’ accountability reports, including its audited financial statements, for fiscal years 1997 through 2000, and analyzed its CFP receivables and the related allowance for uncollectible accounts, as well as other financial information for the 4- year period. We also obtaine... | GAO reviewed the Customs Service's management of and practices for collecting civil fines and penalties (CFP) debt. GAO found that Customs' gross CFP debt more than tripled from the start of fiscal year 1997 to the end of fiscal year 2000, rising from $218.1 million as of October 1, 1996, to $773.6 million as of Septem... |
According to recent U.S. government reports, the U.S. heroin addict population, which had remained stable at about 500,000 persons for nearly two decades, has risen and is now about 600,000 or higher. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) estimates that Americans now consume 10 to 15 metric tons of heroin ... | GAO discussed U.S. efforts to control heroin trafficking from Southeast Asia to the United States. GAO noted that: (1) U.S. efforts have achieved some positive results in Thailand and Hong Kong, but not in Burma; (2) the United States has supported United Nations (UN) drug control projects in Burma, but these efforts h... |
DOD has acknowledged that process and system weaknesses impair its ability to account for the full cost of military equipment and that these weaknesses impede its ability to achieve financial statement auditability. DOD is required by various statutes to improve its financial management processes, controls, and systems... | Major defense acquisition programs (MDAP) are used to acquire, modernize, or extend the service life of the Department of Defense's (DOD) most expensive assets, primarily military equipment. The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-23), section 304(b), directed us to perform a review of weaknesses in... |
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the President signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) into law on November 19, 2001, with the primary goal of strengthening the security of the nation’s aviation system. ATSA created TSA as the agency responsible for securing all modes of transportat... | Training flight and cabin crew members to handle potential threats against domestic aircraft is an important element in securing our nation's aviation system. The responsibility for ensuring that crew members are prepared to handle these threats is a shared responsibility between the private sector--air carriers--and t... |
TSA’s airport passenger checkpoint screening system is comprised of three elements: the (1) personnel, or screeners, responsible for operating the checkpoint, including the screening of airline passengers and their carry-on items; (2) standard operating procedures that screeners are to follow to conduct screening; and ... | Since fiscal year 2002, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have invested over $795 million in technologies to screen passengers at airport checkpoints. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is responsible, with TSA, for researching and developing te... |
In fiscal year 2009, the federal government spent over $4 billion specifically to improve the quality of our nation’s 3 million teachers through numerous programs across the government. Teacher quality can be enhanced through a variety of activities, including training, recruitment, and curriculum and assessment tools.... | This testimony discusses GAO's recent report entitled "Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue." This report delineates dozens of areas across government where fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication merit the attention of Congress and the Ad... |
The Postal Service is an independent establishment of the executive branch mandated by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 to provide postal services to the nation. The Service’s customers are provided, regardless of where they live, with postal services that include mail delivery at no charge and access to postal re... | The U.S. Postal Service (the Service) is dependent on fuel to support its mail delivery and transportation networks, as well as to heat and operate the over 34,000 postal facilities it occupies. The Service has been challenged by recent fuel price fluctuations, and the Postmaster General stated that gas prices were a p... |
When the Congress passed title II of the Export Enhancement Act of 1992, it was concerned that the existing federal export promotion programs lacked coordination and an overall strategy. Before 1992, a business desiring to export goods or services faced a bureaucratic labyrinth of federal and state agencies to get info... | GAO discussed issues related to the U.S. government's role in promoting exports, focusing on the: (1) evolution of the government strategy designed to reshape federal export promotion activities; and (2) results and issues related to GAO's past work on U.S. government efforts to improve U.S. export promotion programs. ... |
Financial institutions need systems to identify, assess, and manage risks to their operations from internal and external sources. These risk management systems are critical to responding to rapid and unanticipated changes in financial markets. Risk management depends, in part, on an effective corporate governance syste... | Financial regulators have an important role in assessing risk management systems at financial institutions. Analyses have identified inadequate risk management at large, complex financial institutions as one of the causes of the current financial crisis. The failure of the institutions to appropriately identify, measur... |
Ex-Im is an independent agency operating under the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945, as amended. Its mission is to support the export of U.S. goods and services, thereby supporting U.S. jobs. Ex-Im’s charter states that it should not compete with the private sector. Rather, Ex-Im’s role is to assume the credit and countr... | Ex-Im helps U.S. firms export goods and services by providing a range of financial products. Following the 2007-2009 financial crisis, increased demand resulted in rapid increases in Ex-Im's portfolio and exposure. The Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 reauthorized Ex-Im through fiscal year 2014 and, as a ... |
Section 108 of ATSA (Pub. L. No. 107-71) required TSA to establish a program permitting the more than 400 commercial airports using federal passenger and checked baggage screeners to apply to use private, rather than federal screeners. Beginning on November 19, 2004, all commercial airports with federal security screen... | Beginning on November 19, 2004, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is required by law to begin allowing commercial airports to apply to use private contractors to screen passengers and checked baggage. A federal workforce has performed this work since November 2002, in response to a congressional mandate ... |
Historically, federal transportation policy has generally focused on individual modes rather than intermodal connections between different modes. Federal transportation funding programs are overseen by different modal offices within DOT—the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Fe... | Mobility--that is, the movement of passengers and goods through the transportation system--is critical to the nation's economic vitality and the quality of life of its citizens. However, increasing passenger travel and freight movement has led to growing congestion in the nation's transportation system, and projections... |
Since 2012, there has been a rapid increase in the number of UAC apprehended at the U.S.-Mexican border. According to DHS’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of UAC from any country apprehended at the border climbed from nearly 28,000 in fiscal year 2012 to more than 42,000 in fiscal year 2013, and t... | According to DHS, the number of UAC apprehended at the U.S.-Mexican border climbed from nearly 28,000 in fiscal year 2012 to more than 73,000 in fiscal year 2014, with nearly three-fourths of those apprehended nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Children from these three countries face a host of challeng... |
NAFTA, which was agreed to by Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 1992 and implemented in the United States through legislation in 1993, contained a timetable for the phased removal of trade barriers for goods and services among the three countries. Beginning on January 1, 1997, Mexican passenger carriers that own... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether commercial passenger vehicles entering the United States from Mexico are meeting U.S. safety standards, focusing on: (1) the number and types of commercial passenger vehicles entering U.S. border states from Mexico; and (2) actions taken by the Federal Highway A... |
The federal government uses direct loans and loan guarantees as tools to achieve numerous program objectives, such as assistance for housing, farming, education, small businesses, and foreign governments. At the end of fiscal year 1997, the Department of the Treasury reported that the federal government’s gross direct ... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Small Business Administration's (SBA), the Department of Education's, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD), the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA), and the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) abilities to reasonably estimate the ... |
Safeguarding government computer systems and sensitive information, including personally identifiable information (PII) that resides on them, is an ongoing challenge due to the complexity and interconnectivity of systems, the ease of obtaining and using hacking tools, the steady advances in the sophistication and effec... | Small federal agencies—generally those with 6,000 or fewer employees—are, like larger agencies, at risk from threats to information systems that support their operations and the information they contain, which can include personally identifiably information. Federal law and policy require small agencies to meet informa... |
Travel and transportation expenses for transferred employees, new appointees, or student trainees, including moving expenses and relocation programs, among other aspects of the relocation programs, are authorized by 5 U.S.C. §§ 5721-5739. Agencies are authorized to pay the expenses for the sale of a current employee’s ... | Employee relocation is a critical tool to help agencies position skilled employees optimally and for workforce recruitment, retention, and development. Agencies can facilitate the sale of a relocating employee's home when the relocation of a specific employee to a different location is in the interest of the government... |
Funding requests for IRS are organized by appropriation account, which aligns broadly with its strategic goals to (1) deliver high-quality and timely service to reduce taxpayer burden, and encourage voluntary compliance; and (2) effectively enforce the law to ensure compliance with tax responsibilities and combat fraud... | Funding the federal government depends largely upon IRS's ability to collect taxes, including providing taxpayer services that make voluntary compliance easier and enforcing tax laws to ensure compliance with tax responsibilities. For fiscal year 2017, the President requested $12.3 billion in appropriations for IRS; th... |
Drinking water can come from either groundwater sources, via wells, or from surface water sources such as rivers, lakes, and streams. All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. As water flows in streams, sits in lakes, and filters thorough layers of soil and rock in the ground, it diss... | In the early 1980s, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were discovered in some of the water systems serving housing areas on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Exposure to certain VOCs may cause adverse health effects, including cancer. In 1999, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Toxic Substances... |
DOD’s programs for acquiring major weapon systems have taken longer, cost more, and delivered fewer quantities and capabilities than planned. We have documented these problems for decades. Most recently, we reported that 27 major weapon programs we have assessed since they began product development have experienced cos... | Over the next several years, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to invest $1.4 trillion in major weapons programs. While DOD produces superior weapons, GAO has found that the department has failed to deliver weapon systems on time, within budget, and with desired capabilities. While recent changes to DOD's acquisiti... |
Agricultural trade can be classified into two categories—bulk commodities and high-value products. Bulk commodities are raw agricultural products that have little value added after they leave the farm gate. High-value products, by contrast, either require special care in packing and shipping or have been subjected to p... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the structure, funding, and promotional activities of the organizations that develop foreign markets for high-value agricultural products (HVP), focusing on the: (1) organizations in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands that help develop foreign mark... |
As we reported in July 2013, DHS has not yet fulfilled the 2004 statutory requirement to implement a biometric exit capability, but has planning efforts under way to report to Congress in time for the fiscal year 2016 budget cycle on the costs and benefits of such a capability at airports and seaports. Development and ... | This testimony discusses the status of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) efforts to implement a biometric exit system. Beginning in 1996, federal law has required the implementation of an entry and exit data system to track foreign nationals entering and leaving the United States. The Intelligence Reform and ... |
Established by Congress in the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Act of 1954 as a benefit to federal employees and their families and administered by OPM, FEGLI offers federal employees the opportunity to choose from a range of group term life insurance coverage options. FEGLI insurance is provided through a cont... | The Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance program (FEGLI), administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), insures over 4 million federal employees and annuitants in the event of an enrollee's death. As a result, it is important that the program is clearly explained and properly overseen. However, some aspe... |
The IPO process generally consists of three phases: (1) developing the information and documents for submission to SEC, (2) processing these documents through SEC, and (3) marketing and selling the newly public shares. Before the initial sale of their stock is permitted, companies are required to register the IPO with ... | GAO addressed concerns about the initial public offerings (IPO) allocation process, focusing on: (1) the factors that influence underwriters to sell IPO shares to institutional investors and individual investors; (2) disclosure requirements concerning the history of disciplinary actions taken against an underwriter; an... |
To determine the extent to which the structure of the Promise Neighborhoods program aligns with program goals and how Education selected grantees, we reviewed relevant Federal Register notices, application guidance, and agency information on applicants for fiscal year 2011 and 2012 implementation grants. To determine h... | Education's Promise Neighborhoods program is a competitive grant program with goals to improve educational and developmental outcomes for children in distressed neighborhoods. The grants fund community-based organizations' efforts to work with local partners to develop and evaluate a cradle-to-career continuum of servi... |
Decision support systems provide managers with information on business operations to assist decision-making. In the health care industry, these systems can provide managers and clinicians with data on patterns of patient care and patient health outcomes, which can then be used to analyze resource utilization and the co... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) efforts to implement a medical decision support system, focusing on: (1) the kinds of benefits that such a system can provide the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); (2) whether VA is pursuing the comprehensive business strate... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Caucus: I am pleased to be here today to discuss the serious and continuing threat of corruption to Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and U.S. Customs Service employees along the Southwest Border by persons involved in the illegal drug trade. The enormous sums of money being g... | GAO discussed the threat of corruption to Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and Customs Service employees along the Southwest Border, focusing on: (1) the extent to which INS and the Customs Service have and comply with policies and procedures for ensuring employee integrity; (2) an identification and compar... |
Acquisition planning activities should integrate the efforts of all personnel responsible for significant aspects of the acquisition. Generally, program and contracting officials share responsibility for the majority of acquisition planning activities. Although there is variation among agency processes, acquisition pla... | Civilian agencies obligated over $135 billion in fiscal year 2010 for services --80 percent of total civilian spending on contracts. Services acquisitions have suffered from inadequate planning, which can put budget, schedule, and quality at risk. GAO was asked to examine how civilian agencies conduct acquisition plann... |
In the summer of 2005, DNDO tested ASPs from 10 vendors to evaluate their performance capabilities and to select the ASPs that warranted further development and possible procurement. In July 2006, DNDO awarded contracts totaling $1.2 billion over fiveyears to three vendors— Raytheon, Canberra, and Thermo. The Departmen... | The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is responsible for addressing the threat of nuclear smuggling. Radiation detection portal monitors are part of the U.S. defense against such threats. In 2007, Congress required that funds for new advanced spectroscopic portal (ASP) mon... |
Believing DOD’s efforts to reduce its infrastructure, including the size of its headquarters activities, lagged behind cuts in operational forces, Congress directed DOD to reduce positions in OSD, including Washington Headquarters Services and other defense support activities, by 25 percent from fiscal year 1994 levels... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to reduce the size and cost of its headquarters activities, focusing on DOD's: (1) efforts to reduce headquarters positions and associated costs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Washington Headquarters Service... |
Despite spending more than $1 billion annually on the federal food safety system, food safety remains a concern. For example, between May and November 2000, sliced and packaged turkey meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes caused 29 individuals in 10 states to become ill. In April and May of this year, imported ... | Tens of millions of Americans become ill and thousands die each year from eating unsafe foods. The current food safety system is a patchwork structure that cannot address existing and emerging food safety risks. The current system was cobbled together over many years to address specific health threats from particular f... |
The September 11 attacks illustrated the vulnerabilities in the visa process when it became known that all 19 of the terrorist hijackers had been issued visas to enter the United States. Before the attacks, the State Department’s visa operations focused primarily on screening applicants to determine whether they intend... | Since September 11, 2001, visa operations have played an increasingly important role in ensuring the national security of the United States. The Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Justice, as well as other agencies, are involved in the visa process. Each plays an important role in making security decisions so... |
Several Interior agencies are responsible for carrying out the Secretary’s Indian trust responsibilities. These agencies include the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and its Office of Trust Responsibilities (OTR), which is responsible for resource management and land and lease ownership information; BIA’s 12 Area Offices... | GAO discussed the Department of the Interior's efforts to reconcile Indian trust fund accounts, focusing on: (1) its efforts to implement trust fund management improvements; and (2) the usefulness of a legislated settlement process for resolving unsettled account balances. GAO noted that: (1) $2.4 billion in receipt an... |
In its role as the nation’s tax collector, IRS is responsible for collecting taxes, processing tax returns, and enforcing the nation’s tax laws. Since 1990, we have designated IRS’s enforcement of tax laws as a governmentwide high-risk area. In attempting to ensure that taxpayers fulfill their obligations, IRS is chall... | GAO previously reported that federal contractors abuse the tax system with little consequence. While performing those audits, GAO noted that much of the tax abuse involved contractors not remitting to the government payroll taxes that were withheld from salaries. As a result, GAO was asked to review the Internal Revenu... |
Dental services cover an array of procedures, from preventive services, such as cleanings, to more complex services, such as root canals (see table 1). Most individuals with dental coverage have private dental insurance. Private dental insurance plans may be a stand-alone plan or be included as a part of medical insura... | High rates of dental disease remain prevalent across the nation, especially in vulnerable and underserved populations. According to national surveys, 42 percent of adults with tooth or mouth problems did not see a dentist in 2008 because they did not have dental insurance or could not afford the out-of-pocket payments,... |
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA 87) introduced major reforms in the federal regulation of nursing homes that responded to growing concerns about the quality of care that residents received. Among other things, these reforms revised care requirements that facilities must meet to participate in the Me... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed allegations that residents in California nursing homes are not receiving acceptable care, focusing on: (1) examining, through a medical record review, whether these allegations had merit and whether serious care problems currently exist; (2) reviewing the adequacy of fe... |
In June 2011, we reported that S&T met some of its oversight requirements for T&E of acquisition programs we reviewed, but additional steps were needed to ensure that all requirements were met.Specifically, since DHS issued the T&E directive in May 2009, S&T reviewed or approved T&E documents and plans for programs und... | This testimony discusses our prior work examining the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Research and Development (R&D) efforts. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created DHS and, within it, established S&T with the responsibility for conducting national research, devel... |
According to CBP, the ease and speed with which a cross-border violator can travel to the border, cross the border, and leave the location of the crossing, are critical factors in determining whether an area of the border is vulnerable. We identified state roads close to the border that appeared to be unmanned and unmo... | The possibility that terrorists and criminals might exploit border vulnerabilities and enter the United States poses a serious security risk, especially if they were to bring radioactive material or other contraband with them. Although Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has taken steps to secure the 170 ports of entry... |
Over the last 15 years, the federal government’s increasing demand for IT has led to a dramatic rise in operational costs to develop, implement, and maintain systems and services. Annually, the federal government spends more than $80 billion on IT. While the use of IT has the potential to greatly improve service for fe... | Cloud computing is a relatively new process for acquiring and delivering computing services via information technology (IT) networks. Specifically, it is a means for enabling on-demand access to shared and scalable pools of computing resources with the goal of minimizing management effort and service provider interacti... |
Since 2012, the Coast Guard has been legislatively required to submit a CIP annually to certain Congressional committees, alongside its budget proposal, that includes, among other things, projected funding for capital assets in such areas as acquisition, construction, and improvements needed for the upcoming 5 fiscal y... | In order to meet its missions of maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship, the Coast Guard, a component within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employs a variety of assets, several of which are approaching the end of their intended service lives. As part of its efforts to modernize its surface... |
Intergovernmental grants are a significant part of both federal and state budgets. From the first annual cash grant under the Hatch Act of 1887, the number of grant programs rose to more than 600 in 1995 with outlays of $225 billion, or about 15 percent of total federal spending. Most federal grant programs are small a... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the federal grant-in-aid system from the perspective of fiscal impact, focusing on the extent to which the federal grant system succeeds in: (1) encouraging states to use federal dollars to supplement rather than replace their own spending on nationally important activi... |
Customer orders for stocks and options, including those from individual investors and from institutions such as mutual funds, are generally routed through a broker-dealer and executed at one of the many exchanges located in the United States. After a securities trade is executed, the ownership of the security must be t... | In February 2003 reports, GAO identified actions needed to better prepare critical financial market participants for wide-scale disasters, such as terrorist attacks. To determine progress made since then, GAO assessed (1) actions that critical securities market organizations took to improve their ability to prevent and... |
The Convention on Nuclear Safety, which became effective for the ratifying countries on October 24, 1996, seeks to achieve and maintain a high level of safety for all nations that operate civil nuclear power reactors. (According to the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA], as of December 31, 1995, 32 countries ope... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed implementation of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, focusing on: (1) how compliance with the Convention's terms and obligations will be reviewed by the ratifying countries; and (2) the potential costs to the United States to participate in the Convention. GAO found that... |
Oversight of nursing homes is a shared federal-state responsibility. Based on statutory requirements, CMS defines standards that nursing homes must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs and contracts with states to assess whether homes meet these standards through annual surveys and complaint invest... | Since 1998, GAO has issued numerous reports on nursing home quality and safety that identified significant weaknesses in federal and state oversight. Under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), states conduct annual nursing home inspections, known as surveys, to assess compliance with federa... |
SEC and MSRB are the primary entities that have authority at the federal level with respect to disclosure to investors in municipal securities. In the context of municipal securities, SEC interprets and enforces the federal securities laws, including by adopting rules and enforcing antifraud provisions; maintaining reg... | Municipal securities are debt instruments that state and local governments issue to finance diverse public projects. As of March 31, 2012, individual investors held up to 75 percent of the total value of municipal securities outstanding. These securities are exempt from certain federal disclosure requirements applicabl... |
To develop information on the basic differences between the master file and the NMF, we reviewed relevant IRS documentation, including information on the number and types of accounts processed on the NMF; interviewed IRS officials at the National Office, at the Executive Office for Service Center Operations in Cincinna... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) non-master file (NMF), which IRS established to process taxpayer accounts that cannot be processed on its master file, focusing on: (1) the basic differences between the master file and the NMF; (2) known problems that... |
A VTS system is one of several methods for improving navigational safety and protecting the marine environment. It helps determine the presence of vessels in and around ports and it provides information to vessels on such matters as traffic, tides, weather conditions, and port emergencies. Other safety measures include... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Coast Guard's vessel traffic service (VTS) 2000 program, focusing on: (1) the status of the program; (2) the extent to which major stakeholders support the programs; (3) whether major stakeholders who do not support VTS 2000 acquisition and funding ar... |
Tribal officials we interviewed for our January 2016 report said they place a high priority on institutional and personal Internet access because of the numerous benefits, including the following: Economic Development: Officials from most tribes said high-speed Internet is essential for economic development such as fin... | High-speed Internet service is viewed as a critical component of the nation's infrastructure and an economic driver, particularly to remote tribal communities. This testimony examines: (1) perspectives of tribes and providers on high-speed Internet access and barriers to increasing this access; (2) the level of interre... |
Intellectual property has become a critical component of our country’s economy, accounting for an average of 18 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product from 1998 through 2003. Industries that rely on IP protection—including the aerospace, automotive, computer, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, motion picture, and recor... | Federal law enforcement actions against criminals who manufacture and distribute counterfeit and pirated goods are important to enforcing intellectual property (IP) rights and protecting Americans from unsafe or substandard products. GAO was asked to: (1) examine key federal agencies' roles, priorities, and resources d... |
Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a shift in the way reserve forces have been used. Previously, reservists were viewed primarily as an expansion force that would supplement active forces during a major war. Today, reservists not only supplement but also replace active forces in military operations worldwide... | Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a shift in the way reserve forces have been used. Previously, reservists were viewed primarily as an expansion force that would supplement active forces during a major war. Today, reservists not only supplement but also replace active forces in military operations worldwide... |
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is an organization within the judicial branch which serves as the central support entity for federal courts, and is supervised by the Judicial Conference of the United States. The Judicial Conference serves as the judiciary’s principal policy-making body and recommends natio... | The federal judiciary (judiciary) and the General Services Administration (GSA) are in the midst of a multi-billion dollar courthouse construction initiative, which has faced rising construction costs. For 33 federal courthouses completed since 2000, GAO examined (1) whether they contained extra space and any costs rel... |
The federal judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, 12 geographic circuit courts of appeals, 94 district courts, 91 bankruptcy courts, the Court of International Trade, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Court of Federal Claims. The federal judiciary’s fiscal year 1996 budget is about $3.3 billion, ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts' (AOUSC) assessment of local court operations, focusing on whether AOUSC is promoting efficient administrative practices within the judiciary. GAO found that: (1) AOUSC issued uniform written standards for nonfinancial progra... |
Passenger screening is a process by which personnel authorized by TSA inspect individuals and property to deter and prevent the carriage of any unauthorized explosive, incendiary, weapon, or other dangerous item onboard an aircraft or into a sterile area. Passenger screening personnel must inspect individuals for prohi... | The Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) most visible layer of commercial aviation security is the screening of airline passengers at airport checkpoints, where travelers and their carry-on items are screened for explosives and other dangerous items by transportation security officers (TSO). Several revisions... |
DOE and the private sector are involved in hundreds of cost-shared projects aimed at developing a broad spectrum of cost-effective, energy-efficiency technologies that protect the environment; support the nation’s economic competitiveness; and promote the increased use of oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and renewable energy r... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) cost-sharing arrangements it has with the private sector to fund technology development programs, focusing on the: (1) extent to which DOE requires repayment of its investment in cost-shared technology development; and (2) advantages and... |
must not increase or decrease total Medicare payments. Physicians could, however, experience increases or decreases in their payments from Medicare, depending on the services and procedures they provide. HCFA published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the June 18, 1997, Federal Register describing its proposed revisi... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the efforts of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to revise the practice expense component of Medicare's physician fee schedule. GAO noted that: (1) HCFA's general approach for collecting information on physicians' practice expenses was reasonable; (2) HCF... |
DOD’s MCRS-16, which was completed in February 2010, was to provide senior leaders with a detailed understanding of the range of mobility capabilities needed for possible future military operations and help leaders make investment decisions regarding mobility systems. The study was driven by strategy current at the tim... | Over the past 30 years, the Department of Defense (DOD) has invested more than $140 billion in its airlift and tanker forces. In 2010, DOD published its Mobility Capabilities and Requirements Study 2016 (MCRS-16), which was intended to provide an understanding of the range of mobility capabilities needed for possible m... |
The Department of Energy’s multiprogram laboratories have had missions that are national in scope since their inception during World War II. The original laboratories—Lawrence Berkeley (Calif.), Los Alamos (N. Mex.), and Oak Ridge (Tenn.)—were established as government-owned, contractor-operated institutions to apply t... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the extent that the Department of Energy's national laboratories are engaged in basic and applied research or in research related to commercial product development. GAO found that: (1) the laboratories devoted more than half of their research and development (R&D) funds... |
To carry out its mission, DOE relies on contractors for the management, operation, maintenance, and support of its facilities. Since the end of the Cold War, DOE’s employees’ skill requirements have shifted because the mission at its defense nuclear facilities has expanded from focusing primarily on weapons production ... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) community assistance program for minimizing the impact of downsizing its contractor workforce, focusing on: (1) how much funding DOE had committed to spend and spent in support of its worker and community assistance program for fiscal ... |
The Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)—who reports to the Deputy Secretary of Defense—is responsible for developing the DOD instruction for the conscientious objector application process and for monitoring all of the DOD components for compliance with the departmentwide instruction. The Secretaries of... | Section 587 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 required GAO to address (1) the trends in the number of conscientious objector applications for the active and reserve components during calendar years 2002 through 2006; (2) how each component administers its process for evaluating ... |
CPSC was created in 1972 under the Consumer Product Safety Act to regulate certain consumer products and address those that pose an unreasonable risk of injury; assist consumers in evaluating the comparative safety of consumer products; and promote research and investigation into the causes and prevention of product-re... | In the wake of increased product recalls in 2007-2008, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). Among other things, CPSIA required CPSC to establish a database on the safety of consumer products that is publicly available, searchable, and accessible through the CPSC website. In respo... |
GPRAMA added new requirements for setting and achieving agency goals. Every 2 years, GPRAMA requires the heads of certain agencies to identify a subset of agency goals to be identified as APGs. These goals are to reflect the highest priorities of the agency and are to have clearly- defined milestones and ambitious targ... | Leadership involvement and accountability are important factors driving successful performance improvement in government. GPRAMA established the role of the agency priority goal leader and assigned accountability for achieving APGs to these officials. This report is one of a series in which GAO, as required by GPRAMA, ... |
The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 revised RCRA to include new provisions requiring certain facilities to take corrective action to clean up their sites. EPA data show that as of the end of fiscal year 2010, about 6,000 facilities were subject to corrective action; that is, they were required to undertake... | Years of industrial development generated hazardous waste that, when improperly disposed of, poses risks to human health and the environment. To mitigate these risks, Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA). Subtitle C of RCRA, as amended, requires owners or operators to take correctiv... |
Over the past decade, there has been a series of devastating and deadly wildland fires on federal lands. These fires burn millions of acres of forests, grasslands, and deserts each year, and federal land management agencies spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fight them. Wildland fires also threaten communities th... | Over the past decade, a series of devastating and deadly wildland fires has burned millions of acres of federal forests, grasslands, and deserts each year, requiring federal and management agencies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fight them. GAO was asked to provide an interim update on key segments of an o... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: I am pleased to be here today to discuss ways of enhancing the usefulness of consultations between executive branch agencies and Congress, as the agencies develop their strategic plans. Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), each agency is to develop a str... | GAO discussed ways to enhance the usefulness of consultations between executive branch agencies and Congress as the agencies develop their strategic plans, as required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). GAO noted that: (1) although GPRA requires congressional consultations, it does not specify what c... |
In fiscal year 2004, much of our work examined the effectiveness of the federal government’s day-to-day operations, such as administering benefits to the elderly and other needy populations, providing grants and loans to college students, and collecting taxes from businesses and individuals. Yet, we remained alert to e... | We are grateful to the Congress for providing us with the support and resources that have helped us in our quest to be a world-class professional services organization. We are proud of the work we accomplish as we continue to provide our congressional clients with professional, objective, fact-based, non-partisan, non-... |
A paid tax return preparer is anyone who is paid to prepare, assist in preparing, or review a taxpayer’s tax return. In this report, we refer to two categories of paid preparers—tax practitioners and unenrolled preparers. CPAs, attorneys, and enrolled agents are tax practitioners. Tax practitioners can practice before ... | Millions of taxpayers use paid tax return preparers and many of these paid preparers are not subject to any qualification requirements. Paid preparers in California and Oregon are exceptions in that these states have set paid preparer qualification standards. Additionally, two bills before Congress would require nation... |
Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act in 1970 to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for every worker in the nation. OSHA has responsibility for enforcing the provisions of the act, including overseeing most worksites, with the exception of some small employers in low-hazard industries and... | Because the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can inspect only a fraction of 7 million U.S. worksites each year in its efforts to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, the agency has increasingly supplemented enforcement with "voluntary compliance strategies" to reach more employers and employ ... |
GPRAMA made a number of changes to agency performance management roles, and provided the officials in these roles with specific duties. Among other things, the requirements for these roles reflected Congress’s intention to increase accountability of senior agency leadership for performance and results. Although these r... | The performance of federal agencies is central to delivering meaningful results to the American public. GPRAMA, along with related guidance, assigned responsibilities for managing performance to key officials. It also provided a statutory basis for the existing PIC, a council made up of agency PIOs that is tasked with ... |
Conducting the decennial census is a major undertaking involving many interrelated steps including identifying and correcting addresses for all known living quarters in the United States (known as “address canvassing”); sending questionnaires to housing units; following up with nonrespondents through personal interview... | For Census 2010, automation and information technology (IT) are expected to play a critical role. The Census Bureau plans to spend about $3 billion on automation and technology that are to improve the accuracy and efficiency of census collection, processing, and dissemination. From February 2006 through June 2009, the ... |
Arlington is distinct among national cemeteries in several respects. First, although all national cemeteries honor the service of and sacrifices made by members of the armed forces, significant national events—such as the burials of Unknown Soldiers and of prominent public figures such as John F. Kennedy—have identifie... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the waiver process for burials in Arlington National Cemetery, focusing on: (1) the trends in waiver decisions; (2) whether legal authority exists to grant waivers; (3) the process used in making waiver decisions; and (4) the criteria applied in the decisionmaking. GAO... |
EPA administers and oversees grants primarily through the Office of Grants and Debarment in the Office of Administration and Resources Management, 10 program offices in headquarters, and program offices and grants management offices in EPA’s 10 regional offices. Figure 1 shows the key EPA offices involved in grants act... | The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has faced challenges for many years in managing its grants, which constitute over one-half of the agency's budget, or about $4 billion annually. EPA awards grants through 93 programs to such recipients as state and local governments, tribes, universities, and nonprofit organiza... |
According to a 2014 United Nations Environment Programme report, the illegal trade in wildlife has been estimated by different sources to be worth between $7 billion and $23 billion annually. The report also indicates that poached African elephant ivory, just one of many wildlife products, may represent an end-user str... | Illegal trade in wildlife—wildlife trafficking—continues to push some protected and endangered animal species to the brink of extinction, according to the Department of State. Wildlife trafficking undermines conservation efforts, can fuel corruption, and destabilizes local communities that depend on wildlife for biodiv... |
VHA oversees VA’s health care system, which includes 153 medical facilities organized into 21 VISNs. VISNs are charged with the day-to-day management of the medical facilities within their network; however, VHA Central Office maintains responsibility for monitoring and overseeing both VISN and medical facility operatio... | Changes in patient demographics present unique challenges for VA in providing safe environments for all veterans treated in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. GAO was asked to examine whether or not sexual assault incidents are fully reported and what factors may contribute to any observed underreporting, ... |
The term “day trading” has various definitions. In 1999, day trading was commonly described as a trading strategy that involved making multiple purchases and sales of the same securities throughout the day in an attempt to profit from short-term price movements. Since that time, the definition has evolved. For example,... | Concerns arose in the late 1990s about day trading, particularly the use of questionable advertising to attract customers without fully disclosing or by downplaying the risks involved. Concerns were also raised that traders were losing large amounts of money. Day traders as a group and day trading firms have continued ... |
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.