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The Science Advisory Board, which comprises more than 100 nongovernment technical experts, was established in 1978 by the Congress to provide independent scientific and engineering advice to the EPA Administrator on the technical bases for EPA regulations. The Board’s work is coordinated and administered by 19 EPA empl... | This report reviews whether the policies and procedures of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board ensure that (1) its peer review panelists are independent and the panels are properly balanced and (2) the public is sufficiently informed about the points of view represented on the panels. GAO found... |
The VA health care system is one of the nation’s largest direct health care delivery systems. VA operates 173 hospitals, over 400 outpatient clinics, 133 nursing homes, and 40 domiciliaries. VA provides health care services to veterans with and without service-connected disabilities on a priority basis defined by the l... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA): (1) implementation of the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation System (VERA); (2) monitoring of changes in health care delivery resulting from VERA; and (3) oversight of the network allocation process used to give veterans equ... |
In June 1997, we reported on the results of our interviews with state WIC officials in 8 states that had unspent federal funds in fiscal year 1995 and 2 states that did not have unspent funds that year. These state officials identified a variety of reasons for having unspent federal WIC funds that were returned to the ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its three recently completed reviews of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), focusing on: (1) the reasons that states had for not spending all of their federal grant funds; (2) efforts of WIC agencies to improve access to W... |
Contracting officers typically delegate to DCMC responsibility for administering contracts when they require delivery or supply of centrally managed military- or agency-unique items or services. Such contracts can range in size from small purchases (under $25,000), which are typically completed within a few months, to ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to improve its contract payment practices, focusing on: (1) the factors contributing to payment errors and increased costs; (2) DOD's efforts to improve its payment system; and (3) payment practices of commercial companies that ... |
The MIG implemented its set of core activities gradually from fiscal years 2006 to 2009 when it reached its annual funding level of $75 million.example, the MIG initiated comprehensive reviews in fiscal year 2007, completing eight, week-long site visits and implemented NMAP audits in fiscal year 2009. To track the valu... | Medicaid has the second-highest estimated improper payments of any federal program that reports such data. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 created the Medicaid Integrity Program to oversee and support state program integrity activities. CMS, the federal agency within HHS that oversees Medicaid, established the MIG to... |
The Bureau is best known for counting the nation’s population every 10 years. In the future, the Bureau intends to collect much of the data that have traditionally been collected during the decennial census from the long-form questionnaire with the annual ACS. Beyond the decennial census, the Bureau also conducts numer... | Data from the decennial census are used to apportion and redistrict seats in the House of Representatives, distribute billions of dollars of federal funds, and guide the planning and investment decisions of the public and private sectors. Given the importance of these data, it is essential that they meet high quality s... |
A clinical lab is generally defined as a facility that examines specimens derived from humans for the purpose of disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, or health assessment of individuals. While hospital and interstate labs were previously subject to regulation, CLIA strengthened federal requirements and extende... | The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) strengthened and extended quality requirements for labs that perform tests to diagnose or treat disease. About 36,000 labs that perform certain complex tests must be surveyed biennially by either a state or one of six private accrediting organizations. CMS o... |
The Congress established the Smithsonian Institution in 1846 to administer a large bequest left to the United States by James Smithson, an English scientist, for the purpose of establishing in Washington, D.C., an institution “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” In accepting Smithson’s bequest on be... | The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum complex and research organization, with 18 museums and galleries, 10 science centers, and a zoological park. The age of the structures, past inattention to maintenance needs, and high visitation have left its facilities in need of revitalization and repair. Currently, the S... |
We have been tracking the Bureau’s progress in designing and implementing the 2000 Census throughout this past decade. A consistent theme of our work has been that despite the Bureau’s unprecedented efforts to achieve maximum accuracy in the most cost-effective way possible, formidable challenges surround such key cens... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its recent reports regarding the operational uncertainties of the status of the 2000 Census, focusing on: (1) achieving the Bureau of the Census' mail response rate objective; (2) collecting accurate and timely data from nonrespondents; and (3) conducting data capture ... |
DOD is a massive and complex organization and is entrusted with more taxpayer dollars than any other federal department or agency. To illustrate, Congress provided DOD with about $512 billion in appropriations for fiscal year 2009. Additionally, Congress has provided about $808 billion in supplemental emergency funding... | Since 1995, GAO has designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) business systems modernization program as high risk, and it continues to do so today. To assist in addressing DOD's business system modernization challenges, the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (the Act) contains p... |
Depot maintenance is the materiel maintenance or repair requiring the overhaul, upgrading, or rebuilding of parts, assemblies, or subassemblies, and the testing and reclamation of equipment, regardless of the source of funds for the maintenance or repair or the location at which the maintenance or repair is performed. ... | The Navy's depots provide critical maintenance support to operations around the world. The Department of Defense's (DOD) increased reliance on the private sector for depot maintenance support coupled with downsizing led to a deterioration of depots' capabilities and cost increases. In 2007, the Office of the Secretary ... |
In Subtitle A, Congress established a two-pronged approach for protecting the privacy of nonpublic personal information obtained by financial institutions. The subtitle establishes restrictions and requirements relating to a financial institution’s disclosure of nonpublic personal information to nonaffiliated third par... | Subtitle A of Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) of 1999 requires that each financial institution, which is defined to include most insurance providers or companies, has "an affirmative and continuing obligation to respect the privacy of its customers and to protect the security and confidentiality of those c... |
The Army has three large combat training centers that train brigade-sized units during exercises, referred to as “rotations,” that last for 13 to 25 days: the National Training Center, located at Fort Irwin, California; the Joint Readiness Training Center, located at Fort Polk, Louisiana; and the Combat Maneuver Traini... | The Department of Defense (DOD) believes that it is increasingly likely that an adversary will use nuclear, biological, or chemical (NBC) weapons against U.S. forces. Consequently, DOD doctrine calls for U.S. forces to be sufficiently trained to continue their missions in an NBC-contaminated environment. Given longstan... |
DHS is responsible for securing U.S. borders, in collaboration with other federal, state, local, and tribal entities. CBP, a component within DHS that is the lead agency for border security, is responsible for, among other things, preventing terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States and for interdict... | The lack of communications interoperability—the capability of different electronic communications systems (e.g., radios) to readily connect with one another to enable timely communications—can affect mission operations and the overall effectiveness of agencies responsible for securing the border. DHS continues to face ... |
DOD’s organizational structure includes the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military services, numerous defense agencies and field activities, and various unified combatant commands that contribute to the oversight of DOD’s MAIS programs. Figure 1 provides a simplified depiction of DO... | DOD's MAIS programs include systems that are intended to help the department sustain its key operations. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 includes a provision for GAO to select, assess, and report on the department's MAIS programs annually through March 2018. This is GAO's fifth report and (1... |
The trucking industry is an important component of the nation’s economy. Of all manufactured goods and raw materials shipped across the country, close to three-fourths of their value and nearly two-thirds of their tonnage are transported by trucks. In 2002, trucks transported more than $6.2 trillion and 7.8 billion ton... | About 5,000 people die and more than 120,000 are injured each year from crashes involving large trucks. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has several enforcement programs to improve truck safety and funds similar enforcement programs in states through its Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (M... |
Farming is an inherently risky enterprise. In conducting their operations, farmers are exposed to financial losses because of production risks— droughts, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters—as well as price risks. For decades, the federal government has played an active role in helping to mitigate the effec... | The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the federal crop insurance program with private insurance companies, which, in turn, work with insurance agencies that sell crop insurance. In 2008, according to USDA, the program cost $6.5 billion, including about $2.0 billion in allowances to insurance companies t... |
Health centers are private, nonprofit community-based organizations or, less commonly, public organizations such as public health department clinics. Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, which authorizes the Health Center Program, requires health centers to provide a comprehensive set of primary health care se... | Health centers funded in part by grants from HRSAs Health Center Program, under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, provide comprehensive primary care services for the medically underserved, including many poor, uninsured, and Medicaid patients. Legislation enacted in 2009 and 2010 provided additional fundin... |
The Decennial Census is at a critical stage in the 2008 Dress Rehearsal, in which the Bureau has its last opportunity to test its plans for 2010 under census-like conditions. The dress rehearsal features a mock Census Day, now set for May 1, 2008. Last year at this time, the Bureau carried out a major dress rehearsal o... | In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) estimated the 2010 Census would cost $11.5 billion, including $3 billion on automation and technology. At a March hearing, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) stated that the Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) program was likely to incur significant cost overruns and anno... |
Ultrasound is a noninvasive form of imaging that, unlike X-ray and certain other diagnostic modalities, does not expose patients to the risks associated with the emission of ionizing radiation. To perform a diagnostic ultrasound exam, a sonographer applies a hand-held medical device called a transducer to the skin thro... | Medicare spending on imaging services, among which are ultrasound procedures that use sound waves to facilitate diagnosis, nearly doubled from 1999 to 2004. The Congress required GAO to examine Medicare's payment methods for ultrasound procedures and whether the technicians that conduct them--called sonographers--shoul... |
Data-sharing programs between IRS and states have been in place for many years. Historically, the flow of information was largely from the federal government to the states. IRS shares tax data with the state revenue agencies based on the states’ needs, and the states use the data for tax-administration purposes. In rec... | The State Reverse File Match Initiative (SRFMI) is one of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) data-sharing strategies to reduce the estimated $345 billion gross federal tax gap. SRFMI matches federal and state taxpayer data to identify noncompliant taxpayers--individuals and businesses who do not file tax returns or d... |
As is the case with each new Congress, we are beginning to have discussions with regard to many new requests for GAO’s professional, objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, and non-ideological information, analysis, and recommendations. On November 17, 2006, I was pleased to offer three sets of recommendations for your con... | We would like to thank Congress for its past support of GAO. We are especially appreciative of Congressional efforts to help us avoid a furlough of our staff during fiscal year 2007. Had we not received additional funds this year and not taken other cost minimization actions, GAO would have likely been forced to furlou... |
While alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have declined from over 21,113 in 1982 to 10,322 in 2012, the proportion of such fatalities as a percent of total traffic-related fatalities has remained relatively constant—between 30 and 32 percent—over the past 15 years. Congress has targeted this persistent problem through ... | Motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers killed 10,322 people in 2012 and account for almost one third of all traffic fatalities annually. Ignition interlocks are one strategy states use to combat DWI. In 2012, MAP-21 established a grant program for states that adopt and implement mandatory alcohol igni... |
For questions regarding this testimony, please contact Jess T. Ford, (202)512-4268 or fordj@gao.gov. In addition to the contact named above, Anthony Moran, Assistant Director; Lisa Helmer; Shirley Min; Joe Carney; Virginia Chanley; Kieran Cusack; David Dayton; Patrick Lockett; Reid Lowe; and Mary Moutsos provided signi... | This testimony discusses the U.S. Department of State's (State) efforts to train its personnel. It is based on our report, which is being released today. Because State is the lead U.S. foreign affairs agency, its personnel require certain knowledge, skills, and abilities to equip them to address the global security thr... |
FFMIA is part of a series of management reform legislation passed by the Congress over the past two decades. This series of legislation started with the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act of 1982 (FMFIA), which the Congress passed to strengthen internal controls and accounting systems throughout the federal gove... | The Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996 (FFMIA) requires the 24 Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act agencies to implement and maintain financial management systems that comply substantially with (1) federal financial management systems requirements, (2) federal accounting standards, and (3) the U.S. Gov... |
Combined Medicare and Medicaid payments to nursing homes for care provided to vulnerable elderly and disabled beneficiaries totaled about $64 billion in 2002, with a federal share of approximately $45.5 billion. Oversight of nursing home fire safety is a shared federal-state responsibility. Based on statutory requireme... | In 2003, 31 residents died in nursing home fires in Hartford, Connecticut, and Nashville, Tennessee. Federal fire safety standards enforced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not require either home to have automatic sprinklers even though they have proven very effective in reducing the number of... |
Information sharing is an important part of activities that enhance the security of our nation’s cyber and physical public and private infrastructures. Federal law and policy related to critical infrastructure protection activities recognize the importance of sharing information about threats, vulnerabilities, and inci... | A wide array of cyber and physical assets is critical to America's national security, economic well-being, and public health and safety. Information related to threats, vulnerabilities, incidents, and security techniques is instrumental to guarding these critical infrastructures against attacks and mitigating the impac... |
Medicaid, a joint federal-state health financing program for the poor, provided health care coverage for more than 40 million people in fiscal year 1995. Medicaid expenditures—about $159 billion in fiscal year 1995—have more than tripled in the past 10 years. Under current projections, they will double again within 8 y... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined state efforts to include disabled Medicaid beneficiaries in prepaid managed care programs, focusing on the: (1) extent to which states are implementing Medicaid prepaid managed care programs for disabled beneficiaries; and (2) steps that have been taken to safeguard the... |
The United States has been providing forces to Bosnia since 1995 and to Kosovo since 1999. The Army provides almost all U.S. ground forces deployed in the Balkans. As of May 2000, the United States had about 4,300 military personnel in Bosnia and 5,500 in Kosovo. Although the Army’s divisions each have over 10,000 troo... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the services' ability to continuously meet the challenges posed by contingency operations, focusing on six military assets that have been heavily used in contingency operations in a series of case studies. GAO noted that: (1) the military assets GAO examined in the case... |
Researchers have studied the factors explaining why FCDCs report lower tax liabilities than USCCs. Generally, the research has recognized that nontax characteristics such as age and industry may explain some of the differences in reported tax liabilities. The researchers have also found that transfer pricing abuses may... | Concerns about transfer pricing abuse have led researchers to compare the tax liabilities of foreign- and U.S.-controlled corporations. (Transfer prices are the prices related companies charge on intercompany transactions.) However, such comparisons are complicated because other factors may explain the differences in r... |
As computer technology has advanced, both government and private entities have become increasingly dependent on computerized information systems to carry out operations and to process, maintain, and report essential information. Public and private organizations rely on computer systems to transmit sensitive and proprie... | Nearly every aspect of American society increasingly depends upon information technology systems and networks. This includes increasing computer interconnectivity, particularly through the widespread use of the Internet as a medium of communication and commerce. While providing significant benefits, this increased inte... |
Since 2010, DOD has taken action to address many of DOD updated its strategy and doctrine for civil support. In 2010, and then again in 2012, we found that DOD’s 2005 Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support had not been updated to reflect the current environment in which DOD supports civil authorities. For exam... | Threats to the homeland and major disasters and emergencies, such as hurricanes and wildfires, are frequently unpredictable or occur with little or no notice. DOD is often expected to play a prominent role supporting civil authorities and must be prepared to provide rapid response when called upon during disasters and ... |
FDA is responsible for helping to ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs marketed in the United States. It oversees the drug development process, reviews drug sponsors’ applications for the approval of new drugs, and monitors the safety and efficacy of drugs once they are available for sale. As part of its respon... | Drug development is complex and costly, requiring the testing of numerous chemical compounds for their potential to treat disease. Before a new drug can be marketed in the United States, a new drug application (NDA), which includes scientific and clinical data, must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)... |
Each day, an estimated 13,400 people worldwide are newly infected with HIV; more than 20 million have died from AIDS since 1981. HIV is transmitted both sexually (through sexual intercourse with an infected person) and nonsexually (through the sharing of needles or syringes with an infected person; unsafe blood transfu... | The U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 authorizes the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and promotes the ABC model (Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms). It recommends that 20 percent of funds appropriated pursuant to the act be spent on prevention and requires th... |
Overall, because we were unable to determine the reliability of significant portions of the government’s fiscal year 1997 consolidated financial statements, we were unable to express an opinion on them. However, we were able to determine that amounts reported for environmental and disposal liabilities and liabilities f... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO discussed the results of its audit of the United States government's consolidated financial statements. GAO noted that: (1) significant financial systems weaknesses, problems with fundamental recordkeeping, incomplete documentation, and weak internal controls, including comput... |
In 1975, the Congress created the federal child support enforcement program as title IV-D of the Social Security Act. The program’s purpose is to strengthen state and local child support enforcement efforts for obtaining child support for families who receive Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits and ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on states' efforts to fully privatize local child support enforcement offices, focusing on: (1) states' rationale for full-service privatization; (2) how the performance and cost-effectiveness of full-service privatization efforts compare with publicly manag... |
Our objectives were to determine whether participating judges’ contribution rates for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 plan years funded 50 percent of the JSAS costs and, if not, what adjustments in the contribution rates would be needed to achieve the 50 percent ratio. To satisfy our objectives, we used the normal cost rates ... | JSAS was created in 1956 to provide financial security for the families of deceased federal judges. JSAS is administered by AOUSC. Active and senior judges currently contribute 2.2 percent and 2.75 percent of their salaries to JSAS, depending on when they elected coverage, and retired judges contribute 3.5 percent of t... |
The District of Columbia government (acting through the Mayor and the District’s Redevelopment Land Agency) and District of Columbia Arena, L.P. (DCALP)—a limited partnership formed by the owner of the Washington Bullets and the Washington Capitals—have agreed that DCALP will build a sports arena (estimated to cost abo... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the District of Columbia's sports arena project, focusing on the: (1) project's predevelopment costs, revenue collections, and financing; (2) interest rates received on the arena bonds; and (3) construction status. GAO found that: (1) as of October 18, 19... |
MTSA mandated major changes in the nation’s approach to maritime security. The act called for a comprehensive security framework—one that included planning, personnel security, and careful monitoring of vessels and cargo. Among its specific provisions were the development of systems for tracking vessels, identifying ma... | The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, as implemented by the Coast Guard, calls for owners and operators of about 3,150 port facilities (such as shipping terminals or factories with hazardous materials) and about 9,200 vessels (such as cargo ships, ferries, and tugs and barges) to develop and implement secur... |
To process claims accurately, consistently, and in a timely manner, Veterans Service Representatives (VSR) and Rating Veterans Service Representatives (RVSR) must perform a complex set of tasks. When a claim is received, a VSR reviews it and assists the veteran in gathering the evidence, or documentation, needed to sup... | GAO was asked to present its views on the training requirements and procedures for VA personnel responsible for processing compensation and pension claims. This statement is based primarily upon an April 2010 GAO report on VA's training for experienced disability claims processors (GAO-10-445) and includes information ... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: We are pleased to be here today to participate in the Subcommittee’s oversight hearing on the U.S. Postal Service. In my testimony, I shall provide an overview of where the Service stands today, as we come to the end of the 20th century, by looking back at trends in its fin... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) financial position and delivery performance. GAO noted that: (1) USPS may be nearing the end of an era; (2) during the past 5 years, USPS has made notable improvements in its financial position and delivery performance; (3) USPS has rec... |
To enable the Department of Defense (DOD) to close unneeded bases and realign others, the Congress enacted base realignment and closure (BRAC) legislation that instituted base closure rounds in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995. A special commission established for the 1988 round made recommendations to the Committees on Arme... | Through military base realignment and closures rounds in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995, the Pentagon significantly reduced its domestic infrastructure and freed up needed dollars for high-priority programs. By the end of last round in fiscal year 2001, the Department of Defense (DOD) had closed or realigned hundreds of ba... |
Established in 1934, Ex-Im Bank is an independent U.S. government corporation that serves as the official ECA of the United States. Its mission is to support the export of U.S. goods and services overseas, thereby supporting U.S. export sector jobs. Ex-Im Bank’s mandate states that it should not compete with the privat... | The Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) facilitates U.S. exports by extending credit to foreign governments and corporations, mostly in developing countries. The Federal Credit Reform Act requires Ex-Im Bank to estimate its net future losses, called "subsidy costs," for budget purposes. Beginning with fiscal year 2003, the... |
The Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, which authorized the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, emphasizes the benefits of technological innovation and the ability of small businesses to transform the results of research and development (R&D) into new products. The act designated four maj... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, focusing on: (1) whether the quality of research proposals has kept pace with the program's expansion; (2) the implementation of a provision for technical assistance to agencies; and (3) the duplicate funding of s... |
To determine the nature and purpose of TARP activities from January 30, 2009, through March 27, 2009, unless noted, and the status of actions taken in response to our recommendations from our prior reports, we reviewed documents from OFS that described the amounts, types, and terms of Treasury’s purchases of preferred ... | GAO's third report on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) follows up on recommendations from the January 28, 2009, report (GAO-09-296). It also reviews (1) the nature and purpose of activities that had been initiated under TARP as of March 27, 2009; (2) the Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Stability's ... |
In fiscal year 2002, the Congress appropriated over $100 billion for pays and benefits. The basic goals of the military’s compensation system are to attract, retain, and motivate the number and quality of people needed to maintain our national security. Although a unique institution, the military nevertheless competes ... | Since the advent of the all-volunteer Army in 1973, the number of servicemembers with spouses and children has grown significantly. Although the Department of Defense (DOD) has responded positively to this change, GAO believes that some current family benefits could be strengthened. For example, despite improvements to... |
Interagency rotation programs, or interagency rotations, are work assignments at a different agency from the one in which the participant is normally employed, with an explicit professional development purpose. As we previously reported, several federal agencies have used interagency rotations to help accomplish their ... | Federal government personnel must be able to collaborate across agencies to meet complex 21st century national security challenges. GAO found in a prior report that interagency rotations are a type of professional development activity that can help improve interagency collaboration. However, government officials, polic... |
OPIC, a U.S. government agency under the policy guidance of the Secretary of State, provides financing support to promote development and other policy goals by supporting U.S. direct investment in over 150 countries, with a mandate to give priority to low-income and emerging economies. OPIC’s direct loans, loan guarant... | OPIC helps mobilize private capital to address development challenges globally and advance U.S. development assistance objectives. GAO was asked to provide information on OPIC's financing commitments and its project selection and monitoring practices. This report examines (1) the amounts and types of OPIC financing sup... |
According to DOD’s guidance for disposing of its excess personal property, the objectives of the defense material disposition process are to dispose of the property in a manner that ensures maximum use to satisfy valid needs, permits authorized donations of surplus property, obtains optimum monetary return to the U.S. ... | Each year the military services identify thousands of items of personal property—including military equipment and materiel—that they need to dispose of because it is obsolete, not repairable, or excess to their requirements. For fiscal year 2014, DOD reported that excess and surplus property with a total original acqui... |
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. However, this widespread interconnectivity also poses significant risks to our computer systems and, more importa... | Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 seek to minimize pervasive information security weaknesses that place federal operations at significant risk of disruption, tampering, fraud, and inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information. Increases in computer interconnectivity, especial... |
Since the 1960s, the United States has operated two separate operational polar-orbiting meteorological satellite systems: the Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES), managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), managed... | Polar-orbiting environmental satellites provide data and imagery that are used by weather forecasters, climatologists, and the military to map and monitor changes in weather, climate, the oceans, and the environment. Our nation's current operational polar-orbiting environmental satellite program is a complex infrastruc... |
Between fiscal years 1998 and 2002, five HUD program offices administered a total of 20 technical assistance programs. The majority of these programs are administered through the Offices of Community Planning and Development (CPD) and Public and Indian Housing. The other three offices that administer technical assistan... | Technical Assistance is an important means through which the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can influence how its program funds are spent; this assistance can range from training workshops to one-on-one assistance. GAO was asked to determine how many HUD technical assistance programs Congress has aut... |
TRANSCOM, located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is a unified combatant command that provides air, land, and sea transportation for DOD, both in peacetime and wartime. AMC, one of TRANSCOM’s three component commands, provides strategic airlift, among other services— such as the Civil Reserve Air Fleet through which... | Airlift is a flexible, but expensive, transportation method. From September 2001 to April 2005, the Department of Defense (DOD) has spent about $9.5 billion using airlift to transport equipment, supplies, and troops for Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). As of December 2004, airlift accounted fo... |
The Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) manages and administers student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. These programs include, among others, the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loan program), the Fede... | For-profit schools-also known as proprietary schools-received over $16 billion in federal loans, grants, and campus-based aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act in 2007/08. GAO was asked to determine (1) how the student loan default profile of proprietary schools compares with that of other types of schools and... |
More than a third—2.8 million—of the nation’s 3- and 4-year-old children were from low-income families in 1990, a growth of 17 percent since 1980. An increase in the number of infants and toddlers living in such families during the same period suggests that this trend will continue. These disadvantaged children often l... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed early childhood services for disadvantaged children, focusing on the: (1) services disadvantaged children need to prepare for school; (2) extent to which early childhood centers provide these services; and (3) reasons early childhood centers may not deliver all the need... |
To improve participation in the census among HTC groups as well as the general population, the Bureau implemented a number of outreach and enumeration activities from January 2008 through September 2010. In this report, we focus on the following four efforts: paid media, partnerships, SBE, and Be Counted/QAC. The four ... | To overcome the long-standing challenge of enumerating hard-to-count (HTC) groups such as minorities and renters, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau), used outreach programs, such as paid advertising, and partnered with thousands of organizations to enlist their support for the census. The Bureau also conducted Service-Bas... |
In recent years, there have been a number of allegations concerning interference with federal researchers in their efforts to disseminate their research results to a wider audience, external to their agency. Many of these allegations have concerned interference with researchers’ attempts to speak with the media or pres... | Researchers at federal agencies disseminate their research results through a variety of approaches, including scientific publications, presentations, press releases, and media interviews. Because of recent concerns about some federal researchers possibly being restricted from disseminating their research on controversi... |
DOD relies on its S&T community—DOD research laboratories, test facilities, industry, and academia—to identify, pursue, and develop new technologies that improve and enhance military operations and ensure technological superiority over adversaries. These activities by DOD’s S&T community support the development of tech... | DOD and Congress recognize that technology innovation sometimes moves too slowly from the lab to the field. Programs have been created in DOD to help facilitate the transition of new technologies. The conference report accompanying the fiscal year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act directed GAO to undertake a body... |
In 1917, the Bureau of Mines initiated the Chemical Warfare Research Program at American University, and in 1918, the research effort was transferred to the Chemical Warfare Service in the War Department. The Chemical Warfare Service used a portion of American University and other areas that became part of the Spring V... | During World War I, the U.S. Army operated a large research facility to develop and test chemical weapons and explosives in the area that became the Spring Valley neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Buried ordnance, discovered there in 1993, led to the designation by the Department of Defense (DOD) of 61 acres as a former... |
Alien smuggling is the facilitation, transportation, or attempted transportation of a person, with his or her consent, across an international border, in violation of one or more countries’ laws. Often, alien smuggling is conducted in order to obtain a financial or other material benefit for the smuggler. The alien smu... | Alien smuggling along the southwest border is a threat to the security of the United States and Mexico. Within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Investigations (OI)--part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)--is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating alien smuggling... |
The State Partnership Program grew from the former Joint Contact Team Program, a program comprised of active component personnel that sought to establish professional contacts between the U.S. military and the militaries of newly independent nations of the former Soviet Union. The Joint Contact Team Program was intende... | The National Guards State Partnership Program is a DOD security cooperation program that matches state National Guards with foreign countries to conduct joint activitiesincluding visits between senior military leaders and knowledge sharing in areas such as disaster managementthat further U.S. national security goals... |
Privately funded school voucher programs got their start in 1991 when an Indianapolis businessman founded a local program that provided tuition assistance to about 750 low-income students in grades kindergarten through 8 (K-8). After the initiation of the Indianapolis program, a number of other communities also establi... | Privately funded voucher programs are a new development in the nation's experiment with school vouchers. These programs, started in the early 1990s, provide low-income families with private, nongovernmental tuition assistance at private schools for kindergarten through grade 12. Although private schools have long offer... |
In recent years, both rising energy prices and new technologies have led to an increased emphasis on developing oil and gas resources on public lands. First, higher prices have created greater economic incentives to drill for oil and gas. According to the Energy Information Administration, the average of daily New York... | Rising U.S. energy consumption and concerns about dependency on foreign energy sources have prompted the administration to aggressively pursue domestic oil and gas production, including production on public lands, which in turn has generated concern that the impacts of this activity may compromise the use of public lan... |
The congressional “power of the purse” refers to the power of Congress to appropriate funds and to prescribe the conditions governing the use of those funds. Congress exercises this power by providing budget authority, which is authority provided by federal law to enter into financial obligations that will result in im... | DOJ is composed of approximately 40 components that carry out its activities and functions. The majority of DOJ’s budget authority is provided through annual appropriations, but, in some cases, DOJ has the ability to fund its programs by using money it collects through alternative sources, such as fines, fees, and pena... |
Following a number of high-profile domestic violence cases involving soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, who killed their wives, Congress, in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2000, required the Secretary of Defense to establish the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence. The task force was chartere... | Due to concerns about domestic violence in the military and its adverse effect on mission readiness, Congress required the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a task force to assess the services' response to domestic violence and recommend improvements. The task force issued three reports containing 194 recommenda... |
Because of such emergencies as natural disasters, hazardous material spills, and riots, all levels of government have had some experience in preparing for different types of disasters and emergencies. Preparing for all potential hazards is commonly referred to as the “all-hazards” approach. While terrorism is a compone... | Federal, state, and local governments share responsibility in preparing for catastrophic terrorist attacks. Because the national security threat is diffuse and the challenge is intergovernmental, national policymakers need a firm understanding of the interests, capacity, and challenges when formulating antiterrorism st... |
In September 1995, Daiwa Bank, one of the largest multinational banks in the world, reported to the Federal Reserve that it had incurred losses exceeding $1 billion from illegal securities trading activities that had occurred at one of its New York branches over an 11-year period. Weaknesses in the branch’s internal co... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) identified U.S. supervisors' expectations for adequate internal controls and audits in foreign banking organization (FBO) branches; (2) determined the extent of serious weaknesses in FBO branches' internal controls and audits reported by U.S. supervisors during examinations... |
DOD has made some progress in rebuilding the capacity of the civilian acquisition workforce and in completing competency assessments, which identify the current skills and capabilities of the workforce and help identify areas that needed further management attention. Included among the workforce issues facing DOD are (... | The Department of Defense (DOD) is the government's largest buying entity and has recognized that rebuilding the acquisition workforce is a strategic priority. The federal government's current budget and long-term fiscal pressures underscore the importance of a capable and well-functioning workforce. GAO and others hav... |
DOE’s current and former nuclear weapons complex includes dozens of sites nationwide containing nuclear reactors, chemical processing buildings, plants, laboratories, and maintenance facilities that manufactured thousands of nuclear warheads and together conducted more than one thousand nuclear explosion tests. The env... | Since the 1940s, the development of nuclear weapons technologies has generated transuranic wastes--materials contaminated by certain man-made radioactive elements. These wastes can remain dangerous for thousands of years. Until 1970, the Department of Energy's (DOE) predecessors buried these wastes in shallow pits and ... |
Preventive health care can extend lives and promote well-being among our nation’s seniors. Medicare now covers a number of preventive services, including immunizations, such as hepatitis B and influenza, and cancer screenings, such as Pap smears and colonoscopies. Not all beneficiaries, however, avail themselves of cov... | Preventive care depends on identifying health risks and on taking steps to control these risks. In contrast, Medicare, the federal health program insuring almost 35 million beneficiaries age 65 or older, was established largely to help pay beneficiaries' health care costs when they became ill or injured. Congress has b... |
Title IV-E of the Social Security Act authorizes federal funding to states to help cover the costs of operating their foster care and adoption assistance programs. This funding primarily provides financial support for the care of eligible children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, as well ... | Approximately 400,000 children were living in foster care in fiscal year 2012, according to the most recent data available. HHS oversees states' implementation of federal child welfare requirements under title IV-E of the Social Security Act. In 2008, the Fostering Connections Act amended title IV-E to improve the outc... |
As shown in figure 1, residential and small business users often connect to an Internet service provider (ISP) to access the Internet. Well-known ISPs include America Online (AOL) and Comcast. Typically, ISPs market a package of services that provide homes and businesses with a pathway, or “on-ramp,” to the Internet al... | According to one report, at the end of 2004, some 70 million U.S. adults logged on to access the Internet during a typical day. As public use of the Internet grew from the mid-1990s onward, Internet access became a potential target for state and local taxation. In 1998, Congress imposed a moratorium temporarily prevent... |
Prior to the passage of the Interstate Banking Efficiency Act, Congress largely had ceded to the states the power to determine how bank holding companies could branch within states or expand across state lines. Generally, states could permit a bank holding company to expand by (1) interstate banking—acquiring bank subs... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed three states' experiences with interstate banking deregulation. GAO found that: (1) geographic banking deregulation has not resulted in significant consolidation in the banking industry; (2) the banking industry in the three states reviewed is already highly concentrate... |
On October 26, 1993, a presidential memorandum established a governmentwide goal of streamlining acquisition through the use of electronic commerce (EC). EC, the electronic exchange of the information needed to do business, embraces many technologies, including electronic data interchange (EDI), electronic mail (E-mail... | GAO reviewed the federal government's progress in developing and implementing the Federal Acquisition Computer Network (FACNET), focusing on: (1) federal agencies' use of FACNET; (2) problems and benefits of using FACNET; (3) concerns relating to the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act's (FASA) requirements for FACNET... |
The primary mission of NMD is to defend the United States against an intercontinental ballistic missile attack consisting of several missiles launched from a rogue nation. It would also have some capability against an accidental launch from nuclear powers such as Russia or China. The United States has been developing t... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Missile Defense (NMD) program funding requirements and schedule and technical risks, focusing on: (1) why the Department of Defense (DOD) significantly increased the program's near-term funding in its May 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review; (2) how funding inc... |
The Air Force has made efforts to manage its UAS pilots but has not fully addressed issues related to: identifying personnel requirements, recruiting and retention difficulties, the potential use of DOD civilians as pilots, pilots completing their required training, moving pilots through the training pipeline, and anal... | In recent years, the size, sophistication, and cost of the Department of Defense's (DOD) UAS portfolio has grown considerably, as has the demand for trained UAS pilots. This testimony discusses, among other things, DOD's progress in (1) taking actions to strengthen the management of Air Force UAS pilots and (2) address... |
The child welfare system is designed to promote the well-being of children by ensuring their safety and by strengthening families to enable them to successfully care for their children. Generally, families become involved with the child welfare system after a report of abuse or neglect has been made and confirmed. When... | To help improve foster care in the District of Columbia, the Congress provided $14 million for fiscal year 2004 to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), the Department of Mental Health (DMH), and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). These funds were for programs for early intervention, emerg... |
VA has provided nursing home care to veterans for over 40 years. The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act (Millennium Act) made important changes in VA’s nursing home program. This act required that through December 31, 2003, VA provide nursing home care to veterans with a service-connected disability ratin... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a nursing home program that provides or pays for veterans' care in three nursing home settings: VA-operated nursing homes, community nursing homes, and state veterans' nursing homes. In addition, veterans needing nursing home care may also receive it from non-VA provider... |
Securing transportation systems and facilities is complicated, requiring balancing security to address potential threats while facilitating the flow of people and goods. These systems and facilities are critical components of the U.S. economy and are necessary for supplying goods throughout the country and supporting i... | The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is developing the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to help ensure that only workers who are not known to pose a terrorist threat are allowed to enter secure areas of the nation's transportation facilities. This testimony is based primarily on GAO's ... |
The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2005 identified approximately $60 billion for IT projects. In that budget, OMB stated that, of approximately 1,200 major IT projects, about half—621 projects, representing about $22 billion—were on a Management Watch List. In testimony in March 2004, OMB officials explained that t... | Federal spending on information technology (IT) is over $60 billion this year and is expected to continue to rise. Accordingly, it is essential that federal IT investments are managed efficiently. Of the 1,200 major IT projects in the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2005, OMB stated that it had placed about half--62... |
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) established TSA as the federal agency with primary responsibility for securing the nation’s civil aviation system, which includes the screening of all passengers and property transported from and within the United States by commercial passenger aircraft. In accordance... | DHS and TSA have made some notable achievements in securing the nations transportation systems since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but in recent years, GAO reported that DHS has experienced challenges in managing its efforts including fielding programs prior to determining their effectiveness or complet... |
Section 550 of the DHS appropriations act for fiscal year 2007 requires DHS to issue regulations establishing risk-based performance standards for the security of facilities that the Secretary determines to present high levels of security risk, among other things. The CFATS rule was published in April 2007 and Appendix... | The events of September 11, 2001, triggered a national re-examination of the security of facilities that use or store hazardous chemicals in quantities that, in the event of a terrorist attack, could put large numbers of Americans at risk of serious injury or death. As required by statute, DHS issued regulations that e... |
An IGP is a study or survey undertaken to identify noncompliance with the tax laws. IGPs can be proposed at any level—district, regional, or national—within IRS but are generally initiated at one or more of IRS’ 33 district offices. IRS staff propose IGPs on the basis of past audits or studies that have shown noncompli... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Services's (IRS) use of Information Gathering Projects (IGP), focusing on: (1) the number of IGPs nationwide and in IRS' Georgia District during fiscal years 1994 through 1996; (2) descriptions and results of IGPs in Georgia during fiscal years 1994... |
Since 1997, we have identified management of DOD support infrastructure as a high-risk area because infrastructure costs have affected the department’s ability to devote funds to other more critical programs and needs. In a January 2007 update to our high-risk series, we noted that DOD continued to face significant cha... | The Department of Defense (DOD) manages and operates about 577,000 structures worldwide, valued at about $712 billion. DOD has worked for several years to develop models that can reliably estimate the installation support funds needed to sustain these facilities, and plans to spend over $55 billion to support these fac... |
JVA amended Title 38 of the U.S. Code, the legislation that governs the DVOP and LVER programs, and by doing so, introduced an array of reforms to the way employment, training, and placement services are provided to veterans under the DVOP and LVER programs. (See table 1.) The act also required increased veterans’ acce... | The number of service members leaving active duty is likely to increase by 200,000 yearly, according to the Department of Labor. To improve employment and training services for veterans and to encourage employers to hire them, Congress passed the Jobs for Veterans Act in 2002, which reformed Labor's Disabled Veterans' ... |
In 2012, the Medicare program covered more than 49 million elderly and disabled beneficiaries at an estimated cost of $555 billion, and reported improper payments estimated to be more than $44 billion. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers Medicare for the Department of Health and Human ... | This testimony discusses GAO's recent work on Medicare and Medicaid. Since 1990, GAO has regularly reported on programs as part of our high-risk series, which focuses on government operations that we have identified as high risk due to their greater vulnerability to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement or their need ... |
Pursuant to the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, the TSA Administrator sets the conditions of employment for screener personnel, including disciplinary measures, as the TSA Administrator determines to be necessary. To help implement this authority, a TSA management directive specifies the steps the agency must... | DHS's TSA employs approximately 56,000 personnel to ensure security at about 450 TSA-regulated airports nationwide. News media have reported allegations of misconduct by TSA employees, including theft. GAO was asked to review TSA's policies and procedures for addressing employee misconduct. This report (1) summarizes d... |
DHS’s OCHCO is responsible, in broad terms, for the strategy, oversight, and planning of DHS employee training and development. At the same time, each DHS component, such as CBP and TSA, also has its own human capital office and training and development functions. In practice, DHS’s OCHCO focuses on department-wide eff... | DHS is the third-largest cabinet-level department in the federal government, with over 230,000 employees doing diverse jobs. To fulfill its complex mission, DHS's workforce must have the necessary skills and expertise. GAO previously reported on DHS's hiring and recruiting efforts. GAO was asked to assess DHS's trainin... |
Each day, an estimated 13,400 people worldwide are newly infected with HIV; more than 20 million have died from AIDS since 1981. HIV is transmitted both sexually (through sexual intercourse with an infected person) and nonsexually (through the sharing of needles or syringes with an infected person; unsafe blood transfu... | The U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 authorizes the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). It promotes the ABC model (Abstain, be faithful, or use Condoms); recommends that 20 percent of funds appropriated pursuant to the act be spent on prevention; and requires that... |
ONC defines an EHR as a digital version of a medical record that can include a person’s medical and treatment history, such as diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, and more. According to ONC, EHR systems also can allow access to evidence-based tools that providers use to make decisions about a person’s care, and th... | Many patients who leave hospitals receive care in post-acute settings such as skilled nursing facilities and long-term care hospitals. Exchange of accurate and timely health information is particularly important in these transitions, and technology like EHRs could help to improve quality and reduce costs. GAO was asked... |
FDA’s four expedited programs—accelerated approval, breakthrough therapy designation, fast track designation, and priority review—are intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs to address unmet medical needs in the treatment of a serious condition. According to FDA, these programs are inten... | FDA oversees the safety and effectiveness of drugs sold on the U.S. market. When there is an unmet need for the treatment of a serious condition, FDA may use one or more of its expedited programs, such as fast track and breakthrough therapy designation, which are intended to bring drugs to market more quickly. FDA is a... |
In March 2008, we reported that the IRIS database—a critical component of EPA’s capacity to support scientifically sound risk management decisions, policies, and regulations—was at serious risk of becoming obsolete because the agency had not been able to complete timely, transparent, and credible chemical assessments o... | The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to effectively implement its mission of protecting public health and the environment relies largely on the integrity and transparency of (1) its assessments of the potential human health effects of exposure to chemicals and (2) its federal advisory committees, which a... |
Hundreds of consumer health informatics systems have been developed over the past decade and have grown in technical sophistication, from simple programs designed in a few days to advanced clinical tools built by teams of experts over several years. Topic content also varies widely, including general information and ad... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed consumer health informatics, focusing on: (1) the demand for health information and expanding technological capabilities; (2) users' and developers' views on potential systems advantages and issues surrounding systems development and use; (3) federal, state, and local g... |
The federal government’s use of grants to achieve national objectives and respond to emerging trends, such changing demographics and changing threats to homeland security, has grown significantly in the last two decades. According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), from fiscal years 1990 to 2010, federal out... | While federal grant funding has been increasing, long-standing concerns remain about the federal government's grants management and the lack of effective oversight tools to reasonably assure that grants are used for their intended purposes and that risks of fraud, waste, and abuse are minimized. GAO has issued a range ... |
Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. Food security has several important dimensions: (1)Availability — achieved when sufficient supplies of food of appropriate quality are consistently availa... | GAO discussed the food security in Africa. GAO noted that: (1) 88 countries are classified as low-income and food-deficit states and 20 percent of the developing world's population is chronically undernourished; (2) by the year 2010, 700 million to 800 million people worldwide could be chronically undernourished unless... |
FEMA is the primary federal agency responsible for assisting state and local governments, private entities, and individuals to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, including floods. FEMA’s NFIP has served as a key component of the agency’s efforts to minimize or mitigate the damage and... | Flood maps identify areas at greatest risk of flooding and provide the foundation for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The maps are used by (1) communities to establish minimum building standards designed to reduce the impact of flooding, (2) FEMA to... |
Given the current fiscal environment, agencies need to learn to separate wants from needs to ensure that programs and investments provide the best return within fiscal constraints. My first four observations on systemic acquisition challenges relate to this need. They are that: Agency budgets may not be fully linked to... | In fiscal year 2006, the federal government spent over $400 billion for a wide variety of goods and services, with the Department of Defense (DOD) being the largest purchaser. Given the large and growing structural deficit, the government must get the best return it can on its investment in goods and services. For deca... |
This section discusses atmospheric deposition, its effect on waterbodies, and how the CWA and the CAA address it. Air pollution can be carried through the atmosphere and deposited on land, water, or man-made structures in a process known as atmospheric deposition. The pollutants can get into waterbodies through either ... | Atmospheric deposition, a process that transfers pollutants, including NOx, SO2, and mercury, from the air to the earths surface, can significantly impair the quality of the nations waters. EPA can potentially address atmospheric deposition through the CWA and the CAA, but concerns have been raised about its ability ... |
The F-22 is an air superiority aircraft with a capability to deliver air-to-ground weapons. Advanced technology being developed for the F-22 makes it “. . . a very ambitious, challenging program, probably the most challenging program in recent times,” according to the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Science Board... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Air Force's February 1997 plans to restructure the F-22 program, focusing on the: (1) estimated cost of the restructured program and viability of cost reduction initiatives; (2) planned timing for realization of benefits from initiatives; and (3) criteria for approv... |
Changes in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) were automatically linked to $441 billion in federal spending and $595 billion of federal tax receipts and affected the lives of millions of individuals who received federal benefit payments and paid federal taxes in fiscal year 1995. For example, when Con... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO determined: (1) whether changes made to the housing component of the consumer price index (CPI) made it more or less suitable as a cost-of-living measure; and (2) the advantages and disadvantages of changing the current measurement of medical care costs to a cost of living measu... |
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.