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As DOD’s urgent needs processes have evolved, there have been several reviews of DOD’s abilities to rapidly respond to and field needed capabilities. For example, according to senior DOD officials, the department has conducted a study to determine lessons learned from several independent urgent needs processes that mig... | This testimony discusses the challenges that the Department of Defense (DOD) faces in fulfilling urgent operational needs identified by our warfighters. Over the course of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces have encountered changing adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures, which challenged DOD to qui... |
More than 2.7-million miles of pipeline transport roughly two-thirds of our nation’s domestic energy supply. These pipelines carry gas and hazardous liquids from producing wells, to processing plants, and eventually to end users, such as businesses and homes. (See fig. 1.) Within this nationwide system, there are three... | The U.S. energy pipeline network is composed of over 2.7-million miles of pipelines transporting gas and hazardous liquids. While pipelines are a relatively safe mode of transportation, incidents caused by material failures and corrosion may result in fatalities and environmental damage. PHMSA, an agency within the Dep... |
VETS administers national programs intended to (1) ensure that veterans receive priority in employment and training opportunities from the employment service; (2) assist veterans, reservists, and National Guard members in securing employment; and (3) protect veterans’ employment rights and benefits. The key elements of... | This report discusses the proposed performance measurement system at the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS). Specifically, GAO reviews (1) VETS' proposed performance measures, including possible concerns about the measures; (2) the proposed data source for the new system; and (3) oth... |
39 million beneficiaries and spends about $212 billion a year. Its benefits include hospital, physician, and other services such as home health and limited skilled nursing facility care. HCFA administers Medicare and regulates participating providers and health plans. Original, or traditional, Medicare reimburses priva... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Defense's (DOD) Medicare subvention demonstration program, focusing on: (1) the early phases of implementing the DOD demonstration; (2) issues raised by that experience for DOD subvention; and (3) lessons from the DOD demonstration for a possible Depa... |
Millions of state and local government employees are supplementing their future retirement benefits by contributing to salary reduction plans called salary reduction or defined contribution arrangements. Such plans enable participants to defer part of their current salary for future use. The goal of these plans is to p... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of public pension funding, focusing on how plans established under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 457 differ from plans created under IRC sections 401(k) and 403(b). GAO found that: (1) most state and local government employees are covered under section ... |
Prior to AIR-21, which was signed into law on April 5, 2000, general aviation airports received AIP funding through funds apportioned to states by using geographic area and population-based formulas, as well as through discretionary funds. These airports also received funds through FAA’s small airport fund. AIR-21 amen... | In 2000, Congress created general aviation entitlement grants to provide funding up to $150,000 per fiscal year to individual general aviation airports. These grants fund capital improvements and repair projects. GAO was asked to (1) assess the amount of funding airports used, (2) identify the types of projects underta... |
TANF was designed to give states the flexibility to create programs that meet four broad goals: Providing assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; Ending the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and ... | The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant makes $16.5 billion available to states each year, regardless of changes in the number of people receiving benefits. To qualify for their full TANF allotments, states must spend a certain amount of state money, referred to as maintenance-of-effort funds. As... |
State accountability systems under ESSA include four key components: 1) determine long-term goals, 2) develop performance indicators, 3) differentiate schools, and 4) identify and assist low-performers (see fig. 1). ESSA requires states to submit state plans to the Secretary of Education to receive Title I funds. These... | Federal, state, and local governments spent about $640 billion in 2015 to educate nearly 50 million public school children in the United States. ESSA, enacted in December 2015, reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. To receive federal education funds for school districts with high concentratio... |
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 established DHS and required the agency, among other things, to build a comprehensive national incident management system comprising all levels of government and to consolidate existing federal government emergency response plans into a single, coordinated national response plan. DHS d... | During emergency situations, reliable communications are critical to ensure a rapid and sufficient response. PKEMRA was enacted in 2006 to improve the federal government's preparation for and response to disasters, including emergency communications. Since that time, natural and man-made disasters continue to test the ... |
Coins serve as a medium of exchange in everyday commerce. In 2012, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, a contractor to the U.S. Mint, estimated that there were from 355 billion to 370 billion coins in circulation—about two-thirds of them pennies. Many of these coins are not in active circulation because people hold co... | The U.S. Mint, a bureau of the Treasury, produced about 13 billion coins in 2014. Since 2006, metal prices have risen to where the unit costs of a penny and nickel exceed their face value. The U.S. Mint was directed by statute to develop and evaluate the use of new metals that would reduce the costs of coin production ... |
A long-standing challenge for federal agencies has been developing credible and effective performance management systems that can serve as a strategic tool to drive internal change and achieve results. According to OPM regulations, performance management is the systematic process by which an agency involves its employe... | A longstanding challenge for federal agencies has been developing credible and effective performance management systems that can serve as a strategic tool to drive internal change and achieve results. In 2011, various federal agencies, labor unions, and other organizations developed the Goals-Engagement-Accountability-... |
We reviewed the Department of the Treasury’s report, interviewed senior IRS officials responsible for the actions being taken to correct the management and technical weaknesses, and reviewed documentation. On June 4, 1996, we briefed senior Treasury and IRS officials, including the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury and ... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) actions to correct GAO-identified management and technical weaknesses that jeopardize its tax systems modernization (TSM) efforts. GAO found that: (1) IRS does not have a comprehensive strategy to maximize electronic filing because... |
Primarily out of concern that noise from air tours over national park units could impair visitors’ experiences and park unit resources, the Congress passed the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 to regulate air tours conducted over national park units. The act mandates new responsibilities for FAA and the P... | Primarily because of concerns that noise from air tours over national parks could impair visitors' experiences and park resources, Congress passed the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 to regulate air tours. The act requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service to develop... |
Gangs, which operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, vary in size, ethnic composition, membership, and organizational structure. Gangs range from groups that have regional or national status and operate in a number of states throughout the country to local groups that are associated with a particular nei... | The Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that the United States has about a million gang members. While state and local agencies have primary responsibility for combating gang crime, the federal government has key roles to enforce laws and help fund programs to provide alternatives to gang membership for at-risk youth... |
VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is responsible for administering benefit programs, such as disability compensation and pension. Veterans and their families can apply for benefits at any of VA’s 58 VAROs. Significant differences exist among VAROs; for example, as of September 30, 1994, their claims processin... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) efforts to improve its claims processing operations, focusing on the effectiveness of planned changes to veterans affairs regional offices' (VARO) claims processing structures and procedures. GAO found that: (1) VA has taken step... |
The National Defense Strategy is the foundation for DOD’s direction to the military services on planning their respective force structures. This strategy calls for the U.S. armed forces to be able to simultaneously defend the homeland; conduct sustained, distributed counterterrorist operations; and deter aggression and... | The Army plans to reduce its end strength to 980,000 active and reserve soldiers by fiscal year 2018, a reduction of nearly 12 percent since fiscal year 2011. According to the Army, this reduction will require reductions of both combat and supporting units. Army leaders reported that reducing the Army to such levels cr... |
The IG Act created independent IG offices at 30 major departments and agencies with IGs appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and who may be removed only by the President with advance notice to the Congress stating the reasons. (A listing of these 30 departments and agencies with presidential IG offices ... | The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) required GAO to report on the relative independence, effectiveness, and expertise of the inspectors general (IG) established by the IG Act of 1978, as amended (IG Act), including IGs appointed by the President with Senate confirmation and th... |
Under its 1957 statute, IAEA is authorized, among other things, to facilitate the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including the production of electric power, by supplying materials, services, equipment and facilities to its member states, particularly considering the needs of the developing countries. About 90 countri... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined: (1) the purpose and effectiveness of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) technical cooperation program; (2) the cost of U.S. participation in IAEA's technical cooperation program; and (3) whether the United States ensures that the activities of IAEA's techn... |
Since 1992, the Medicare program has used a resource-based fee schedule to pay for physician services in the traditional FFS Medicare program. The physician fee schedule includes three components: the relative value for the service, a geographic adjustment, and a conversion factor. The relative value for a service comp... | Congress, policy analysts, and groups representing physicians have raised questions about beneficiary access to Medicare physician services. At the same time, high levels of spending for health care in some parts of the country, and rapid increases in spending for physician services, have been identified as factors tha... |
In late October and early November 1998, Hurricane Mitch struck Central America, producing more than 6 feet of rain in less than a week, mostly over Honduras. The heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslides that killed thousands of people; left tens of thousands homeless; and devastated infrastructure, agriculture, a... | In the fall of 1998, when hurricanes Mitch and Georges struck Central America and the Caribbean, the United States and other donors responded by providing emergency relief, such as food, water, medical supplies, and temporary shelter. Also, In May 1999, Congress passed emergency supplemental legislation that provided $... |
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, responding to potential and real threats to homeland security became one of the federal government’s most significant challenges. To address this challenge, the Congress passed, and the President signed, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which merged 22 ... | When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations in March 2003, it faced the daunting task of bringing together 22 diverse agencies. This transformation poses significant management and leadership challenges, including integrating a myriad of redundant financial management systems and addressing the exis... |
The Postal Service, an independent establishment of the executive branch of the U.S. government, is the largest federal civilian agency, consisting of more than 38,000 post offices, branches, and stations and 350 major mail-processing and distribution facilities. As part of its strategy for better managing its procurem... | Over the past 2 years, the Postal Service has experienced growing financial difficulties. In an effort to transform the organization to reduce costs and increase productivity, the Postal Service awarded a national-level office supply contract to Boise Corporation. In addition, the Postal Service required Boise to submi... |
DOD and the military services invest in ground radars and air-to-ground precision guided munitions. Ground radars are ground-based sensor systems used by the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps to detect and track a variety of targets. These radars perform missions such as air surveillance, air defense, and counterfire t... | Over the past five years, GAO has found potential overlap or duplication in DOD weapon system investments. Overlap occurs when multiple agencies or programs are engaged in similar activities. Duplication occurs when two or more agencies or programs are engaged in the same activities. Senate Report 113-44 accompanying t... |
Interior’s ongoing reorganization of bureaus with oil and gas functions will require time and resources, and undertaking such an endeavor while continuing to meet ongoing responsibilities may pose new challenges. Interior has begun implementing its restructuring effort, transferring offshore oversight responsibilities ... | The Department of the Interior oversees oil and gas activities on leased federal lands and waters. Revenue generated from federal oil and gas production is one of the largest nontax sources of federal government funds, accounting for about $9 billion in fiscal year 2009. Since the April 2010 explosion on board the Deep... |
The nation’s UI system is a joint federal/state partnership originally authorized by the Social Security Act and funded primarily through federal and state taxes on employers. Under this arrangement, states administer their own programs, generally known as regular UI benefits, according to certain federal requirements ... | As part of the nation's UI system, overseen by DOL, states provide benefits to eligible unemployed workers, with additional weeks of benefits sometimes provided by the federal government in times of economic stress. Since the 1960s, states have had maximum UI benefit durations of 26 weeks or longer. However, since 2011... |
Chief Acquisition Officers provide a focal point for acquisition in agency operations. The SARA legislation requires that CAOs: be noncareer employees; have acquisition management as their primary duty; and have the agency’s Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) report directly to them without intervening authority, or se... | Federal agencies spent more than half a trillion dollars in fiscal year 2011 through contracts to acquire goods and services in support of their missions, but have historically faced significant acquisition management challenges preventing them from getting the best return on their investments. The SARA legislation req... |
DI and SSI are the two largest federal programs providing cash assistance to people with disabilities. Established in 1956, DI provides monthly payments to workers with disabilities (and their dependents or survivors) under the age of 65 who have enough work experience to be qualified for disability benefits. Created i... | The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for administering the Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Insurance programs--the nation's two largest disability programs. SSA is required to administer its disability programs in a fair and unbiased manner. Nevertheless, the propor... |
Congress created USPS’s letter delivery monopoly as a revenue protection measure so that USPS can meet its universal mail service obligation, which includes service to all communities and uniform rates for some mail. As a practical matter, mail covered by this monopoly primarily consists of First-Class Mail and USPS Ma... | USPS's mission is to provide universal delivery service while operating as a self-financing entity. Congress has provided USPS with monopolies to deliver letter mail and access mailboxes to protect its revenues, which enables it to fulfill its universal service mission, among other reasons. Despite its monopolies, USPS... |
Title insurance is designed to guarantee clear ownership of a property that is being sold. The policy is designed to compensate either the lender (through a lender’s policy) or the buyer (through an owner’s policy) up to the amount of the loan or the purchase price, respectively. Title insurance is sold primarily throu... | Title insurance is a required element of almost all real estate purchases and is not an insignificant cost for consumers. However, consumers generally do not have the knowledge needed to "shop around" for title insurance and usually rely on professionals involved in real estate--such as lenders, real estate agents, and... |
National default and foreclosure rates rose sharply from calendar year 2005 through 2009 to the highest level in at least 29 years (fig. 1). Default rates declined slightly from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2010 but, at 4.91 percent, were still more than six times higher than they were at the star... | Congress created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to, among other things, preserve homeownership and protect home values. In March 2009, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) as its cornerstone effort to achieve these goals. This report examines... |
Since the 1940s, one mission of DOE and its predecessor agencies has been processing uranium as a source of nuclear material for defense and commercial purposes. A key step in this process is the enrichment of natural uranium, which increases its concentration of uranium-235, the isotope of uranium that undergoes fissi... | Since the 1940s, the Department of Energy (DOE) has been processing natural uranium into enriched uranium, which has a higher concentration of the isotope uranium-235 that can be used in nuclear weapons or reactors. This has resulted in over 700,000 metric tons of leftover depleted uranium, also known as "tails," that ... |
Over the past decade, the federal government has expanded financial assistance to a wide array of public and private stakeholders for preparedness activities through various grant programs administered by DHS through its component agency, FEMA. Through these grant programs, DHS has sought to enhance the capacity of sta... | From fiscal years 2002 through 2012, the Congress appropriated about $39 billion to a variety of DHS preparedness grant programs to enhance the capabilities of state and local governments to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks and other disasters. DHS allocated more than $21.3 billi... |
As with other joint combatant commands, NORTHCOM’s organization includes subordinate commands that report directly to NORTHCOM; component commands, which are military service commands that assist NORTHCOM operations; and other supporting commands and DOD agencies. Each of these has a significant role in planning for NO... | It has been 5 years since the Department of Defense (DOD) established U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to conduct homeland defense and civil support missions in the United States. Planning operations in the United States poses unique challenges for traditional military planning. GAO was asked to assess (1) the status o... |
LSC was established in 1974 as a private, nonprofit, federally funded corporation to provide legal assistance to low-income people in civil matters. LSC provides the assistance indirectly, through grants to about 260 competitively selected local programs. Grantees may receive additional funding from non-LSC sources. In... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the two reviews that it has completed pertaining to case service reporting (CSR) by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), focusing on: (1) what efforts LSC and its grantees have made to correct case reporting problems; and (2) whether these efforts are likely to resolv... |
American Samoa, the only U.S. insular area in the southern hemisphere, is located about 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii. American Samoa consists of five volcanic islands and two coral atolls, covering a land area of 76 square miles, slightly larger than Washington, D.C. According to American Samoa Department of Commerc... | American Samoa is the only populated U.S. insular area that does not have a federal court. Congress has granted the local High Court federal jurisdiction for certain federal matters, such as specific areas of maritime law. GAO was asked to conduct a study of American Samoa's system for addressing matters of federal law... |
Zika virus is a member of the flavivirus family related to dengue virus, yellow fever virus, and West Nile virus, and its primary mode of transmission is via mosquito, most notably by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are a potential vector for the Zika virus. The disease was first identified in t... | Emerging infectious diseases constitute a clear and persistent threat to the health and well-being of people and animals around the world. The Zika virus, which at present appears to be primarily transmitted to humans by infected mosquitos, can cause symptoms including fever, rash, and joint pain. A large ongoing outbr... |
Proliferation networks use commercial and business practices to obtain materials, technology, and knowledge to further nuclear, chemical, biological, and radiological programs. Nuclear proliferation networks seek to circumvent national and international restrictions against procuring the technologies necessary for deve... | For decades, the United States has tried to impede nuclear proliferation networks that provide equipment to nuclear weapons development programs in countries such as Pakistan and Iran. GAO was asked to examine U.S. efforts to counter nuclear proliferation networks, specifically the (1) status of U.S. efforts to strengt... |
Some of the TARP performance audit recommendations we made were program-specific, while others addressed crosscutting issues such as staffing and communications. Our program-specific recommendations focused on the following TARP initiatives: Bank investment programs: CPP was designed to provide capital to financially v... | The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) authorized the creation of TARP to address the most severe crisis that the financial system had faced in decades. Treasury has been the primary agency responsible for TARP programs. EESA provided GAO with broad oversight authorities for actions taken under TARP an... |
Depository institutions—banks, thrifts, and credit unions—have attained a unique and central role in U.S. financial markets through their deposit- taking, lending, and other activities. Individuals have traditionally placed a substantial amount of their savings in federally insured depository institutions. In addition,... | In 2006, consumers paid over $36 billion in fees associated with checking and savings accounts, raising questions about consumers' awareness of their accounts' terms and conditions. GAO was asked to review (1) trends in the types and amounts of checking and deposit account fees since 2000, (2) how federal banking regul... |
FPS’s mission is protect the buildings, grounds, and property that are under the control and custody of the GSA, as well as the persons on the property; to enforce federal laws and regulations; and to investigate offenses against these buildings and persons. FPS conducts its mission by providing security services throu... | The Federal Protective Service (FPS) is a fee-funded agency in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for providing physical security to over 9,000 federal facilities. In 2003 FPS transferred to DHS from the General Services Administration and for the first time was to fully recover its costs. GAO recent... |
From 2005 to 2014, the civilian workforce (excluding the U.S. Postal Service) grew from 1.88 million to 2.07 million, an increase of 10.3 percent, or 192,951 individuals. Most of this growth (76 percent) occurred between 2009 and 2014. The number of permanent career executive branch employees grew by 221,672, from abou... | Strategic human capital management plays a critical role in maximizing the government's performance and assuring its accountability to Congress and to the nation as a whole. GAO designated strategic human capital management as a government-wide, high-risk area in 2001. Since then, important progress has been made. Howe... |
Since our last high-risk update, while progress has varied, many of the 32 high-risk areas on our 2015 list have shown solid progress. One area related to sharing and managing terrorism-related information is now being removed from the list. Agencies can show progress by addressing our five criteria for removal from th... | The federal government is one of the world's largest and most complex entities: about $3.9 trillion in outlays in fiscal year 2016 funded a broad array of programs and operations. GAO's high-risk program identifies government operations with greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement or the need ... |
The Medicaid program is one of the largest social programs in the federal budget, and one of the largest components of state budgets. Although it is one federal program, Medicaid consists of 56 distinct state-level programs created within broad federal guidelines and administered by state Medicaid agencies. Each state ... | During fiscal year 2002, Medicaid--a program jointly funded by the federal government and the states--provided health care coverage for about 51 million low-income Americans. That year, Medicaid benefit payments reached approximately $244 billion, of which the federal share was about $139 billion. The program is admini... |
As identified and described in figure 1, we reported in October 2016 that agencies have frequently used five open innovation strategies to collaborate with citizens and other external parties, and encourage their participation in agency initiatives. As we described in our October 2016 report, agencies can use these ope... | To address the complex and crosscutting challenges facing the federal government, agencies need to effectively engage and collaborate with those in the private, nonprofit, and academic sectors; other levels of government; and citizens. Agencies are increasingly using open innovation strategies for these purposes. The G... |
According to DOE, 603 metric tons of highly enriched uranium and plutonium are at risk of nuclear material theft in Russia. This material, located at civilian research centers, naval fuel storage sites, and Russia’s nuclear weapons laboratories, can be used directly in a nuclear weapon without further enrichment or rep... | The Department of Energy (DOE) is improving security of 192 metric tons of weapons-usable nuclear material in Russia by installing modern security systems that detect, delay, and respond to attempts to steal nuclear material. These systems, while not as stringent as those installed in the United States, are designed to... |
Joint STARS is a joint Air Force and Army wide-area surveillance and target attack radar system designed to detect, track, classify, and support the attack of moving and stationary ground targets. This $11 billion major defense acquisition program consists of air and ground segments— refurbished 707 aircraft (designate... | GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) recent decision to commit to the full-rate production of the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS), focusing on whether: (1) the system had demonstrated a level of maturity through testing to justify a full-rate production commitment; (2) DOD consider... |
Yellowstone National Park is at the center of about 20 million acres of publicly and privately owned land, overlapping three states—Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. This area is commonly called the greater Yellowstone area or ecosystem and is home to numerous species of wildlife, including the largest concentration of free... | Yellowstone National Park, in northwest Wyoming, is home to a herd of about 3,600 free-roaming bison. Some of these bison routinely attempt to migrate from the park in the winter. Livestock owners and public officials in states bordering the park have concerns about the bison leaving the park because many are infected ... |
The refuge system comprises 538 refuges, 37 wetland management districts (an administrative system of thousands of Waterfowl Production Areas and conservation easements, primarily in the north central United States), and 50 coordination areas. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) owns the surface lands and, in some case... | The 95-million acre National Wildlife Refuge System contains federal lands 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 the legal authority to... |
The mission of USCIS is to adjudicate applications and petitions for immigration benefits, and requests for other action by individuals seeking to become either a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident or to temporarily study, live, or work in this country. To accomplish its mission, each year USCI... | Each year, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) USCIS processes millions of applications for persons seeking to study, work, visit, or live in the United States. USCIS has been working since 2005 to transform its outdated systems into an account-based system with electronic adjudication and case management tools... |
Medicaid programs generally represent an open-ended entitlement under which the federal government is obligated to pay its share of expenditures for covered services provided to eligible individuals under each state’s federally approved Medicaid plan. Under federal Medicaid law, to qualify for Medicaid coverage, indivi... | The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) included a provision that requires states to obtain documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship or nationality when determining eligibility of Medicaid applicants and current beneficiaries; self-attestation of citizenship and nationality is no longer acceptable. The Centers for Medi... |
As you are aware, technology plays an important role in helping the federal government ensure the security of its many physical and information assets. Today, federal employees are issued a wide variety of identification (ID) cards that are used to access federal buildings and facilities, sometimes solely on the basis ... | The federal government is interested in the use of smart cards--credit card-like devices that use integrated circuit chips to store and process data--for improving the security of its many physical and information assets. Besides providing better authentication of the identities of people accessing buildings and comput... |
General hospitals face competition from a variety of sources, including the approximately 100 specialty hospitals in operation or under development in some markets in 2005. Despite the relatively small number of specialty hospitals, the issue of how general hospitals have responded to the competition from specialty hos... | There has been much debate about specialty hospitals--short-term acute care hospitals with physician owners or investors that primarily treat patients who have specific medical conditions or need surgical procedures--and the competitive effects they may have on general hospitals. Advocates of specialty hospitals conten... |
VHA provides a range of treatments and services to improve the mental health of veterans, including teaching coping skills and offering tailored programs to treat specific problems, such as depression, PTSD, and substance abuse disorders, and to promote recovery. When needed mental health care is not available through ... | Between 2005 and 2013, the number of veterans receiving mental health care from VHA increased 63 percent, outpacing overall growth in veterans receiving any VHA health care. In fiscal year 2014, VHA spent more than $3.9 billion providing outpatient specialty mental health care (mental health care) to more than 1.5 mill... |
The success of a homeland security strategy relies on the ability of all levels of government and the private sector to communicate and cooperate effectively with one another. Activities that are hampered by organizational fragmentation, technological impediments, or ineffective collaboration blunt the nation’s collect... | To protect the nation from terrorist attacks, homeland security stakeholders must more effectively work together to strengthen the process by which critical information can be shared, analyzed, integrated and disseminated to help prevent or minimize terrorist activities. The success of a homeland security strategy reli... |
The H-1B program was created by the Immigration Act of 1990, which amended the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The H-1B visa category was created to enable U.S. employers to hire temporary workers as needed in specialty occupations, or those that require theoretical and practical application of a body of highly ... | The H-1B visa program assists U.S. employers in temporarily filling certain occupations with highly-skilled foreign workers. There is considerable interest regarding how Labor, along with Homeland Security and Justice, is enforcing the requirements of the program. This report describes: (1) how Labor carries out its H-... |
The authority to appoint and set pay for special consultants and fellows was provided as part of the Public Health Service Act in 1944. Section 209(f) authorizes the employment of special consultants to assist and advise in the operation of the PHS. The PHS is comprised of most operating divisions within HHS—including ... | HHS and EPA have been using special hiring authority provided under 42 U.S.C. §§209(f) and (g)referred to in this report generally as Title 42 or specifically as section 209(f) or section 209(g)to appoint individuals to fill mission critical positions in science and medicine and, in many cases, pay them above salary ... |
FEBs were established by a Presidential Directive in 1961 to improve coordination among federal activities and programs outside Washington, D.C. The boards’ overall mission includes supporting and promoting national initiatives and responding to the local needs of federal agencies and their communities. They provide a ... | The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which provides direction to the federal executive boards (FEBs), is now emphasizing that in the post-9/11 environment, the boards have a transformed emergency support role. The report discusses the boards' emergency preparedness roles and responsibilities and their potential ro... |
The Congress and others have been addressing the question of how to strengthen the acquisition workforce since 1974 when the OFPP was created to establish governmentwide procurement policies for executive agencies. One of the primary responsibilities of this office and its Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) is to stre... | GAO's continuing reviews of the acquisition workforce, focusing on the Department of Defense (DOD); the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Energy, and Health and Human Services; the General Services Administration; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in... |
In May 1995, the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces proposed the idea of a comprehensive quadrennial review by DOD of the country’s defense strategy and force structure. In August 1995, the Secretary of Defense endorsed the idea, and the following year legislation directed DOD to conduct the 1997 QDR.... | The Department of Defense (DOD) is required by law to conduct a comprehensive examination of the national defense strategy, force structure, modernization plans, infrastructure, and budget every 4 years including an assessment of the force structure best suited to implement the defense strategy at low-to-moderate level... |
GPRA is intended to shift the focus of government decisionmaking, management, and accountability from activities and processes to the results and outcomes achieved by federal programs. New and valuable information on the plans, goals, and strategies of federal agencies has been provided since federal agencies began imp... | This report reviews the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) fiscal year 2000 performance report and fiscal year 2002 performance plan required by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 to assess its progress in achieving selected key outcomes that are important mission areas for the agency. NRC reports mi... |
DHS and FEMA have streamlined application and award processes, enhanced the use of risk management principles in its grant programs, and proposed consolidation of its various grant programs to address grant management concerns. In February 2012, we reported that better coordination and improved data collection could he... | From fiscal years 2002 through 2011, the federal government appropriated over $37 billion to the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) preparedness grant programs to enhance the capabilities of state and local governments to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks. DHS allocated $20.3... |
When first conceived, the LCS program represented an innovative approach for conducting naval operations, matched with a unique acquisition strategy that included two nontraditional shipbuilders and two different ships based on commercial designs—Lockheed Martin’s Freedom variant and Austal USA’s Independence variant, ... | The Navy envisioned a revolutionary approach for the LCS program: dual ship designs with interchangeable mission packages intended to provide mission flexibility at a lower cost. This approach has fallen short, with significant cost increases and reduced expectations about mission flexibility and performance. The Navy ... |
The military regime in Burma has routinely restricted freedom of speech, religion, and movement, and committed other serious human rights violations against the Burmese people. Prior to 1990, Burma was ruled by a military regime known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council. In May 1990, national parliamentary e... | Congress passed the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act in 2008 prohibiting the import of Burmese-origin jadeite, rubies, and related jewelry and calling for certain international actions. The act also requires GAO to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of this section of the act. This report assesses (1) key ... |
The vast majority of Recovery Act funding for transportation programs goes to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of highway, road, bridge, transit, and rail projects. The remaining funds a... | The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided $48.1 billion in additional spending at the Department of Transportation (DOT) for investments in transportation infrastructure, including highways, passenger rail, and transit. This statement provides a general overview of (1) selected states' ... |
Distance education is a growing force in postsecondary education, and its rise has implications for the federal student aid programs. Studies by Education indicate that enrollments in distance education quadrupled between 1995 and 2001. By the 2000-2001 school year, nearly 90 percent of public 4-year institutions were ... | Distance education--that is, offering courses by Internet, video, or other forms outside the classroom--has changed considerably in recent years and is a growing force in postsecondary education. More than a decade ago, concerns about fraud and abuse by some correspondence schools led to federal restrictions on, among ... |
Mortgage insurance, a commonly used credit enhancement, protects lenders against losses in the event of default, and FHA is a government mortgage insurer in a market that also includes private insurers. During fiscal years 2001 to 2003, FHA insured a total of about 3.7 million mortgages with a total value of about $425... | To assist Congress in considering legislation to authorize the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a pilot program to insure zero down payment mortgages, this testimony provides information about practices mortgage institutions use in designing and implementing low and no dow... |
CPSC was created in 1972 under the Consumer Product Safety Act (P.L. 92-573) to regulate consumer products that pose an unreasonable risk of injury, to assist consumers in using products safely, and to promote research and investigation into product-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses. CPSC currently has three comm... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) project selection, use of cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment, and information release procedures, focusing on: (1) the criteria CPSC uses to select projects and the information it relies upon in making these choices... |
USAID has provided foreign aid since 1961 in an effort to improve countries’ economies, health, environment, and democratic processes. In times of crisis, the agency has also provided humanitarian assistance to those in need. USAID currently has 72 overseas missions and offices that manage projects associated with this... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effect of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) reforms on its overseas missions' operations and delivery of assistance, focusing on how: (1) USAID missions have reengineered their operations; (2) reengineering has affected the content of USAID's a... |
The department is facing near-and long-term internal fiscal pressures as it attempts to balance competing demands to support ongoing operations, rebuild readiness following extended military operations, and manage increasing personnel and health care costs as well as significant cost growth in its weapon systems progra... | As one of the largest and most complex organizations in the world, the Department of Defense (DOD) faces many challenges in resolving serious problems in its financial management and related business operations and systems. DOD is required by various statutes to (1) improve its financial management processes, controls,... |
On May 17, 1954, in its Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, the United States Supreme Court unanimously held that state laws establishing “separate but equal” public schools for Blacks and Whites were unconstitutional. Ten years after this decision, a relatively small percentage of Black children in the Dee... | Recent literature shows that poor and minority students may not have full access to educational opportunities. GAO was asked to examine poverty and race in schools and efforts by the Departments of Education and Justice, which are responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws prohibiting racial discrimination aga... |
Before commencing operations, new airlines must obtain two separate authorizations from DOT—“economic” authority from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) and “safety” authority from FAA. Within OST, the Air Carrier Fitness Division is responsible for assessing whether applicants have the managerial comp... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the safety performance of new airlines having 5 or fewer years of operating experience, focusing on: (1) the frequency with which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspects new airlines compared with its inspections of established airlines; and (2) FAA efforts t... |
IAEA’s technical cooperation program provides nuclear technical assistance through projects that have three main components—equipment, expert services, and training activities (project- and non-project-related), including fellowships, scientific visits, and training courses—that support the upgrading or establishment, ... | Pursuant to congressional requests, GAO provided information on the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) nuclear technical assistance to Cuba, focusing on: (1) the dollar value and type of all nuclear technical assistance projects IAEA provided for Cuba; (2) the sources of funding for all nuclear technical assis... |
The DWWCF is intended to (1) generate sufficient resources to cover the full cost of its operations and (2) operate on a break-even basis over time—that is, neither make a gain nor incur a loss. Customers primarily use appropriated funds to finance orders placed with the DWWCF. Cash generated from the sale of goods and... | The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the Defense Information Systems Agency, and DLA use the DWWCF to charge for goods and services provided to the military services and other customers. The DWWCF relies primarily on sales revenue rather than annual appropriations to finance its continuing operations. The DWWCF ... |
The Coast Guard is a multimission, maritime military service within DHS. The Coast Guard’s responsibilities fall into two general categories—those related to homeland security missions, such as port security, vessel escorts, security inspections, and defense readiness; and those related to non-homeland security mission... | The Coast Guard's Deepwater Program, under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has experienced serious performance and management problems. Deepwater is intended to replace or modernize Coast Guard vessels, aircraft, and the communications and electronic systems that link them together. As of fiscal year 2008, o... |
In 1998, Congress passed WIA—partly in response to concerns about inefficiencies in federal employment and training programs. WIA repealed the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), effective July 1, 2000, and replaced JTPA programs for economically disadvantaged adults and youths and dislocated workers with three new pr... | Federally funded employment and training programs play an important role in helping job seekers obtain employment. The Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services (HHS) largely administer these programs. GAO's objectives were to determine: (1) whether the number of federal employment and training pro... |
FMCSA was established within DOT in January 2000 and was tasked with promoting safe commercial motor vehicle operations and preventing large truck and bus crashes, injuries, and fatalities. The commercial motor carrier industry is a vital part of the U.S. economy and, as of December 2015, FMCSA estimated that there wer... | FMCSA, established within the Department of Transportation in January 2000, is charged with reducing crashes involving commercial motor carriers (i.e., large trucks and buses) and saving lives. IT systems and infrastructure serve as a key enabler for FMCSA to achieve its mission. The agency reported spending about $46 ... |
In seeking to provide their hospital customers with medical-surgical products at favorable prices, GPOs engage with manufacturers in certain contracting processes and sometimes use certain strategies to obtain price discounts. Many manufacturers bid for GPO contracts because hospital purchases with these contracts may ... | Hospitals have increasingly relied on purchasing intermediaries--GPOs--to keep the cost of medical-surgical products in check. By pooling purchases for their hospital customers, GPOs'in awarding contracts to medical-surgical product manufacturers--may negotiate lower prices for these products. Some manufacturers conten... |
Between 1972 and 1990 the presence of foreign banks in the United States increased rapidly—from 105 offices and subsidiary banks with $95 billion in assets in 1972 (measured in 1995 dollars) to 737 offices and subsidiary banks with $933 billion in assets (measured in 1995 dollars) at the end of 1990. Since then their n... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Federal Reserve's implementation of the Foreign Bank Supervision Enhancement Act, focusing on: (1) the Reserve's examination process and process for approving foreign bank applications for U.S. entry and expansion; and (2) enforcement actions that the... |
According to TSA, the majority of air carrier passengers present a low risk to aviation security, but until recently, with the exception of passengers matched to watchlists, TSA has used the same security screening procedures for passengers without regard for the risk passengers posed. TSA, through the Secure Flight sy... | TSA screens or oversees the screening of more than 650 million passengers annually at more than 450 U.S. airports. In 2011, TSA began providing expedited screening to selected passengers as part of its overall emphasis on risk-based security. Specifically, by determining passenger risk prior to travel, TSA intended to ... |
In 1991, HRSA announced that it would fund 10 Healthy Start sites and issued guidance on how communities could obtain a grant. By July 1991, HRSA had received 40 applications, and in September of that year, it began funding 15 communities for a 5-year demonstration project. In 1996, funding for these communities was ex... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the preliminary results of a national evaluation of the Healthy Start program, focusing on: (1) the plan for national evaluation; (2) what Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.'s (MPR) preliminary evaluation results indicate; and (3) what is expected from the final evaluati... |
Over the last decade, assisted living has emerged as an increasingly popular long-term care option. Within the continuum of long-term care, assisted living facilities typically provide a level of care between independent living and nursing homes for persons who need assistance with one or more ADLs, such as bathing or ... | Assisted living facilities provide help with activities of daily living in a residential setting for individuals who cannot live independently but do not require 24-hour skilled nursing care. In 2002, over 36,000 assisted living facilities served approximately 900,000 residents. The states establish and enforce licensi... |
During the past decade, the overarching goal of the U.S. National Drug Control Strategy has been to reduce illegal drug use in the United States. A main priority of the strategy has been to disrupt illegal drug trade and production abroad in the transit zone and production countries by attacking the power structures an... | The overall goal of the U.S. National Drug Control Strategy, prepared by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), is to reduce illicit drug use in the United States. GAO has issued more than 20 products since 2000 examining U.S.-funded international programs aimed at reducing the supply of drugs.... |
OJJDP, one of the components of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), was established by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (Juvenile Justice Act). Its mission is to provide national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond appropriately to juve... | Although national rates of violent juvenile crime and youth victimization have declined during the past five years, critical problems affecting juveniles, such as drug dependency, the spread of gangs, and child abuse and neglect, persist. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has funded vari... |
The AWACS aircraft first became operational in March 1977, and as of November 2004, the U.S. AWACS fleet was comprised of 33 aircraft. The aircraft provides surveillance, command, control, and communications of airborne aircraft to commanders of air defense forces. The onboard radar, combined with a friend-or-foe ident... | Over the past several years, the Air Force has negotiated and awarded more than $23 million in contracts to the Boeing Corporation for the purchase of certain spare parts for its Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. Since they first became operational in March 1977, AWACS aircraft have provided U.S. an... |
School districts receive funding from a variety of sources, including local, state, and federal governments. Title I funds, received by more than 90 percent of the nation’s school districts and more than 55 percent of all public schools, make up a small portion of most districts’ overall funding. Specifically, in fisca... | Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended, is the largest federal education funding source for kindergarten through grade 12. In fiscal year 2010, Congress appropriated $14.5 billion for Title I grants to school districts to improve educational programs in schools with high concentrations... |
People are an agency’s most important organizational asset. An organization’s people define its character, affect its capacity to perform, and represent the knowledge-base of the organization. As such, effective strategic human capital management approaches serve as the cornerstone of any serious change management init... | GAO released an exposure draft on its Model of Strategic Human Capital Management, which is intended to help federal agency leaders better manage their organizations' most important asset--their people. The model is designed to help agency leaders effectively use their people, or human capital, and determine how well t... |
MSDs as a workplace concern have received increased attention over the last several years. While there is some debate about what injuries should be considered MSDs, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that, in 1995, there were 308,000 cases of illness due to repeated trauma, accounting for over 60 perce... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on ergonomics programs to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), focusing on: (1) the core elements of effective ergonomics programs and how these elements are operationalized at the facility level; (2) whether these programs have proven benef... |
China became the 143rd member of the WTO on December 11, 2001, after almost 15 years of negotiations. These negotiations resulted in China’s commitments to open and liberalize its economy and offer a more predictable environment for trade and foreign investment in accordance with WTO rules. The United States and other ... | China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001 created substantial opportunities for U.S. companies seeking to expand into China's market. In joining the WTO, China agreed to liberalize its trade regime and open its markets to foreign goods and services. However, the U.S. government has become... |
The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 is a key component of a statutory framework that the Congress put in place during the 1990s to promote a new focus on results. Finding that waste and inefficiency in federal programs were undermining confidence in government, the Congress sought to hold federal agencie... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed selected fiscal year (FY) 1999 federal agency performance plans, focusing on: (1) agencies' approaches to linking performance goals and budgetary resources; (2) characteristics that might be associated with different approaches to linking performance goals and budgetary... |
In July 1987, the Congress responded to the problems of homelessness by enacting several laws addressing different aspects of the problem. The most comprehensive of these was the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77). Combined, the more than 20 McKinney Act grant programs funded activities that prov... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effectiveness of efforts to assist homeless veterans, focusing on: (1) describing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) homeless programs; (2) determining what VA knows about the effectiveness of its homeless programs; and (3) examining promising approaches aimed ... |
Some federal grant programs—referred to as pass-through grants—are awarded with a specific requirement that a portion of grant funds be distributed by the initial grant recipient (such as a state or local government) to entities within that grantee’s jurisdiction to carry out services.distribute funds to entities withi... | Grant programs in which states are awarded federal grants but then pass funds on to subrecipients--entities within states' jurisdiction--are referred to as "pass-through grants." These relationships pose challenges for the management of grant programs, as the multiple levels add complexity to the flow of funds, adminis... |
HUD’s homeownership centers support the single-family activities of FHA. FHA insures lenders against losses on mortgages for single-family homes. Lenders usually require mortgage insurance when a homebuyer makes a down payment of less than 20 percent of the value of the home. Thus, FHA plays a particularly large role i... | The Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) homeownership centers use more than 20 different information systems implemented by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters, including seven major systems, databases developed by the centers, and various different telephone systems. Some of these tec... |
The production and maintenance of nuclear weapons produces a variety of waste by-products, including transuranic waste. DOE is storing almost 100,000 cubic meters of transuranic waste, primarily at six sites, and expects to generate another 78,000 cubic meters of the waste over the next several decades as it cleans up ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the proposed opening of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in 1998, focusing on how well DOE is positioned to begin filling the repository in its first few years of operation as well as over the long term. GAO found that: (1) it is uncer... |
The reaffirmation agreement process involves several parties and many steps. Creditors, debtors, debtor attorneys, and the courts each have reaffirmation agreement roles. The process begins when a debtor in bankruptcy decides to reaffirm a debt or the creditor proposes a reaffirmation agreement and forwards it to a deb... | The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (referred to hereafter as the Reform Act) included provisions to better inform individuals who file for personal bankruptcy about their options for reaffirming debt--whereby filers may voluntarily agree to pay certain creditors in an effort to retain a... |
Radiological sources are used throughout the world for medical and industrial purposes. Until the 1950s, only naturally occurring radioactive materials, such as radium-226, were available for use in radiological sources. Since then, sources containing radioactive material produced artificially in nuclear reactors and a... | In 2012, GAO identified security weaknesses at U.S. medical facilities that use high-risk radiological sources, such as cesium-137. This report addresses potential security risks with such sources in the industrial sector. Radioactive material is typically sealed in a metal capsule called a sealed source. In the hands ... |
The intent of the Goldwater-Nichols Reorganization Act of 1986 was, in part, to reorganize DOD into a more unified military structure. Within that act, Congress included several provisions that specifically address the education of officers in joint matters, their assignment to joint organizations, and the promotion of... | DOD has increasingly engaged in multiservice and multinational operations. Congress enacted the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, in part, so that DOD's military leaders would be better prepared to plan, support, and conduct joint operations. GAO assessed DOD actions to implement provi... |
Coast Guard operators and commanding officers told us that the National Security Cutter, Fast Response Cutter, and HC-144 are performing well during missions and are an improvement over the vessels and aircraft they are replacing. Operators primarily attribute the performance improvements to better endurance and commun... | This testimony summarizes the information contained in GAO's June 2014 report, entitled Coast Guard Acquistions: Better Information on Performance and Funding Needed to Address Shortfalls , GAO-14-450 . The selected Coast Guard assets that GAO reviewed are generally demonstrating improved performance--according to Coas... |
Building on a decade of expanding trade and investment ties and increasing economic integration in the region, the leaders of 34 democratic countries in the Western Hemisphere pledged in December 1994 to establish an FTAA no later than 2005. The agreement would progressively eliminate barriers to trade and investment. ... | If completed, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement would encompass an area of 800 million people and about $13 trillion in production of goods and services, making it the most significant regional trade initiative presently being pursued by the United States. The 34 democratic nations of the Western Hem... |
Through its Environmental Management (EM) program, DOE is responsible for environmental restoration, waste management, and facility transition and management at 15 major contaminated facilities and more than 100 small facilities in 34 states and territories. These facilities encompass a wide range of environmental prob... | GAO discussed the Department of Energy's (DOE) and Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to control the cost of environmental cleanup of their nuclear weapons facilities. GAO noted that: (1) if DOE incorporated more realistic land use assumptions into the selection process for cleanups, that could result in significant... |
DOD’s final NSPS regulations establish a new human resources management system within the department that is intended to ensure its ability to attract, retain, and reward a workforce that is able to meet its critical mission. Further, the human resources management system is to provide DOD with greater flexibility in t... | People are critical to any agency transformation because they define an agency's culture, develop its knowledge base, promote innovation, and are its most important asset. Thus, strategic human capital management at the Department of Defense (DOD) can help it marshal, manage, and maintain the people and skills needed 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.