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In recent years, Congress has passed legislation designed to strengthen the linkage between SES performance and pay. Congress established a new performance-based pay system for the SES and permitted agencies with SES appraisal systems, which have been certified as making meaningful distinctions based on relative perfor... | Key practices of effective performance management for the Senior Executive Service (SES) include the linkage or "line of sight" between individual performance and organizational success, the importance of linking pay to individual and organizational performance, and the need to make meaningful distinctions in performan... |
Drivers’ licenses have become widely accepted as an identity document because they generally contain identifying information such as the licensee’s name, photograph, physical description, and signature and may include features that make them more difficult to counterfeit or alter. As of 2010, about 210 million drivers ... | Obtaining a driver's license under another's identity can enable criminals to commit various crimes. The 9/11 terrorists, for example, possessed fraudulent licenses. The REAL ID Act sets minimum standards for states when verifying license applicants' identity, which go into effect in January 2013. If states do not meet... |
Oversight of nursing homes is a shared federal-state responsibility. As part of this responsibility, CMS (1) sets federal quality standards, (2) establishes state responsibilities for ensuring federal quality standards are met, (3) issues guidance on determining compliance with these standards, and (4) performs oversig... | Under contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), states conduct surveys at nursing homes to help ensure compliance with federal quality standards. Over the past decade, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported on inconsistencies in states' assessment of nursing homes' quality of ... |
Insurers, state insurance regulators, and NAIC all have roles that are important to the continued functioning of the insurance sector and to U.S. consumers and businesses. Insurers provide services that allow individuals and businesses to manage risk by providing compensation for certain losses or expenses, such as car... | Because the insurance market is a vital part of the U.S. economy, Congress and others are concerned about limitations to reciprocity and uniformity, regulatory inefficiency, higher insurance costs, and uneven consumer protection. GAO was asked to review the areas of (1) producer licensing, (2) product approval, and (3)... |
TRICARE beneficiaries used the program’s pharmacy benefit to fill almost 134 million outpatient prescriptions in fiscal year 2012. Through its acquisition process, DOD contracts with a pharmacy benefit manager— currently Express Scripts—to provide access to a retail pharmacy network and operate a mail order pharmacy fo... | DOD offers health care coverage--medical and pharmacy services--to eligible beneficiaries through its TRICARE program. DOD contracts with managed care support contractors to provide medical services, and separately with a pharmacy benefit manager to provide pharmacy services that include the TRICARE mail-order pharmacy... |
FAA’s primary mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. FAA oversees operating and maintaining this system, known as the NAS, as well as the safety of aircraft and operators. FAA operates and maintains the NAS through the following: a workforce of technicians, air traffic controlle... | Over the past two decades, U.S. aviation stakeholders have debated whether FAA should be the entity in the United States that operates and modernizes the ATC system. During this period, GAO reported on challenges FAA has faced in operating and modernizing the ATC system. FAA reorganized several times in attempts to imp... |
Postsecondary institutions that serve large proportions of economically disadvantaged and minority students are eligible to receive grants from Education through Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act, as amended, to improve academic and program quality, expand educational opportunities, address institutiona... | Institutions that may receive funding under Titles III and V include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Alaska Native Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and other postsecondary institutions that serve low-income students. In fis... |
The National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act, Public Law 105-33 (the Revitalization Act), approved August 5, 1997, directed the Authority and the District of Columbia government to develop and implement management reform plans for nine major city agencies and four citywide functionsduring fis... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the District of Columbia's management reform initiatives. GAO noted that: (1) over the past 3 fiscal years, the District government has proposed hundreds of management reform initiatives that were estimated to save millions of dollars as well as improve government serv... |
Advances in the use of information technology and the Internet are transforming the way federal agencies communicate, use information, deliver services, and conduct business. To increase the ability of citizens to interact with the federal government electronically, in 1998 the Congress enacted GPEA. GPEA makes OMB res... | The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) requires that by 2003 federal agencies provide the public the option of submitting, maintaining, and disclosing required information--such as employment records, tax forms, and loan applications--electronically, instead of on paper. In October 2000, federal agencies submi... |
Since 1824 the Corps has been responsible for constructing and maintaining a safe, reliable, and economically efficient navigation system. Today, this system is comprised of more than 12,000 miles of inland waterways, 300 large commercial harbors, and 600 small harbors. From fiscal years 1998 through 2002, the Corps ha... | The fiscal year 2002 Conference Report for the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act directed GAO to study the benefits and effects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) dredge fleet. GAO examined the characteristics and changing roles of the Corps and industry in hopper dredging; the effect of current... |
We assessed 18 projects in NASA’s current portfolio. Four were in the “formulation” phase, a time when system concepts and technologies are still being explored and 14 were in the “implementation” phase, where system design is completed, scientific instruments are integrated, and a spacecraft is fabricated. When implem... | This testimony discusses the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) oversight and management of its major projects. As you know, in 1990, GAO designated NASA's contract management as high risk in view of persistent cost growth and schedule slippage in the majority of its major projects. Since that time,... |
The Congress, among others, has been concerned about the academic achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers. The disparity between poor students’ performance on standardized tests and the performance of their nonpoor peers is well documented, and there is broad consensu... | The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has focused national attention on the importance of ensuring each child's access to equal educational opportunity. The law seeks to improve the performance of schools and the academic achievement of students, including those who are economically disadvantaged. The Congress, among ot... |
Diabetes affects a significant portion of Medicare beneficiaries and results in an even larger share of Medicare costs. Diagnosed cases of diabetes are estimated to be 10 to 15 percent of the Medicare population, or roughly 3 million to 5 million people, and nearly as many cases may be undiagnosed. According to one est... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed how well the health care system provides preventive services to Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, focusing on: (1) the extent to which Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes receive recommended levels of preventive and monitoring services; (2) what health maintenance ... |
As part of our audit of the fiscal years 2002 and 2001 CFS, we evaluated Treasury’s financial reporting procedures and related internal control. In our report, which is included in the fiscal year 2002 Financial Report of the United States Government,we reported material deficiencies relating to Treasury’s financial re... | For the past 6 years, since GAO began auditing the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS), GAO has been unable to express an opinion on them because of material weaknesses in internal control and financial reporting. Contributing to GAO's inability to express an opinion has been the federal gove... |
As the principal component of the NAS, FAA’s ATC system must operate continuously—24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Under federal law, FAA has primary responsibility for operating a common ATC system—a vast network of radars; automated data processing, navigation, and communications equipment; and traffic control facili... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) program to modernize its National Airspace System (NAS), focusing on: (1) the status of key modernization projects; (2) FAA's actions to implement recommendations to correct modernization problems; and (3) the opportunities a... |
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States began military operations to combat terrorism both in the United States and overseas. Operations to defend the United States from terrorist attacks are known as Operation Noble Eagle. Overseas operations to combat terrorism are known as Operation ... | The Global War on Terrorism--principally involving operations in Afghanistan and Iraq--was funded in fiscal year 2003 by Congress's appropriation of almost $69 billion. To assist Congress in its oversight of spending, GAO is undertaking a series of reviews relating to contingency operations in support of the Global War... |
The mortgage assignment program was created in 1959 by section 230 of the National Housing Act. However, HUD only began operating the program in 1976 in settlement of a lawsuit. The program, intended to help mortgagors who have defaulted on HUD-insured loans to avoid foreclosure and retain their homes, provides mortgag... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether the Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) mortgage assignment program: (1) helps borrowers avoid foreclosure; (2) reduces the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) foreclosure losses; and (3) can be improved to reduce such losses. GAO found that: (1) HUD mortga... |
The Attorney General established OPR in December 1975 as a response to the ethical abuses and misconduct that DOJ officials committed during the Watergate scandal to ensure that department employees perform their duties in accordance with professional standards. OPR’s mission is to hold accountable department attorneys... | Instances of professional misconduct—such as a violation of an attorney’s responsibilities to be honest—among DOJ attorneys have called into question DOJ’s efforts to oversee attorney behavior, including its processes for investigating and disciplining misconduct complaints. Congress mandated GAO to review DOJ's perfor... |
HUD provides mortgage insurance on more than 13,000 privately owned multifamily properties under various programs designed to help low- and moderate-income households obtain affordable rental housing. In recent years, HUD had experienced a significant growth in the number of defaulted multifamily mortgages because of f... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) procedures for implementing a rent-restriction alternative for the disposition of multifamily properties, focusing on: (1) HUD instructions to its field offices and property purchasers on implementin... |
Created in 1961, Peace Corps is mandated by statute to help meet developing countries’ needs for trained manpower while promoting mutual understanding between Americans and other peoples. Volunteers commit to 2-year assignments in host communities, where they work on projects such as teaching English, strengthening far... | About 7,500 Peace Corps volunteers currently serve in 70 countries. The administration intends to increase this number to about 14,000. Volunteers often live in areas with limited access to reliable communications, police, or medical services. As Americans, they may be viewed as relatively wealthy and, hence, good targ... |
The Schedules of Federal Debt including the accompanying notes present fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, the balances as of September 30, 2007, 2006, and 2005 for Federal Debt Managed by BPD; the related Accrued Interest Payables and Net Unamortized Prem... | GAO is required to audit the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government. Due to the significance of the federal debt held by the public to the governmentwide financial statements, GAO has also been auditing the Bureau of the Public Debt's (BPD) Schedules of Federal Debt annually. The audit of these schedu... |
The use of IT is pervasive in the federal government as agencies have become dependent on computerized information systems and electronic data to carry out operations and to process, maintain, and report information. As our past work has shown, protecting federal systems and the information on them is essential because... | Federal agencies often rely on contractors to operate computer systems and process information on their behalf. Federal law and policy require that agencies ensure that contractors adequately protect these systems and information. GAO was asked to evaluate how well agencies oversee contractor-operated systems. The obje... |
DOD operates a worldwide supply system to buy, store, and distribute inventory items. Through this system, DOD manages several million types of consumable items, most of which are managed by DLA. DLA is DOD’s largest combat support agency, providing worldwide logistics support in both peacetime and wartime to the milit... | The nation's ability to project and sustain military power depends on effective logistics. As the Department of Defense's (DOD) largest combat support agency, providing worldwide logistics support in both peacetime and wartime, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) supplies almost every consumable item the military servic... |
Drinking water and wastewater utilities are facing potentially significant investments over the next 20 years to upgrade an aging and deteriorated infrastructure, including underground pipelines, treatment, and storage facilities; meet new regulatory requirements; serve a growing population; and improve security. Addin... | Having invested billions of dollars in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, the federal government has a major interest in protecting its investment and in ensuring that future assistance goes to utilities that are built and managed to meet key regulatory requirements. The Congress has been considering, among ... |
Since its opening in 1976, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM), located on the Mall in Washington, D.C., has attracted an average of nine million visitors per year. It received the most visitors in 1984, with 14.4 million. The museum had 8.2 million visitors in 1993 and 8.5 million visito... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed aircraft restoration at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum (NASM), focusing on: (1) the adequacy of facilities for preserving aircraft; and (2) options to improve NASM aircraft restoration efforts. GAO found that NASM: (1) commits fewer resource... |
To determine whether DOD’s logistics migration efforts will meet its objectives for dramatic improvements in operational efficiency and effectiveness, we reviewed DOD’s policies and guidance for enterprise integration, corporate information management, and logistics migration system selection to ensure that information... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts over the last 4 years to improve its information systems in the depot maintenance, materiel management, and transportation business areas, focusing on whether selected standard information systems will allow DOD to meet its busi... |
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) required the Secretary of Education to provide grants to states that show promise in meeting the objectives of four broad education reform areas outlined in law. Education subsequently established the RTT grant fund to encourage states to reform their K-... | Education created RTT under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. From 2010 through 2011, Education awarded $4 billion in competitive grant funds to 19 states to reform core areas of K-12 education. RTT states also committed to building capacity to implement and sustain reforms. GAO and others previously ... |
Access to behavioral health treatment—services and prescription drugs to address behavioral health conditions—is important because of the harmful consequences of untreated conditions, which may result in worsening health, increased medical costs, negative effects on employment and workplace performance, strain on perso... | Research has shown that low-income individuals disproportionately experience behavioral health conditions and may have difficulty accessing care. Expansions of Medicaid under PPACA raise questions about states' capacity to manage the increased demand for treatment. Additional questions arise about treatment options for... |
Internal control is not one event, but a series of activities that occur throughout an entity’s operations and on an ongoing basis. Internal control should be an integral part of each system that management uses to regulate and guide its operations rather than as a separate system within an agency. In this sense, inter... | In its role as the nation's tax collector, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a demanding responsibility to annually collect trillions of dollars in taxes, process hundreds of millions of tax and information returns, and enforce the nation's tax laws. Since its first audit of IRS's financial statements in fiscal ye... |
The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, a major overhaul of housing laws, created the tenant-based and project-based Section 8 rental assistance programs for low-income households. The tenant-based program (now called Housing Choice Vouchers) provides rental assistance to eligible households to rent houses o... | In light of the pressing need for rental housing affordable to low-income households and concerns that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may not be committed to maintaining its Section 8 project-based housing stock--a key source of such housing--Congress directed GAO to assess HUD's efforts to prese... |
The military and political changes occurring after the Cold War era have resulted in the need for change in U.S. military forces and the acquisition system that supports them. DOD’s acquisition reform program was established to reduce acquisition costs while maintaining technological superiority. The goal is to move aw... | GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to implement acquisition reforms, focusing on whether its current program: (1) advances military specifications and standards reform; and (2) gives adequate attention to key issues and concerns. GAO noted that: (1) DOD's current milspec reform program builds on pre... |
Point source discharges are those that emanate from discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. section 404, which prohibits the discharge of dredged or fill material into “waters of the United States” without a permit from the Corps. EPA has primary responsibility for carrying out the act, including final ... | Section 404 of the Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of dredged or fill material into federally regulated waters without first obtaining a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) permit. Before 2001, the Corps asserted jurisdiction over most waters, including isolated, intrastate, nonnavigable waters, if migratory b... |
DOD contingency operations, such as those in support of GWOT, can involve a wide variety of activities such as combating insurgents, training the military forces of other nations, and conducting small-scale reconstruction and humanitarian relief projects. Volume 12, chapter 23 of the DOD Financial Management Regulation... | Since September 11, 2001, Congress has provided about $808 billion to the Department of Defense (DOD) for the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) in addition to funding in DOD's base budget. Prior GAO reports have found DOD's reported GWOT cost data unreliable and found problems with transparency over certain costs. In resp... |
Various child nutrition programs have been established to provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals and snacks to children throughout the United States. The school lunch and school breakfast programs are among the largest of these programs. The National School Lunch Program was established in 1946; a 1998 ... | Each school day, millions of children receive meals and snacks provided through the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast Programs. Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through these school meal programs, and children from households that apply and meet established income guidelines can... |
TSA inspects airports, air carriers, and other regulated entities to ensure that they are in compliance with federal aviation security regulations, TSA-approved airport security programs, and other requirements, including requirements related to controlling airport employee access to secure areas of an airport. Airport... | Recent incidents involving aviation workers conducting criminal activity in the nation's commercial airports have led to interest in the measures TSA and airport operators use to control access to secure areas of airports. The 2016 ASA required TSA to take several actions related to oversight of access control security... |
Each year, HUD helps hundreds of thousands of Americans finance home purchases by insuring their mortgage loans. HUD insures private lenders against losses on mortgages for single-family homes—which HUD defines as structures with one to four dwelling units—and plays a particularly large role in certain market segments,... | Incomplete or inaccurate appraisals resulting in property overvaluations may expose the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Single-Family Mortgage Insurance programs--which insured about 3.7million single-family mortgage loans with a total value of about $425 billion in fiscal years 2001 through 2003--t... |
The Congress passed initial legislation in October 1988 to bring DOD’s base structure into line with its smaller post-Cold War force structure. Generally, the process, as modified by subsequent legislation, called for (1) establishing independent commissions to recommend installations for realignment or closure and (2)... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) cost and savings estimates for past base realignment and closure (BRAC) actions, focusing on the: (1) extent to which DOD is achieving actual savings from BRAC; and (2) adequacy of the DOD process for developing the cost and savings est... |
Land use substantially affects the type and extent of nonpoint source pollution of water bodies. For example, soil erodes naturally from undisturbed land, but the amount of erosion can increase manyfold when trees are cut or the land is farmed. In addition, when land is used for housing or urban development, erosion fr... | Pollution from nonpoint sourcessuch as runoff from farms or construction sitesremains the leading cause of impairment to the nations waters. Under section 319 of the Clean Water Act, each year EPA provides grants to states to implement programs and fund projects that address nonpoint source pollution; the program re... |
IRS has 10 submission processing centers located throughout the country that are responsible for processing paper returns, 5 of which also process electronic returns. Electronic returns are relatively easy to process, while the processing of paper returns involves several additional steps, as shown in figure 1. The few... | From fiscal years 1997 through 2000, the number of individual and business tax returns filed electronically increased from 23 million to 41 million. During the same period, the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) expenditures for submission processing grew from $795 million to $924 million, an increase of 16 percent. Beca... |
In conducting our review, we reviewed and analyzed various DOD computer center consolidation plans and reported costs and assessed how these plans met OMB’s Bulletin 96-02 requirements. We also compared DOD plans and practices to the practices and strategies employed by private-sector companies we visited during our re... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) the Department of Defense's (DOD) plans to consolidate, outsource, and modernize its computer center operations; and (2) whether DOD has an effective framework in place for making and executing these decisions. GAO did not validate the accuracy of the information p... |
The Recovery Act was enacted to help preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery, invest in technology to spur technological advances, and invest in infrastructure to provide long-term economic benefits, among other things. The act was a response to significant weakness in the economy; in February 2011, the ... | The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), enacted on February 17, 2009, appropriated $275 billion to be distributed for federal contracts, grants, and loans. As of March 25, 2011, $191 billion of this $275 billion had been paid out. GAO was asked to determine if Recovery Act contract and grant recipien... |
DOD has been trying to successfully implement the working capital fund concept for over 50 years. However, Congress has repeatedly noted weaknesses in DOD’s ability to use this mechanism to effectively control costs and operate in a business-like fashion. The Secretary of Defense is authorized by 10 U.S.C. 2208 to esta... | The Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Working Capital Fund was used to buy $70 billion in commodities in fiscal year 2001. This amount is estimated to grow to $75 billion for fiscal year 2003. The department's financial management regulation states that fund activities will operate in a business-like fashion and inco... |
To examine variation in MA disenrollment by contract, we examined CMS enrollment and disenrollment data for 2014—the most recent year of data available at the time of our analysis—for 252 contracts. We selected these 252 contracts as they had at least 100 disenrollees in poor health and 100 disenrollees in better healt... | In 2016, over 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in the MA program. Each year beneficiaries have an opportunity to join or leave their MA plan. GAO was asked to review MA disenrollment by health status and CMS oversight. This report examines, among other issues, (1) the extent of any health-biased disen... |
Despite many successes in the exploration of space, such as landing the Pathfinder and Exploration Rovers on Mars, NASA has had difficulty bringing a number of projects to completion, including several efforts to build a second generation reusable human spaceflight vehicle to replace the space shuttle. NASA has attempt... | The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to spend nearly $230 billion over the next two decades implementing the President's Vision for Space Exploration (Vision) plans. In July 2006, GAO issued a report that questioned the program's affordability, and particularly, NASA's acquisition approach for... |
As we have reported, the use of information technology (IT) to electronically collect, store, retrieve, and transfer clinical, administrative, and financial health information has great potential to help improve the quality and efficiency of health care and is critical to improving the performance of the U.S. health ca... | Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are required to accelerate the exchange of health information between the departments and to develop systems or capabilities that allow for full interoperability (generally, the... |
From the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935 until the welfare reform law of 1996, the immigration status of those lawfully admitted for permanent U.S. residence did not preclude these individuals from eligibility for welfare benefits. Welfare reform changed this by substantially restricting pre-reform and new i... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and the impact its restrictions would have on immigrant children and their families, focusing on: (1) the options states chose regarding Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF... |
The Advisers Act generally defines an investment adviser, with certain exceptions, as any individual or firm that receives compensation for giving advice, making recommendations, issuing reports, or furnishing analyses on securities either directly to investors or through publications. As of July 21, 2011, individuals ... | Over the past decade, hedge funds, private equity funds, and other private funds proliferated but were largely unregulated, causing members of Congress and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff to raise questions about investor protection and systemic risk. To address this potential regulatory gap, the Dodd-Fr... |
The Bureau’s testing program for the 2010 Census relied principally on a small number of large-scale census-like tests. Specifically, the 2010 testing program included two national tests on the content of questionnaires in 2003 and 2005, two site tests focused on data- collection methods and systems in 2004 and 2006, a... | The Bureau is continuing its early testing efforts to prepare for the decennial. These tests must be well designed to produce useful information about how to implement the 2020 Census. The Bureau has completed the designs of three field tests. GAO was asked to monitor the Bureau's testing for the 2020 Census. This repo... |
The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)—an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services—administers the Medicare home health care program. That program has been part of Medicare since Medicare began in 1965 and serves as an alternative to lengthy in-patient hospitalization. Medicare home health costs a... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO investigated allegations of Medicare improprieties by home health care provider Mid-Delta Home Health of Belzoni, Mississippi, and affiliated companies, focusing on allegations that Mid-Delta: (1) routinely requested and received leave or bonuses back from its employees while ch... |
As the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) replaces its outdated computer and telecommunications systems, it is also overhauling the way it is organized, staffed, and operated. These changes are part of a new business vision designed to take advantage of new capabilities as IRS moves toward a paperless electronic environmen... | GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) initial efforts to redeploy employees under the terms of the Redeployment Understanding, focusing on whether there were lessons to be learned from: (1) IRS' initial use of redeployment procedures and their impact on IRS' operations; and (2) the reaction of redeployed em... |
SBA was established by the Small Business Act of 1953 to fulfill the role of several agencies that previously assisted small businesses affected by the Great Depression and, later, by wartime competition. SBA’s stated purpose is to promote small business development and entrepreneurship through business financing, gove... | The Small Business Administration (SBA) helps individuals and businesses recover from disasters such as hurricanes through its Disaster Loan Program. SBA faced an unprecedented demand for disaster loan assistance following the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, and Wilma), which resulted in extensive property d... |
Over the years, we and others have examined the effects on the refuge system of secondary activities, such as recreation, military activities, and oil and gas activities—which include oil and gas exploration, drilling and production, and transport. Exploring for oil and gas involves seismic mapping of the subsurface to... | The 95-million acres in the National Wildlife Refuge System are the only federal lands primarily devoted to the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and plant resources. While the federal government owns the surface lands in the system, in many cases private parties own the subsurface mineral rights and have ... |
Income in retirement may come from several sources, including (1) Social Security, (2) payments from employment-based DB plans, (3) savings in retirement plans, such as in a 401(k) plan or IRA, including the return on and (4) other sources, including non-retirement savings, these savings;home equity, and wages. (1) Soc... | As baby boomers move into retirement each year, the Census Bureau projects that the age 65-and-older population will grow over 50 percent between 2015 and 2030. Several issues call attention to the retirement security of this sizeable population, including a shift in private-sector pension coverage from defined benefit... |
Strategic human capital management, and specifically the need to develop results-oriented organizational cultures, is receiving increased attention across the federal government. The Congress has underscored the consequences of human capital weaknesses through a wide range of oversight hearings held over the last few y... | Effective performance management systems link individual performance to organizational goals. In October 2000, the Office of Personnel Management amended regulations to require agencies to link senior executive performance with organizational goals; to appraise executive performance by balancing organizational results ... |
A number of entities are involved in the supply chain. These entities include the following: Importers: Bring articles of trade from a foreign source into a domestic market. Importers are responsible for providing ISF data, but an importer may designate an authorized agent to file the ISF on the importer’s behalf. Carr... | Cargo containers present significant security concerns given the potential for using them to smuggle contraband, including weapons of mass destruction. In January 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), implemented the Importer Security Filing (ISF) and Addition... |
The 1985 through 1995 period saw an increase in both the number of college students and the proportion of the college-aged population in colleges, universities, training schools, and other postsecondary institutions. In 1995, more than 34 percent of all 18- to 24-year-old U.S. residents were attending postsecondary sch... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on: (1) the changes that have occurred in recent years in the percentage of undergraduate and graduate/professional students who borrow and in the cumulative amount of their borrowing; (2) the changes that have occurred in the percentage of undergraduate and... |
Through fiscal year 1998, about $172 million has been allocated to the ACTD program and 48 projects have been approved. DOD’s budget request for fiscal year 1999 for the ACTD program is $116.4 million. An additional 10 to 15 projects are expected to be funded in fiscal year 1999. Under the current ACTD program, DOD bui... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the current Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program, focusing on: (1) whether the selection process includes criteria that are adequate to ensure that only mature technologies are selected for ACTD prototypes; (2) whether guidance on transitioning to th... |
There are approximately 1.1 million school-age dependents of military parents in the United States and an increasing number of these dependents have a parent deployed overseas. While DOD operates 194 schools for military dependents in seven states, two territories, and in 12 countries, DOD estimates the majority of mil... | Since the early 1990s, Congress has supplemented the Department of Education's (Education) Impact Aid program by providing funds for the Department of Defense's (DOD) Impact Aid program to compensate school districts with a high number of military dependent students. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Ye... |
When we placed strategic human capital management on our high-risk list back in January 2001, as a governmentwide high-risk challenge, we noted that after a decade of government downsizing and curtailed investments of human capital, it had become increasingly clear that federal human capital strategies were not appropr... | Federal employees represent the government's knowledge base, drive its capacity to perform, and define its character, and as such, are its greatest asset. The early years of the 21st century are proving to be a period of profound transition for our world, our country, and our government. In response, the federal govern... |
Employer-sponsored coverage is the predominant source of health insurance in the United States. In 2001, 67 percent of all nonelderly adults (over 118 million) and 64 percent of all children (46 million) obtained health insurance through an employer (see fig. 1). Nearly all large firms and almost half of smaller firms ... | The six states reviewed had in place a variety of protections, established prior to the economic downturn, to assist unemployed individuals in maintaining health insurance coverage: State-mandated continuation coverage, which required small businesses to extend their group health coverage to former employees and their ... |
There is an increasing demand, coming from the Congress and the public, for a smaller government that works better and costs less. Having valuable, accurate, and accessible financial and programmatic information is a critical element for any improvement effort to succeed. Furthermore, increasing the quality and speed o... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the: (1) information technology (IT) investment practices of several federal agencies and compared them to those used by leading private- and public-sector organizations; and (2) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as it responds to the investment requirements of the ... |
The federal government began with a debt of about $75 million in 1790. In February 1941, the Congress and the President enacted a law that set an overall limit of $65 billion on Treasury debt obligations that could be outstanding at any one time. The law was amended to raise the debt ceiling several times between Febru... | GAO is required to review the steps taken by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) to avoid exceeding the debt ceiling during the 2003 debt issuance suspension period. The committee also directed GAO to determine whether all major accounts that were used for debt ceiling relief have been properly credited or reimbu... |
Shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which established TSA and gave the agency responsibility for securing all modes of transportation, including the nation’s civil aviation system, which includes domes... | The Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) efforts to evaluate the security of foreign airports and air carriers that service the United States are of great importance, particularly considering that flights bound for the United States from foreign countries continue to be targets of coordinated terrorist activi... |
As provided by the Career Compensation Act of 1949, as amended, service members who become physically unfit to perform military duties may receive military disability compensation under certain conditions. Compensation for disabilities can be in the form of monthly disability retirement benefits or a lump sum disabilit... | The House Committee on Armed Services report that accompanies the National Defense Authorization Act of fiscal year 2006 directs GAO to review results of the military disability evaluation system. In response to this mandate, GAO determined: (1) how current DOD policies and guidance for disability determinations compar... |
According to Commerce and DHS, the United States saw an increase of 19 million international travelers annually between 2011 and 2015, and additional spending by these travelers during this period supported 280,000 new American jobs. In fiscal year 2015, CBP officers processed more than 382 million travelers at air, la... | Over 326,000 passengers and crew entered the United States through 241 international airports on an average day in fiscal year 2016, according to CBP. In 2007, CBP started its Model Ports program to improve the international arrivals process for travelers to the United States by implementing technology to facilitate en... |
USPS is required by law to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas, a standard known as universal service. In meeting this standard, USPS is required to operate as a self-sufficient, independent establishment of the executive branch. USPS receives no annual appropriations for purposes o... | Declines in mail volume have brought the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to the brink of financial insolvency. Action to ensure its financial viability is urgently needed. Visits to post offices have also declined, and in an effort to cut costs, USPS is considering closing nearly half of its 32,000 post offices by 2015. In ... |
DOT submits biennial reports, called Conditions and Performance Reports, to the Congress, detailing the state of the nation’s highways, bridges, and other surface transportation systems along with investment requirements for these systems. In developing its portion of the report, FHWA bases its estimates of investment ... | The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed the state-level version of the Highway Economic Requirements System (HERS-ST) model as an investment-analysis tool for highway planning at the state level. FHWA officials believe that some state departments of transportation will find the analysis that the HERS-ST mod... |
The Army’s ground-based military operations generally use two kinds of vehicles: combat vehicles designed for a specific fighting function and tactical vehicles designed primarily for multipurpose support functions. Most combat vehicles move on tracks—including the Abrams tank and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle—but some ... | After the Army canceled the Future Combat System in June of 2009, it began developing modernization plans, including developing a new Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) and additional network capability. At the same time, the Army was considering options on how to improve its light tactical vehicles. This statement addresses ... |
During fiscal years 1993-98, the United States funded rule of law programs and related activities in countries throughout the world. Over this period, rule of law assistance totaled at least $970 million. Figure 1 illustrates the worldwide U.S. rule of law funding for fiscal years 1993-98. Over the period, the total an... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on U.S. rule of law assistance programs and activities, focusing on the: (1) amount of U.S. rule of law funding provided worldwide in fiscal years 1993-1998; and (2) U.S. Departments and agencies involved in providing rule of law assistance. GAO noted that: ... |
Federal agencies, including DHS and its components, have discretion to place employees on administrative leave in appropriate circumstances and for an appropriate length of time. Administrative leave is an excused absence without loss of pay or charge to another type of leave. In the absence of statutory authority to p... | Federal agencies have the discretion to authorize administrative leave—an excused absence without loss of pay or charge to leave—for personnel matters, such as when investigating employees for misconduct allegations. In October 2014, GAO reported on the use of administrative leave in the federal government. GAO found t... |
Before highlighting the results of our review of the fiscal year 2003 PARs, I would like to summarize the requirements of the Improper Payments Act. The act requires the head of each agency to annually review all programs and activities that the agency administers and identify all such programs and activities that may ... | The Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 requires that agencies annually review all their programs and activities and identify those that may be susceptible to significant improper payments. It further requires those agencies with improper payments exceeding $10 million to provide a report on the actions being tak... |
This report responds to a request from the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of the House Committee on Ways and Means that we assess the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) performance during the 1999 tax filing season. In April 1999, we testified before the Subcommittee on the interim results of our work. In addi... | Pursuant to a congressional request, the GAO discussed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) performance during the 1999 tax filing season, focusing on: (1) telephone service; (2) availability of walk-in services; (3) other taxpayer service efforts; (4) Earned Income Credit (EIC) noncompliance; (5) electronic filing; (6... |
The current U.S. bank risk-based capital regulations implement the 1988 Basel Accord on risk-based capital. The Basel Accord established the widespread use of capital ratios that bank and thrift regulators could use as a starting point for assessing the financial condition—that is, safety and soundness—of international... | Since the passage of the Credit Union Membership Access Act of 1998 (CUMAA), many in the credit union industry have sought legislative changes to the net worth ratio central to prompt corrective action (PCA). The current debate centers on the issue of allowing federally insured credit unions to include additional forms... |
FPS has not taken actions against some guard contractors that did not comply with the terms of the contracts. According to FPS guard contracts, a contractor has not complied with the terms of the contract if the contractor has a guard working without valid certifications or background suitability investigations, falsif... | To accomplish its mission of protecting about 9,000 federal facilities, the Federal Protective Service (FPS) currently has a budget of about $1 billion, about 1,225 full-time employees, and about 15,000 contract security guards. FPS obligated $659 million for guard services in fiscal year 2009. This testimony is based ... |
Congress created SEC in 1934 to administer and enforce the federal securities laws to protect investors and maintain the integrity of the securities markets. SEC’s mission is to (1) promote full and fair disclosure; (2) prevent and suppress fraud; (3) supervise and regulate the securities markets; and (4) regulate and ... | GAO studied the implications of converting the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to a self-funded entity. Congress has created a range of self-funding structures, or other sources of funding, other than appropriations for the Department of the Treasury's general fund. The variations among these agencies depend o... |
Several different federal agencies are involved with the implementation of EEOICPA’s Subtitle B program, including Labor, CDC’s NIOSH, and Energy. Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs is responsible for adjudicating and administering claims filed by workers, former workers, or certain eligible survivors und... | Subtitle B of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, administered by the Department of Labor (Labor), provides eligible workers who developed illnesses from their work, or their survivors, with a onetime total payment of $150,000, and coverage for medical expenses related to the illnesses. ... |
Dramatic increases in computer interconnectivity, especially in the use of the Internet, continue to revolutionize the way our government, our nation, and much of the world communicate and conduct business. The benefits have been enormous. Vast amounts of information are now literally at our fingertips, facilitating re... | Computerized control systems perform vital functions across many of our nation's critical infrastructures. For example, in natural gas distribution, they can monitor and control the pressure and flow of gas through pipelines; in the electric power industry, they can monitor and control the current and voltage of electr... |
Under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, the Railroad Retirement Board operates two distinct disability programs—the occupational disability program and the total and permanent disability program. The occupational disability program provides benefits for railroad workers when they are unable to perform the duties req... | Over time, GAO, the RRB Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Justice have reviewed or investigated RRB's disability benefit programs and found them to be vulnerable to fraud and abuse which places the agency at risk of making improper payments. In 2008, the Department of Justice investigated and prosecuted rai... |
As the federal government’s principal real estate agent, the General Services Administration (GSA) controls the largest office space portfolio in the United States. More than 1 million federal employees work in 276 million square feet of space that GSA controls in about 7,800 buildings nationwide. GSA has a virtual mon... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the General Services Administration's (GSA) policies, procedures, and practices for leasing office space, focusing on how they compare with private industry leasing practices. GAO found that: (1) GSA has a highly prescriptive and process-oriented leasing approach which ... |
For over 2 decades, we have reported on problems with DOD’s personnel security clearance program as well as the financial costs and risks to national security resulting from these problems (see Related GAO Reports at the end of this statement). For example, at the turn of the century, we documented problems such as inc... | The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for about 2 million active personnel security clearances. About one-third of the clearances are for industry personnel working on contracts for DOD and more than 20 other executive agencies. Delays in determining eligibility for a clearance can heighten the risk that class... |
Access to credit and investment capital is essential for creating and retaining jobs, developing affordable housing, revitalizing neighborhoods, and promoting the development and growth of small businesses. Over the past three decades, community-based financial institutions have demonstrated that strategic lending and ... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the performance of the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, focusing on: (1) the first round of awards in the CDFI and Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) programs and the strategic plan that the Fund developed under the Government Performance and Results... |
USDOT established a minority and women’s business enterprise program for its highway, airport, and transit programs by regulation in 1980. The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 contained the first statutory DBE provision for federal highway and transit programs, requiring that a minimum of 10 percent of the... | The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program seeks to remedy the effects of current and past discrimination against small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged persons and to foster equal opportunity in transportation contracting. This rep... |
Pension plans can generally be characterized as either defined benefit or defined contribution plans. In a defined benefit plan, the amount of the benefit payment is determined by a formula typically based on the retiree’s years of service and final average salary, and is most often provided as a lifetime annuity. For ... | Millions of state and local government employees are promised pension benefits when they retire. Although these benefits are not subject, for the most part, to federal laws governing private sector benefits, there is a federal interest in ensuring that all American have a secure retirement, as reflected in the special ... |
In July 1993, DOD changed a long-standing practice and permitted defense contractors to charge restructuring costs to transferred flexibly pricedcontracts, provided (1) the restructuring costs were allowable under the Federal Acquisition Regulation and (2) a DOD contracting officer determined the business combination w... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on restructuring costs of defense contractors involved in business combinations since 1993, focusing on the: (1) specific costs associated with workforce reductions; (2) services provided to workers affected by business combinations; (3) savings reached fr... |
The Constitution vests Congress with the authority to conduct the decennial census in such manner as it determines, and Congress in turn has granted the Secretary of Commerce (and by delegation, the Director of the Census Bureau) considerable latitude in carrying out the census. In counting the nation’s population, it ... | For the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) is making the most extensive use of contractors in its history to supply a number of mission-critical functions and technologies. Because of the critical role that contractors will play in the 2010 Census, GAO reviewed the Bureau's acquisition planning process. Speci... |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal agency primarily responsible for monitoring the incidence of foodborne illness in the United States. In collaboration with state and local health departments and other federal agencies, CDC investigates outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and supports dis... | GAO reviewed the extent of foodborne illnesses caused by microbal contamination, focusing on: (1) the frequency, health consequences, and economic impacts of these illnesses; and (2) the extent of information available to develop effective control strategies. GAO found that: (1) between 6.5 million and 81 million cases... |
U.S. passports are official documents that are used to demonstrate the bearer’s identity and citizenship for international travel and reentry into the United States. Under U.S. law, the Secretary of State has the authority to issue passports, which may be valid for up to 10 years. Only U.S. nationals may obtain a U.S. ... | In 2005, the Department of State (State) began issuing electronic passports (e-passports) with embedded computer chips that store information identical to that printed in the passport. By agreement with State, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) produces blank e-passport books. Two foreign companies are used by G... |
Medicare covers up to 100 days of care in a SNF after a beneficiary has been hospitalized for at least 3 days. To qualify for the benefit, the patient must need skilled nursing or therapy on a daily basis. For the first 20 days of SNF care, Medicare pays all the costs, and for the 21st through the 100th day, the benefi... | GAO discussed Medicare's skilled nursing facility (SNF), home health care, and inpatient rehabilitation benefits and the administration's forthcoming legislative proposals related to them. GAO noted that: (1) Medicare's SNF costs have grown primarily because a larger portion of beneficiaries use SNFs than in the past a... |
We reported in September 2012 that FEMA’s administrative costs had been increasing for all sizes of disasters. According to FEMA, administrative costs include, among other things, the salary and travel costs for its disaster workforce, rent and security expenses associated with establishing and operating its field offi... | Preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters is becoming increasingly complex and costly. GAO reported that from fiscal years 2002 through 2013, the federal government appropriated about $41 billion for preparedness grant programs and $6.2 billion to FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund in fiscal year 2014. In ad... |
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 sets forth the nation’s goals for providing affordable telecommunications services to consumers nationwide, particularly to populations such as individuals living in rural, isolated, or high-cost areas, or those with low incomes; schools and libraries; and rural health care facilities... | The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism--also known as the E-rate program--is a significant source of federal funding for information technology for schools and libraries, providing about $2 billion a year. As requested, GAO assessed issues related to the ... |
The Comptroller General recognized that he needed to shift the emphasis of the then Office of Civil Rights from a reactive, complaint processing focus to a more proactive, integrated approach. He wanted to create a work environment where differences are valued and all employees are offered the opportunity to reach thei... | Vigorous enforcement of anti-discrimination laws remains an essential responsibility of government. Moreover, diversity in the federal government can be a key component for executing agency missions and achieving results. Not only is it the right thing to do, but an inclusive work environment can improve retention, red... |
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created DHS, bringing together 22 agencies and programs responsible for important aspects of homeland security. The intent behind the creation of a single department was to improve coordination, communication, and information sharing among these previously separate entities, thereby in... | Training can play a key role in helping the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) successfully address the challenge of transformation and cultural change and help ensure that its workforce possesses the knowledge and skills needed to effectively respond to current and future threats. This report discusses (1) how DHS ... |
529 plans are a college savings vehicle that originated in the states. In 1986, Michigan created the Michigan Education Trust to operate what is generally considered the first state prepaid tuition plan. In 1996, Congress enacted Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, setting out requirements that state 529 plans mu... | Paying for college is becoming more challenging, partly because of rising tuition rates. A college savings plan can be an option to help meet these costs. To encourage families to save for college, earnings from 529 plans--named after section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code--grow tax-deferred and are exempt from feder... |
The Coast Guard, a maritime military service within DHS, has a variety of responsibilities including port security and vessel escort, search-and- rescue, and polar ice operations. To carry out these and other responsibilities, the Coast Guard operates a number of vessels, aircraft, and information technology programs. ... | The Coast Guard manages a broad $27 billion major acquisition portfolio intended to modernize its ships, aircraft, command and control systems, and other capabilities. GAO has reported extensively on the Coast Guard's significant acquisition challenges, including project challenges in its Deepwater program. GAO's prior... |
To identify budgetary issues and concerns, we examined existing divestiture proposals in the United States, reviewed earlier GAO reportsand proposed legislation relating to asset divestiture in the United States, and conducted a literature search of budgetary issues related to privatization. We selected industrialized ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the divestiture experiences of other nations, focusing on the: (1) privatization process; (2) valuation and preparation of assets for sale; and (3) use and display of sale proceeds for budgetary purposes. GAO found that: (1) in the nations studied, privatization goals i... |
The FEHBP is the largest employer-sponsored health insurance program in the country. Through it, about 8 million federal employees, retirees, and their dependents received health coverage—including for prescription drugs—in 2008. Coverage is provided under competing plans offered by multiple private health insurers und... | Millions of individuals receive prescription drugs through federal programs. The increasing cost of prescription drugs has put pressure to control drug spending on federal programs such as the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), Medicare Part D, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of ... |
8(a) ANC contracting represents a small amount of total federal procurement spending. However, dollars obligated to ANC firms through the 8(a) program grew from $265 million in fiscal year 2000 to $1.1 billion in 2004. Overall, during the 5-year period, the government obligated $4.6 billion to ANC firms, of which $2.9 ... | Alaska Native corporations (ANC) were created to settle land claims with Alaska Natives and foster economic development. In 1986, legislation passed that allowed ANCs to participate in the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) program. Since then, Congress has extended special procurement advantages to 8(a) ANC fi... |
The senior U.S. military authority in the Pacific Area of Responsibility is the Commander of U.S. Pacific Command. Pacific Command is one of six U.S. geographic combatant commands. Pacific Command’s area of responsibility spans roughly half the earth’s surface and encompasses 36 countries, including Australia, China, I... | DOD has stated that it intends to rebalance its defense posture toward the Asia-Pacific region. Japan hosts the largest U.S. forward-operating presence in this region; the majority of the U.S. forces in Japan are located in Okinawa. The United States and Japan planned to reduce the U.S. military presence on Okinawa by ... |
In April 2003, the Secretary of Defense charged the military services with supporting six transformational objectives. These objectives not only included a reiteration of the department’s goal to fully implement total asset visibility, but also clearly reflected a growing recognition of the importance of cost informati... | The Department of Defense (DOD) established a goal to achieve total asset visibility over 30 years ago. This initiative aims to provide timely, accurate information on the location, movement, status, and identity of equipment and supplies. To date, the effort has been unsuccessful. GAO was requested to determine (1) th... |
In 1962, DOD instituted the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System to establish near-term projections in defense spending. This system was intended to provide the necessary data to assist defense decision makers in making trade-offs among potential alternatives, thereby resulting in the best possible mix of forces... | Congress needs the best available data about DOD's resource tradeoffs between the dual priorities of transformation and fighting the global war on terrorism. To help shape its priorities, in 2001 DOD developed a capabilities-based approach focused on how future adversaries might fight, and a risk management framework t... |
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.