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Letter from CBO Acting Director Donald B. Marron to Members of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means Regarding [the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 4157, Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006] [July 27, 2006]
From the Letter: "At your request, the Congressional Budget Office [CBO] has reviewed the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006, as specified in H. Res. 952, which was reported by the Committee on Rules on July 26, 2006. The amendment to H.R. 4157 would amend the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to codify the establishment and responsibilities of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. [...] The bill would authorize the appropriation of $20 million in each of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008 for grants to facilitate the adoption of certain health information technology. In addition, the deadline for updated standards for coding medical services would affect administrative costs for the Medicare program, which are subject to appropriation - resulting in added costs initially, and savings in subsequent years. Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would increase discretionary spending by $163 million over the 2007-2011 period and reduce such spending by $114 million over the succeeding five years."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Marron, Donald B. (Baird)
2006-07-27
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5637, Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2006
From the Summary: "H.R. 5637 would create a uniform system for taxing and regulating certain types of insurance products. Specifically, the bill would establish national standards for how states may regulate, collect, and allocate taxes for a type of insurance that covers unique or atypical risks--known as 'surplus lines' or 'nonadmitted insurance.' The bill also would establish national standards for how states regulate reinsurance -often referred to as insurance for insurance companies. In addition, the legislation would require a study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of the admitted and nonadmitted insurance market. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that enacting H.R. 5637 would increase federal revenues by $5 million to $10 million a year over the 2008-2016 period because the bill would prohibit states from collecting taxes on certain insurance products, and that change would in turn reduce federal tax deductions of insurance companies, resulting in higher taxable income for federal purposes."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2006-08-11
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1078, Social Security Number Protection Act of 2006
From the Summary: "H.R. 1078 would prohibit the sale or purchase of Social Security numbers (SSNs) and would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop and enforce regulations restricting their sale or purchase. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that promulgating the regulation and its enforcement would not have a significant effect on FTC spending. Enacting the bill could increase federal revenues from civil penalties assessed for violations of the new regulation, but CBO estimates that any such increases would not be significant in any year. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending. H.R. 1078 contains intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), but CBO estimates that any costs to state, local, or tribal governments would be small and would not exceed the threshold established in that act ($64 million, adjusted annually for inflation). H.R. 1078 also would impose a private-sector mandate as defined in UMRA. It would prohibit any person from selling or purchasing an SSN in violation of regulations that the FTC would be required to issue under this act. Because of the lack of industry data on the sale and purchase of Social Security numbers, CBO has no basis to estimate the costs to the private sector for prohibiting those transactions. Thus, CBO cannot estimate the cost of the mandate or whether the cost would exceed the annual threshold established by UMRA for private-sector mandates ($128 million in 2006, adjusted annually for inflation)."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2006-08-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5811, MARPOL Annex VI Implementation Act of 2006
"H.R. 5811 would implement the Protocol of 1997 to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL). Based on information provided by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CBO [Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing H.R. 5811 would cost EPA $2 million over the next three years. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues. Under H.R. 5811, EPA and the USCG would establish regulations to implement MARPOL Annex VI, which addresses air pollution from ships. The USCG would enforce those regulations. Based on information provided by EPA, CBO estimates that developing the necessary regulations would cost the agency about $2 million over the next three years. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have no significant effect on the Coast Guard's operating budget because the agency already has enforcement responsibilities under MARPOL that would probably not change significantly."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2006-07-27
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Sexual Harassment: Opportunities Remain for VA to Improve Program Structure, Policies, and Data Collection, Statement of Thomas Costa, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Sexual harassment in the workplace can cause harmful psychological, physical, occupational, and economic effects for workers. Several federal laws, executive orders, and agency directives are aimed at preventing and addressing sexual harassment at federal agencies. GAO [Government Accountability Office] issued a June 2020 report [...] that reviewed VA's [Department of Veterans Affairs] efforts to prevent and address sexual harassment at the agency. In this report, GAO made seven recommendations. This testimony discusses VA's efforts to implement GAO's recommendations to 1) ensure VA's EEO [equal employment opportunity] structure is properly aligned; 2) improve the agency's policies to prevent and address sexual harassment of VA employees; 3) collect and analyze data to inform VA about sexual harassment of its employees; and 4) improve relevant training."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Costa, Thomas
2022-07-28
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Research Reliability: Federal Actions Needed to Promote Stronger Research Practices, Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "In 2019, the U.S. government funded more than $42 billion in basic scientific research across a wide range of scientific disciplines. Unsuccessful attempts to reproduce and replicate research results have been documented across many scientific disciplines, including those funded by NASA, NIH [National Institutes of Health], and NSF [National Science Foundation]. The scientific community has expressed concern over the difficulty of replicating prior research results. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review strategies to improve the reliability of federally funded research. Among other things, this report (1) examines what actions, according to experts, federal agencies could take to foster rigor and transparency in the research they fund; and (2) assesses the extent to which selected federal science funding agencies have taken actions to improve rigor and transparency."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-07
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Cloud Computing: DOD Needs to Improve Workforce Planning and Software Application Modernization, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In fiscal year 2022, DOD plans to spend approximately $38.6 billion on unclassified IT investments. To help drive cloud adoption, OMB [Office of Management and Budget] requires agencies to modernize, retire, or consolidate their portfolios of software applications--a process known as application rationalization. OMB also requires agencies to use TBM [Technology Business Management] to categorize IT [information technology] and cloud-related spending. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess DOD's reported use of cloud services. This report examines the extent to which (1) DOD's planned cloud strategy addresses key requirements in OMB's federal cloud strategy, (2) the department has plans for developing and implementing an enterprise-wide application rationalization process, and (3) DOD is using TBM to track and report spending data for cloud services."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Persistent Chemicals: Technologies for PFAS Assessment, Detection, and Treatment, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances] are a large group of heat and stain resistant chemicals, first developed in the 1940s. PFAS are used in a wide range of products, including carpet, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and firefighting foam used at airports and military bases. PFAS can persist in the environment, including in water, soil, and air, for decades or longer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that most people in the U.S. have been exposed to two of the most widely studied PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Both have been linked to human health problems. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to conduct a technology assessment on PFAS assessment, detection, and treatment. This report examines (1) technologies for more efficient assessments of the adverse health effects of PFAS and alternative substances; (2) the benefits and challenges of current and emerging technologies for PFAS detection and treatment; and (3) policy options that could help enhance benefits and mitigate challenges associated with these technologies."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-07
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Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Enhance IT Program Implementation, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The U.S. Coast Guard, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, relies extensively on IT [information technology] systems and services to carry out its 11 statutory missions. It also relies on operational technology, which encompasses a broad range of programmable systems or devices that interact with the physical environment, such as sensors and radar. Historically, the Coast Guard has had longstanding issues managing its technology resources. As such, it plans to spend $93 million to improve the reliability and performance of these resources in fiscal year 2022. The 'William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021' included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review several aspects of the Coast Guard's IT program. This report addresses, among other things, the extent to which the Coast Guard (1) has a process to plan for network capacity; (2) has cybersecurity risk management processes for IT and for operational technology; and (3) has incorporated federal requirements in its strategy for cloud computing."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-07
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Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: Federal Leadership Needed to Advance Research, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has intensified ongoing concerns about air travel's role in spreading disease and raised questions about the safety of passengers and crew. Research that could provide quality information on communicable diseases in air travel can help to protect public health. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to monitor and report on federal efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO was also asked to review research on disease transmission in air travel. This report examines: (1) the status of research on communicable diseases in air travel, including stakeholders' views on additional needed research and challenges to conducting it, and (2) the extent to which FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] and other federal agencies are advancing such research."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-07
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Credit Reform: Transparency Needed for Evaluation of Potential Federal Involvement in Projects Seeking Loans, Report to the Chairman, Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "FCRA [Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990] was enacted to improve the accuracy of the cost of federal credit programs reported in the federal budget, among other things. It requires agencies to measure the government's cost of federal credit programs over the length of a loan. This facilitates better cost comparisons between credit and noncredit programs. FCRA applies only to loans and loan guarantees made to non-federal borrowers. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review how the non-federal borrower concept is applied in practice. This report examines (1) OMB's [Office of Management and Budget] policies for evaluating whether federal loan programs would potentially fund a federal borrower or federal activities; and (2) processes that selected agencies--EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Transportation--use to screen loan applications for potential federal activities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-07
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U.S. Courts: Action Needed to Improve IT Management and Establish a Chief Information Officer, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts relies on IT [information technology] systems to manage information to support its lines of business. These lines of business include case management, court administration, and probation and pretrial services. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the Office's IT management. This report evaluates, among other things, the extent to which the Office (1) implemented selected leading IT workforce planning and management practices, (2) implemented selected best practices for planning and managing IT projects, and (3) has a CIO [Chief Information Officer] with the authority to exercise enterprise control and oversight of the Office's IT workforce and project portfolio."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-07
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CBO Paper: How Federal Policies Affect the Allocation of Water
From the Preface: "This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper examines the mechanisms that govern water allocation, how they affect the benefits that accrue to society from its use of water resources, how those effects might change over time, and what influence federal policies could have on such considerations. The paper was prepared in response to a request from the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the House Committee on Resources. In keeping with CBO's mandate to provide objective, impartial analysis, the paper makes no recommendations."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Tawil, Natalie
2006-08
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U.S. Immigration Policy on Permanent Admissions [March 13, 2012]
From the Summary: "Four major principles underlie current U.S. policy on permanent immigration: the reunification of families, the admission of immigrants with needed skills, the protection of refugees, and the diversity of admissions by country of origin. These principles are embodied in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The INA specifies a complex set of numerical limits and preference categories that give priorities for permanent immigration reflecting these principles. Legal permanent residents (LPRs) refer to foreign nationals who live permanently in the United States. During FY2010, a total of 1.0 million aliens became LPRs in the United States. Of this total, 66.3% entered on the basis of family ties. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens made up the single largest group of immigrants--476,414--in FY2010. Other major categories in FY2010 were employment-based LPRs (including spouses and children) and refugees/asylees adjusting to LPR status--14.2% and 13.1%, respectively. About 13.3% all LPRs come from Mexico, which sent 139,120 LPRs in FY2010. Substantial efforts to reform legal immigration have failed in the recent past, prompting some to characterize the issue as a 'zero-sum game' or a 'third rail.' The challenge inherent in reforming legal immigration is balancing employers' hopes to increase the supply of legally present foreign workers, families' longing to re-unite and live together, and a widely shared wish among the various stakeholders to improve the policies governing legal immigration into the country. Whether the Congress will act to alter immigration policies--either in the form of comprehensive immigration reform or in the form of incremental revisions aimed at strategic changes--is at the crux of the debate. Addressing these contentious policy reforms against the backdrop of high unemployment sharpens the social and business cleavages and may narrow the range of options."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wassem, Ruth Ellen
2012-03-13
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Overview of Immigration Issues in the 112th Congress [January 12, 2012]
From the Summary: "There is a broad-based consensus that the U.S. immigration system is broken. This consensus erodes, however, as soon as the options to reform the U.S. immigration system are debated. Substantial efforts to comprehensively reform immigration law failed in the 109th and 110th Congresses. [...] This report synthesizes immigration issues as a multi-tiered debate. It breaks down the U.S. immigration law and policy into key elements: border control and visa security; legal immigration; documentation and verification; interior immigration enforcement; integration, status, and benefits; and refugees and other humanitarian populations. It delineates the debate in the 112th Congress for a range of issues, including border security, criminal aliens, worksite enforcement, employment eligibility verification, permanent admissions, temporary workers, legalization, noncitizen eligibility for federal benefits, birthright citizenship, and the role of state and local law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws. Current circumstances may sharpen the social and business cleavages as well as narrow the range of options. Nonetheless, selected immigration issues are likely to be a major concern for the 112th Congress, even if legislative action on such contentious issues appears daunting. For a discussion of legislative action on immigration issues, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R42036, Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 112th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wassem, Ruth Ellen
2012-01-12
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CBO Testimony: The Budgetary Impact of Current and Proposed Border Security and Immigration Policies: Statement of Paul R. Cullinan, Chief, Human Resources Cost Estimates Unit, Before the Committee on the Budget, United States Senate, August 30, 2006
In this statement, Paul R. Cullinan discusses the budgetary and economic effects of immigration and border security policies. Major points discussed include: Immigration reform and border enforcement effects on federal spending and revenues; changes in immigration policy; and immigration and financial outlook of Social Security system.
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2006-08-30
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 611, Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Act
From the Summary: "H.R. 611 would authorize a program that would provide qualified individuals, especially Haitian-Americans, to assist agencies of the Haitian government in their efforts to improve the nation's physical infrastructure and governmental institutions. The bill also would authorize a program to provide grants to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to establish programs to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and to provide basic health care services. Additionally, H.R. 611 would authorize scholarships for certain qualified Haitian citizens to study in the United States. Finally, the bill would authorize aid to Haiti for literacy programs and to improve the education system. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing H.R. 611 would cost $7 million in 2007 and $44 million over the 2007-2011 period, assuming appropriation of the estimated amounts. Additionally, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would increase revenues by less than $500,000 over the 2007-2016 period. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending. H.R. 611 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2006-09-20
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 3741, An Act to Provide Funding Authority to Facilitate the Evacuation of Persons from Lebanon, and for Other Purposes
"S. 3741 would grant the Department of State additional flexibility in funding the evacuation of people from Lebanon. It would amend current law to increase--by $15 million--the department's authority to transfer funds to the Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Service (EDCS) appropriation account, which pays for evacuations. It also would lift the restriction that $15 million appropriated in Public Law 109-148 to the EDCS account be used only for evacuations related to the avian flu. S. 3741 would not provide any new funding, but it would affect the timing of outlays from funds already appropriated; those effects are considered direct spending. Information from the Department of State indicates that the total cost of evacuating about 15,000 people from Lebanon will be roughly $67 million, of which about $18 million will be funded through existing balances in the EDCS account. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates the legislation would increase spending by $27 million in 2006 and lower spending by $12 million over the fiscal years 2007 and 2008."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2006-08-08
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Interior Immigration Enforcement: Programs Targeting Criminal Aliens [October 21, 2011]
From the Summary: "Congress has a long-standing interest in seeing that immigration enforcement agencies identify and deport serious criminal aliens. The expeditious removal of such aliens has been a statutory priority since 1986, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its predecessor agency have operated programs targeting criminal aliens for removal since 1988. These programs have grown substantially since FY2005. Despite the interest in criminal aliens, inconsistencies in data quality, data collection, and definitions make it impossible to precisely enumerate the criminal alien population, defined in this report as all noncitizens ever convicted of a crime. CRS [Congressional Research Service] estimates the number of noncitizens incarcerated in federal and state prisons and local jails--a subset of all criminal aliens--at 173,000 in 2009, with state prisons and local jails accounting for somewhat more incarcerations than federal prisons. The overall proportion of noncitizens in federal and state prisons and local jails corresponds closely to the proportion of noncitizens in the total U.S. population. DHS operates four programs designed in whole or in part to target criminal aliens: the Criminal Alien Program (CAP), Secure Communities, the § 287(g) program, and the National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP). The CAP, Secure Communities, and certain § 287(g) programs are jail enforcement programs that screen individuals for immigration-related violations as they are being booked into jail and while they are incarcerated; the NFOP and some other § 287(g) programs are task force programs that target at-large criminal aliens. This report describes how these programs work and identifies their common features and key differences among them."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kandel, William; Rosenblum, Marc R.
2011-10-21
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Information Technology and Cybersecurity: Using Scorecards to Monitor Agencies' Implementation of Statutory Requirements, Statement of Carol C. Harris, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Congress has long recognized that IT [information technology] systems provide essential services critical to the health, economy, and defense of the nation. In support of these systems, the federal government annually spends more than $100 billion on IT and cyber-related investments. However, many of these investments have suffered from ineffective management. Further, recent high profile cyber incidents have demonstrated the urgency of addressing cybersecurity weaknesses. To improve the management of IT, Congress and the President enacted FITARA [Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act] in December 2014. FITARA applies to the 24 agencies subject to the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, although with limited applicability to the Department of Defense. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to provide an overview of the scorecards released by this Subcommittee. The scorecards have been used for oversight of agencies' efforts to implement statutory provisions and other IT-related topics."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Harris, Carol C.
2022-07-28
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 4057, Strategic EV Management Act of 2022
From the Document: "S. 4057 would require the General Services Administration (GSA) to coordinate with the heads of federal agencies, and within two years of enactment, develop a comprehensive plan to optimize the useful life of batteries that power electric vehicles in the government's fleet. The bill also would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on the costs and benefits of a fleet of electric vehicles compared with a fleet powered by gasoline and diesel fuel. Using information from GSA about the agency's management of its electric vehicle fleet, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] expects that developing a comprehensive plan for battery management would not significantly increase the agency's administrative costs."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-07-28
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 4205, PAW Act
From the Document: "S. 4205 would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish an advisory working group to address the needs of household pets, service animals, and captive animals during emergency and disaster situations. Within one year, the working group would evaluate whether current federal guidance is meeting the needs of animals during those situations. If they find that the current guidance is insufficient, FEMA, in conjunction with the working group, would need to update and publish the revised guidance within three years. The working group would sunset after four years and members would serve without pay. Based on the costs of similar working groups, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing S. 4205 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022-2027 period; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-07-28
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Maintaining Flexible and Resilient Capabilities for Nuclear Deterrence
"Is nuclear deterrence an important element in US and allied security? If so, how many and what types of nuclear weapons are adequate for this purpose? These questions get to the heart of contemporary and decades-old nuclear policy debates, because most US nuclear policy initiatives are justified or criticized according to judgments regarding their potential effects on the US capacity to deter opponents. Most recently, the capability of our forces to help assure allies via extended deterrence, including the 'nuclear umbrella,' has been emphasized as a metric for US forces. Using deterrence, extended deterrence, and assurance as a basis for judging the adequacy of US nuclear forces is appropriate because they are primary national security goals. [...] At the risk of shattering widespread illusions, it is important to understand an inconvenient truth: there is no basis for confident, definitive answers to any of these fundamental questions. All attempts to answer these ques¬tions involve considerable speculation. And no answer, however insightful for the moment, can be considered pertinent across time and place."
Air University (U.S.). Press
Payne, Keith B.
2011
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Ballistic Missile Defense: The Need for a National Debate
There is a strong consensus in the United States concerning the need for active defenses against theater ballistic missiles, defined as missiles with a range of 3,500 km or less. This consensus was forged in the Gulf War, when Iraq launched conventionally-armed missiles at Israel and Saudi Arabia one striking a U.S. barracks, causing one-quarter of the U.S. combat fatalities of the conflict. Iraqi missiles were derived from the 1950's-vintage Scud-B missiles previously provided by the Soviet Union. The political and military utility of even these relatively crude missiles was not lost on other states who would use force to achieve their own territorial and political objectives.
Developments since Desert Storm have confirmed that states seeking NBC weapons also seek increasingly capable ballistic missiles as their delivery system of choice. For example, Iran and Pakistan reportedly have been provided Chinese technology for M-9 and/ or M-11 missiles. North Korea has flight tested the 1000+ km-range No Dong-1, a missile with the potential to carry NBC warheads, and may have concluded agreements to provide the No Dong to Iran, Libya and Syria. Indeed, according to unofficial sources, the delivery of No-Dong missiles to Iran may already have begun. Such transfers could have profound implications for stability in the Middle East and Persian Gulf areas of vital U.S. interest.
National Defense University. Institute for National Strategic Studies
Joseph, Robert G.; Payne, Keith B.
1995-07
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Information Management: Additional Actions Are Needed to Meet Requirements of the Managing Government Records Directive, Report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "The federal government collects large amounts of information, increasingly in electronic form, to accomplish its missions. This greater reliance on electronic communication and information technology systems has, as a result, radically increased the information that agencies must manage. In 2012, NARA [National Archives and Records Administration] and OMB [Office of Management and Budget] issued a directive to reform federal records management in response to a 2011 presidential memorandum on managing government records. The directive requires federal agencies, NARA, OMB, and OPM [Office of Personnel Management] to take actions toward reforming records management policies and practices. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was requested to evaluate federal agencies' implementation of the directive. GAO's objectives were to (1) assess the extent to which federal agencies have taken the actions called for in the directive and (2) determine the extent to which OPM, OMB, and NARA have taken actions called for in the directive. To do this, GAO reviewed policies, guidance, and other documentation of actions taken through December 31, 2014, by 24 selected federal agencies, NARA, and OMB, and interviewed the agencies' records management officials. GAO is making 10 recommendations to 5 federal agencies and NARA to ensure records management directive requirements on designating senior officials and identifying, reporting, and managing records are met. In commenting on a draft of this report, the agencies and NARA generally agreed with the recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-05-14
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Mitigating Medical Misinformation: A Whole-of-Society Approach to Countering Spam, Scams, and Hoaxes
From the Executive Summary: "This brief addresses how the public health sector, along with a coalition of civil servants, media workers, technology companies, and civil society organizations, can understand and respond to the problem of medical media manipulation, specifically how it spreads online. Here we present a supplementary research-and-response method in correspondence with the World Health Organization (WHO)'s already suggested framework for dealing with the infodemic, with a focus on media manipulation. Compiled by an expert team of researchers at Harvard's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, this brief describes the intentional and directed phenomenon of media manipulation, provides case studies about media manipulation campaigns that spread medical misinformation, and offers actionable insights for how to track and counter their harms."
Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy. Technology and Social Change Project
Donovan, Joan; Friedberg, Brian; Lim, Gabrielle . . .
2021-03-29?
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Shhhh…Combating the Cacophony of Content with Librarians
From the Document: "Recent research about misinformation and the new coronavirus suggests that the news a person consumes is predictive of how they assess the risks of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to their health and their community. This statement may sound like common sense, but it has more serious implications when one starts to unpack the differences in available information about COVID-19."
Global Insight, Inc.
Donovan, Joan
2021-01
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Executive Education Program: Disrupting Disinformation [Video]
From the Video Description: "In this seminar, technology and communications experts discuss the latest research in disinformation and actions local, state, and federal leaders can take to counter the influence and impact of online and offline disinformation."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
DiResta, Renee; Donovan, Joan; Rogers, Daniel . . .
2021-05-13
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Regulatory Guidance Processes: Selected Departments Could Strengthen Internal Control and Dissemination Practices, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Agencies rely on guidance to clarify regulatory text or statutes, to respond to the questions of affected parties in a timely way, and to inform the public about complex policy implementation topics. Unlike regulations, guidance is not legally binding. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine guidance processes at four departments. This report reviews how (1) agencies use guidance and decide to issue guidance rather than regulations; (2) follow applicable criteria and leading practices in their policies, procedures, and practices for producing guidance; and (3) agencies disseminate guidance to ensure public access and feedback. GAO reviewed guidance processes at all 25 components in the four departments that (1) were within the requesting committee's jurisdiction, and (2) engaged in regulatory or grant activities. GAO reviewed relevant requirements, written procedures, guidance and websites, and interviewed agency officials. GAO is recommending that HHS [Health and Human Services] and DOL [Department of Labor] ensure consistent application of OMB requirements for significant guidance. GAO also recommends that USDA, Department of Education, HHS, and DOL strengthen the use of internal controls in guidance production processes and improve online guidance dissemination. USDA, Education, HHS and DOL generally agreed with the recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-04-16
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Impact of New York Bail Reform on Statewide Jail Populations: A First Look
From the Executive Summary: "Over the last decade, thousands of New Yorkers have been held in jail pretrial, largely because they could not afford to pay bail. In April 2019, New York legislators passed bail reform bills updating a set of laws that had remained largely untouched since 1971. The laws, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, made release before trial automatic for most people accused of
misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. [...] This report by the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) is the first to examine the impact of April 2019's bail reform in New York State by exploring trends in jail populations and admissions in New York City and a sample of counties. [...] This report also explores the effect of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic on the state jail population after March 2020; however, given the proximity in time frame it is impossible to isolate the individual effects of bail reform and COVID-19."
Vera Institute of Justice
Kim, Jaeok; Hood, Quinn O.; Connors, Elliot
2021-02
