General Accounting Office Reports & Testimony articles from January 1 2007

General Accounting Office Reports & Testimony archives from January 1 2007

Intercity Passenger Rail: National Policy and Strategies Needed to Maximize Public Benefits from Federal Expenditures.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-15 November 13, 2006 Intercity passenger rail service is at a critical juncture in the United States. Amtrak, the current service provider, requires $1 billion a year in federal subsidies to stay financially viable but cannot keep...

Next Generation Air Transportation System: Progress and Challenges Associated with the Transformation of the National Airspace System.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-25 November 13, 2006 In 2003, Congress created the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) to plan for and coordinate, with federal and nonfederal stakeholders, a transformation from the current air traffic control system to...

Homeland Security: Agriculture Specialists' Views of Their Work Experiences After Transfer to DHS.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-209R November 14, 2006 The Homeland Security Act of 2002 transferred responsibility for certain port inspections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to the newly...

USDA Conservation Programs: Stakeholder Views on Participation and Coordination to Benefit Threatened and Endangered Species and Their Habitats.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-35 November 15, 2006 Authorization for several conservation programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expires in 2007, raising questions about how these programs may be modified, including how they can better...

Federal Information Collection: A Reexamination of the Portfolio of Major Federal Household Surveys Is Needed.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-62 November 15, 2006 Federal statistical information is used to make appropriate decisions about budgets, employment, and investments. GAO was asked to (1) describe selected characteristics of federally funded statistical or...

Prescription Drugs: Improvements Needed in FDA's Oversight of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-54 November 16, 2006 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for overseeing direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs. If FDA identifies a violation of laws or regulations in a DTC advertising...

New Drug Development: Science, Business, Regulatory, and Intellectual Property Issues Cited as Hampering Drug Development Efforts.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-49 November 17, 2006 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...

Head Start: Additional Information on Implementation of Transportation Regulations.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-194R November 17, 2006 The Head Start program, administered by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides grants to local organizations to offer comprehensive early childhood services to approximately 900,000...

Understanding Similarities and Differences Between Accrual and Cash Deficits.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-117SP December 1, 2006 Two key measures that have been used as indicators of the government's annual fiscal condition are the unified budget deficit measured primarily on a cash basis and the net operating cost measured on an...

2006 Report on GAO's Use of Provisions in the GAO Personnel Flexibilities Act of 2000 and the GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-289SP December 1, 2006 This is Appendix 2 of GAO's 2006 Performance and Accountability Report. Section 6 of the GAO Personnel Flexibilities Act of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106-303 (2000), and section 11 of the GAO Human Capital Reform Act...

Financial Literacy and Education Commission: Further Progress Needed to Ensure an Effective National Strategy.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-100 December 4, 2006 The Financial Literacy and Education Improvement Act created, in December 2003, the Financial Literacy and Education Commission. Responding to the act's mandate that GAO assess the Commission's effectiveness,...

Postsecondary Education: Multiple Tax Preferences and Title IV Student Aid Programs Create a Complex Education Financing Environment.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-262T December 5, 2006 Federal assistance helps students and families pay for postsecondary education through several policy tools--grant and loan programs authorized by title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and more recently...

Energy Employees Compensation: GAO's Prior Work Has Identified Needed Improvements in Various Aspects of the Program.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-233T December 5, 2006 The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) was enacted in 2000 to compensate Department of Energy employees and contractors who developed work-related illnesses such as cancer...

Improper Payments: Incomplete Reporting under the Improper Payments Information Act Masks the Extent of the Problem.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-254T December 5, 2006 Fiscal year 2005 marked the second year that executive agencies were required to report improper payment information under the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA). The ultimate goal is to minimize...

Export Controls: Agencies Should Assess Vulnerabilities and Improve Guidance for Protecting Export-Controlled Information at Companies.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-69 December 5, 2006 The U.S. government controls exports of defense-related goods and services by companies and the export of information associated with their design, production, and use, to ensure they meet U.S. interests....

Export Controls: Agencies Should Assess Vulnerabilities and Improve Guidance for Protecting Export-Controlled Information at Universities.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-70 December 5, 2006 Foreign students and scholars have made substantial contributions to U.S. research efforts and technology development. However, according to a federal government intelligence assessment, foreign access to...

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Disaster Relief: Continued Findings of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-252T December 6, 2006 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed homes and displaced millions of individuals. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to respond to this disaster, GAO's previous work identified...

Childhood Obesity: Factors Affecting Physical Activity.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-260R December 6, 2006 The latest data show continued increases in rates of childhood obesity. For example, obesity rates for children 6 to 11 years old are estimated to have increased from 15.1 to 18.8 percent between 1999 and 2004....

End-Stage Renal Disease: Medicare Payments for All ESRD Services, Including Injectable Drugs, Should Be Bundled.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-266T December 6, 2006 This testimony discusses highlights from GAO's report entitled "End-Stage Renal Disease: Bundling Medicare's Payment for Drugs with Payment for All ESRD Services Would Promote Efficiency and Clinical...

Border Security: US-VISIT Program Faces Strategic, Operational, and Technological Challenges at Land Ports of Entry.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-248 December 6, 2006 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program to collect, maintain, and share data on selected foreign nationals entering and...

No Child Left Behind Act: Education's Data Improvement Efforts Could Strengthen the Basis for Distributing Title III Funds.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-140 December 7, 2006 Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) designates federal funds to support the education of students with limited English proficiency and provides for formula-based grants to states. This...

Indian Issues: The Office of the Special Trustee Has Implemented Several Key Trust Reforms Required by the 1994 Act, but Important Decisions about Its Future Remain.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-104 December 8, 2006 The American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 established the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST), within the Department of the Interior, to oversee the implementation of...

GSA Fleet: Information on the Effect of Donating Cars to YouthBuild USA and Potential Benefits to Rural Youthbuild Participants.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-153 December 8, 2006 To assist youth who live in high poverty rural areas obtain and retain jobs, YouthBuild USA, a national nonprofit organization, has proposed providing donated used cars to selected low-income youth in rural...

Information Technology: DOD Needs to Ensure That Navy Marine Corps Intranet Program Is Meeting Goals and Satisfying Customers.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-51 December 8, 2006 The Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) is a 10-year, $9.3 billion information technology services program. Through a performance-based contract, the Navy is buying network (intranet), application, and other...

U.S. Insular Areas: Economic, Fiscal, and Financial Accountability Challenges.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-119 December 12, 2006 The U.S. insular areas of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), face long-standing economic, fiscal, and financial accountability...

Veterans' Disability Benefits: VA Can Improve Its Procedures for Obtaining Military Service Records.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-98 December 12, 2006 The Ranking Democratic Member, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, asked GAO to determine (1) whether VA's internal assessments indicate its regional offices are complying with the requirements of the Veterans...

National Flood Insurance Program: New Processes Aided Hurricane Katrina Claims Handling, but FEMA's Oversight Should Be Improved.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-169 December 15, 2006 In August and September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused unprecedented destruction to property along the Gulf Coast, resulting in billions of dollars of damage claims to the National Flood Insurance...

Bank Secrecy Act: FinCEN and IRS Need to Improve and Better Coordinate Compliance and Data Management Efforts.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-212 December 15, 2006 In 2005, over 16 million Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) reports were filed by more than 200,000 U.S. financial institutions. Enacted in 1970, BSA is the centerpiece of the nation's efforts to detect and deter criminal...

Information Technology: Status and Challenges of Employee Exchange Program.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-216 December 15, 2006 Recognizing the importance of human capital to information technology (IT) and the need to improve the skills of federal IT workers, Congress created the Information Technology Exchange Program (ITEP) as part...

Smithsonian Institution: Additional Information Should Be Developed and Provided to Filmmakers on the Impact of the Showtime Contract.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-275 December 15, 2006 In March 2006, the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) announced that it had entered into a 30-year contract with Showtime Networks Inc., (Showtime) to create a digital on-demand television channel. Members of...

Rebuilding Iraq--Status of DOD's Reconstruction Program.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-30R December 15, 2006 Of the $18.4 billion that Congress appropriated for Iraq relief and reconstruction in fiscal year 2004, the Department of Defense (DOD) received the largest share--$13.5 billion. As of September 30, 2006, DOD...

Compacts of Free Association: Micronesia and the Marshall Islands Face Challenges in Planning for Sustainability, Measuring Progress, and Ensuring Accountability.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-163 December 15, 2006 In 2003, the United States signed Compacts of Free Association with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), amending a 1986 compact with the countries. The...

Defense Infrastructure: Continuing Challenges in Managing DOD Lodging Programs as Army Moves to Privatize Its Program.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-164 December 15, 2006 The Department of Defense (DOD) transient lodging programs were established to provide quality temporary facilities for authorized personnel, and reduce travel costs through lower rates than commercial hotels....

Military Operations: High-Level DOD Action Needed to Address Long-standing Problems with Management and Oversight of Contractors Supporting Deployed Forces.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-145 December 18, 2006 Prior GAO reports have identified problems with the Department of Defense's (DOD) management and oversight of contractors supporting deployed forces. GAO issued its first comprehensive report examining these...

International Energy: International Forums Contribute to Energy Cooperation within Constraints.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-170 December 19, 2006 Rising oil prices, resulting from growth in energy consumption by rapidly developing Asian nations and by most industrialized nations, have increased concern about competition over oil and natural gas...

Federal Law Enforcement: Survey of Federal Civilian Law Enforcement Functions and Authorities.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-121 December 19, 2006 Law enforcement officers (LEOs) within the federal government play a key role in maintaining the safety and security of federal property, employees, and the general public. In this report, we describe the...

Federal Law Enforcement: Results of Surveys of Federal Civilian Law Enforcement Components.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-223SP December 19, 2006 This document presents selected results of GAO's surveys of 104 federal civilian components that employ law enforcement officers (LEO). We defined an LEO as a federal employee who is authorized to perform any...

Response to a Posthearing Question Related to GAO's November 16, 2006 Testimony on the Defense Travel System.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-287R December 19, 2006 On November 16, 2006, GAO testified before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, on the results of our audit on the Defense Travel System (DTS)....

Export Controls: Challenges Exist in Enforcement of an Inherently Complex System.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-265 December 20, 2006 Each year, billions of dollars in dual-use items--items that have both commercial and military applications--as well as defense items are exported from the United States. To protect U.S. interests, the U.S....

Defense Contracting: Questions for the Record.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-217R December 21, 2006 On September 7, 2006, GAO testified before the Subcommittee on Defense, Committee on Appropriations, on recent trends in Department of Defense (DOD) contracting. Specifically, GAO testified about practices...

Workforce Investment Act: Employers Found One-Stop Centers Useful in Hiring Low-Skilled Workers; Performance Information Could Help Gauge Employer Involvement.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-167 December 22, 2006 The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) required that many federal workforce employment and training programs for low-income individuals, the unemployed, and other job seekers provide their services through...

Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Actions Needed to Clarify Responsibilities and Increase Preparedness for Evacuations.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-44 December 22, 2006 During the evacuation of New Orleans in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many of those who did not own a vehicle and could not evacuate were among the over 1,300 people who died. This raised questions...

Homeland Security First Responder Grants: Cash Management Improvement Act Exemption and Cash Advance Funding Require Additional DHS Oversight.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-68 December 22, 2006 A key provision of the Cash Management Improvement Act (CMIA) of 1990 (P.L. 101-453), as amended, requires the federal government and the states to minimize the time between transfer of federal funds and...

Defense Health Care: Access to Care for Beneficiaries Who Have Not Enrolled in TRICARE's Managed Care Option.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-48 December 22, 2006 The Department of Defense (DOD) provides health care through its TRICARE program. Under TRICARE, beneficiaries may obtain care through a managed care option that requires enrollment and the use of civilian...

Long-Term Care Insurance: Federal Program Has a Unique Profit Structure and Faced a Significant Marketing Challenge.
January 1, 2007... GAO-07-202 December 29, 2006 Spending on long-term care services--about $193 billion in 2004--is expected to rise. In 2000, Congress passed the Long-Term Care Security Act, requiring the federal government to offer long-term care insurance....