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Davis-Bacon Act: Army Corps of Engineers Provides Guidance on Wage Requirements, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Monitoring
From the Document: "The Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (the Act), requires contractors working on certain federally funded construction projects to pay their workers at least locally prevailing wages, as determined by the Department of Labor (DOL) for various job categories. The Act was enacted, in part, to protect workers from contractors hiring lower-wage workers from outside their local area, thus obtaining federal construction contracts by underbidding competitors who pay local wage rates. Each federal agency that contracts for construction work covered by the Act is primarily responsible for enforcing the Act's requirements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-10
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Commercial Shipping: Information on How Intermodal Chassis Are Made Available and the Federal Government's Oversight Role
From the Document's Objectives, Scope, and Methodology: "Senate Report 116-109 -- incorporated by reference into the explanatory statement accompanying the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 -- contained a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to study intermodal chassis. This briefing describes selected stakeholders' views on: (1) the ways in which chassis are made available for the movement of shipping containers and the benefits and drawbacks of those models, and (2) the federal government's role in the chassis market. To address these objectives, we reviewed relevant reports on chassis provisioning and federal oversight."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-08
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Home Foreclosure Sales: FHA, Rural Housing Service, and VA Could Better Align Program Metrics with Their Missions, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Poor maintenance of foreclosed properties can negatively affect communities and threaten neighborhood stability. FHA [Federal Housing Administration], VA [Veterans Affairs], RHS [Rural Housing Service], and Freddie Mac are among the federal entities owning foreclosed properties through REO [Real Estate Owned] programs. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review how these federal entities monitor REO property conditions. The objectives this report examines include trends in the number of REO properties; oversight of maintenance contractors; and whether metrics used to assess REO program performance align with entities' missions. GAO reviewed and analyzed reports and data on the number of REO properties and documentation on FHA, Freddie Mac, VA, and RHS oversight of REO property maintenance from 2017 to 2020. GAO also analyzed data on REO reimbursements to contractors for maintenance activities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-05
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Electricity Grid: Opportunities Exist for DOE to Better Support Utilities in Improving Resilience to Hurricanes, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Hurricanes pose significant threats to the electricity grid in some U.S. coastal areas and territories and are a leading cause of major power outages. In recent years, hurricanes have impacted millions of customers in these areas. Adoption of technologies and other measures could improve the resilience of the grid so that it is better able to withstand and rapidly recover from severe weather; this could help mitigate the effects of hurricanes. This report examines (1) measures utilities in selected states have adopted to enhance grid resilience following major hurricanes since 2012 and any challenges utilities face funding such measures; and (2) federal efforts to support the adoption of measures to enhance grid resilience to hurricanes and any opportunities that exist to improve these efforts. For this report, GAO [Government Accountability Office] assessed agency and industry actions; reviewed relevant reports, policies, and documents; and interviewed federal, industry, and local officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-05
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Weapon Systems Cybersecurity: Guidance Would Help DOD Programs Better Communicate Requirements to Contractors, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD's network of sophisticated, expensive weapon systems must work when needed, without being incapacitated by cyberattacks. However, GAO [Government Accountability Office] reported in 2018 that DOD was routinely finding cyber vulnerabilities late in its development process. A Senate report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO to review DOD's implementation of cybersecurity for weapon systems in development. GAO's report addresses (1) the extent to which DOD has made progress in implementing cybersecurity for weapon systems during development, and (2) the extent to which DOD and the military services have developed guidance for incorporating weapon systems cybersecurity requirements into contracts. GAO reviewed DOD and service guidance and policies related to cybersecurity for weapon systems in development, interviewed DOD and program officials, and reviewed supporting documentation for five acquisition programs. GAO also interviewed defense contractors about their experiences with weapon systems cybersecurity."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-04
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Warfighter Support: DOD Needs a Complete Picture of the Military Services' Prepositioning Programs, Report to the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "The U.S. military services preposition critical assets at strategic locations around the world for access during the initial phases of an operation. DOD uses these prepositioned assets for combat, support to allies, and disaster and humanitarian assistance. For many years, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has identified weaknesses in DOD's efforts to establish a joint oversight framework to guide its ability to assess the services' prepositioning programs. This has led to fragmentation and the potential for duplication. Senate Report 116-48 included a provision for GAO to evaluate the services' prepositioning programs and associated challenges. This report (1) describes the types of assets the services preposition worldwide, as well as asset shortfalls and challenges the services have identified, and (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has made progress in implementing a joint oversight framework for the services' programs. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed DOD prepositioning documents and interviewed DOD and State Department officials from over 20 offices. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in December 2020. Information that DOD deemed sensitive has been omitted."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-04
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Drug Safety: FDA's Future Inspection Plans Need to Address Issues Presented by Covid-19 Backlog, Statement of Mary Denigan-Macauley, Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The outbreak of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has called greater attention to the United States' reliance on foreign drug manufacturers. FDA reports that 74 percent of establishments manufacturing active ingredients and 54 percent of establishments manufacturing finished drugs for the U.S. market were located overseas, as of May 2020. FDA is responsible for overseeing the safety and effectiveness of all drugs marketed in the United States, regardless of where they are produced, and it conducts inspections of both foreign and domestic manufacturing establishments. GAO [Government Accountability Office] has had long-standing concerns about FDA's ability to oversee the increasingly global pharmaceutical supply chain, an issue highlighted in GAO's High Risk Series since 2009. This statement is largely based on GAO's Drug Manufacturing Inspections enclosure in its January 2021 CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act report, as well as GAO's December 2019 and June 2020 testimonies. Specifically, it discusses (1) the number of FDA's foreign inspections, (2) FDA's response to the COVID-19 pandemic pause in inspections, and (3) persistent foreign inspection challenges. For that work, GAO examined FDA data from fiscal years 2012 through 2020, interviewed FDA investigators, and reviewed documents related to drug oversight during the COVID-19 pandemic, among other things."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Denigan-Macauley, Mary
2021-03-04
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Data Center Optimization: Agencies Report Progress and Billions Saved, but OMB Needs to Improve Its Utilization Guidance, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In December 2014, Congress enacted federal IT [information technology] acquisition reform legislation known as FITARA [Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act], which included provisions related to ongoing federal data center consolidation efforts. OMB's [Office of Management and Budget] federal Chief Information Officer launched DCOI [Data Center Optimization Initiative] to build on prior data center consolidation efforts and improve federal data centers' performance. FITARA included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to annually review agencies' data center inventories and strategies. This report addresses (1) agencies' progress on data center closures and the related savings that have been achieved, and agencies' plans for future closures and savings; (2) agencies' progress against OMB's data center optimization targets; and (3) the effectiveness of OMB's metric for server utilization and how the agencies are implementing it. To do so, GAO reviewed the 24 DCOI agencies' data center inventories as of August 2020, their reported cost savings documentation and data center optimization strategic plans, and OMB's revised utilization metric."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-04
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Heavy Lift Helicopter Program: Navy Should Address Cost and Schedule Risks, Report to the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The Marine Corps is replacing its aging CH [cargo helicopter]-53E helicopters with the CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. Designed as an evolution of the CH-53E, the CH-53K is intended to transport armored vehicles, equipment, and personnel from ships to deep inland locations. The CH-53K program office is overseen by the Department of the Navy. As we have previously reported, the program has experienced delayed milestones and cost increases from almost its inception in 2005, in part, due to technical issues. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the CH-53K program. This report examines the program's (1) progress toward completing testing and demonstrating system experience, (2) schedule and cost performance to date, and (3) potential future challenges. GAO analyzed cost, schedule, performance, test, manufacturing, and planning documents; and interviewed officials from the CH-53K program office, other defense offices--such as the Defense Contract Management Agency--the testing community, and the prime contractor, Sikorsky."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-04
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High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas, Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Testimony Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Document: "Since the early 1990s, our high-risk program has focused attention on government operations with greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or that are in need of transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. This effort, supported by this committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, has brought much needed attention to problems impeding effective government and costing billions of dollars each year. Our 2021 High-Risk List, which is being released today, includes 36 areas, listed in the appendix. In most areas, progress since our last high-risk update has been limited. Overall ratings for 20 high-risk areas remain unchanged from 2019. In five areas, the ratings actually declined, while in seven areas they improved."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2021-03-02
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High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas, Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Document: "Since the early 1990s, our high-risk program has focused attention on government operations with greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or that are in need of transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. This effort, supported by this committee and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, has brought much needed attention to problems impeding effective government and costing billions of dollars each year. Our 2021 High-Risk List, which is being released today, includes 36 areas, listed in the appendix. In most areas, progress since our last high-risk update has been limited. Overall ratings for 20 high-risk areas remain unchanged from 2019. In five areas, the ratings actually declined, while in seven areas they improved."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2021-03-02
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COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Observations on Efforts Toward and Factors Affecting the Aviation Industry's Recovery, Statement of Heather M Krause, Director, Physical Infrastructure, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "International flight restrictions, local stay-at-home orders, and a general fear of contracting and spreading COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] through air travel had a sudden and profound effect on the aviation industry. According to Department of Transportation statistics, passenger traffic was down 60 percent system-wide in 2020 compared to 2019. This reduction in demand has affected airlines, airports, and the entire aviation supply chain. This testimony is based on ongoing work and provides preliminary observations on the: (1) actions that businesses across the aviation industry have taken to respond to reduced passenger demand, (2) factors that may affect industry recovery, and (3) considerations for federal support to the aviation industry."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Krause, Heather
2021-03-02
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Aviation Security Technology: TSA Lacks Outcome-oriented Performance Measures and Data to Help Reach Objectives to Diversify Its Marketplace, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "With the ongoing threat of terrorism, TSA is looking to innovative technologies to improve security. In response to the Act, TSA developed a strategy to promote innovation and increase small business participation in its security technology marketplace. The Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review this strategy. This report examines, among other things, (1) the extent to which TSA's strategy includes the statutory requirements of the Act and compares to common practices of federal agencies to increase small business participation and (2) the extent to which TSA has performance measures and data to assess the effectiveness of its initiatives. GAO compared TSA's strategy to statutory requirements and practices of comparable federal agencies; interviewed TSA and federal officials from five selected agencies responsible for small and disadvantaged business programs, and a nongeneralizable set of small businesses selected to provide various perspectives on participating in TSA's acquisition processes; and analyzed data from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Federal Protective Service: Projected Outcomes of the New Fee Structure on Tenant Agencies' Costs
From the Document: "The Federal Protective Service (FPS) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for protecting more than 9,000 federal buildings and ensuring the safety of the people within them--federal employees, contractors, and visitors, including members of the public. FPS is completely funded by the fees it charges agencies for its services--such as the basic security fee it charges to agencies for buildings under its protection--and does not receive a direct appropriation. We reported in June 2008 and May 2011 that FPS had not analyzed its basic security fee structure and did not know the extent to which the structure resulted in some facilities subsidizing others. Since that time, FPS took steps to improve its oversight of its basic security fee and in fiscal year 2020 implemented fundamental changes to the fee structure. In response to FPS's fiscal year 2020 change, you asked us to provide information on the new fee structure. This report describes: [1] the change FPS made in fiscal year 2020 to its basic security fee structure, and [2] how this change affects tenant agencies' costs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-01
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Forced Labor: CBP Should Improve Communication to Strengthen Trade Enforcement, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Globally, millions of adults and children are subjected to forced labor, compelled to perform work or service under various forms of threat or coercion. Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 prohibits the importation into the United States of goods produced in any foreign country wholly or in part by forced labor. CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] has sole responsibility for enforcing this law. The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018 included a provision that GAO [Government Accountability Office] review CBP's efforts to enforce Section 307 and other entities' roles in indirectly supporting CBP's enforcement. This report examines, among other things, CBP's approach to enforcing Section 307 and the extent to which CBP has communicated with other federal agencies and nonfederal stakeholders with respect to Section 307 enforcement."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Tax Filing: Actions Needed to Address Processing Delays and Risks to the 2021 Filing Season, Report to the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "During the annual tax filing season, generally from January to mid-April, IRS [Internal Revenue Service] processes more than 150 million individual and business tax returns and provides telephone, correspondence, online, and in-person services to tens of millions of taxpayers. Due to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and to provide relief to taxpayers, IRS extended the 2020 filing and payment deadline by 3 months to July 15, 2020. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review IRS's performance during the 2020 filing season. This report (1) describes the changes IRS made to operations and services for the 2020 filing season due to the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) assesses IRS's performance on providing customer service and processing individual and business income tax returns during the 2020 filing season and compare to prior filing seasons, where appropriate; and (3) evaluates IRS's plans to prepare for the 2021 filing season."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The federal government is one of the world's largest and most complex entities; about $6.6 trillion in outlays in fiscal year 2020 funded a broad array of programs and operations. GAO's [Government Accountability Office] High-Risk Series identifies government operations with vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or in need of transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. This biennial update describes the status of high-risk areas, outlines actions that are still needed to assure further progress, and identifies any new high-risk areas needing attention by the executive branch and Congress. Solutions to high-risk problems save billions of dollars, improve service to the public, and strengthen government performance and accountability."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Burden Sharing: Benefits and Costs Associated with the U.S. Military Presence in Japan and South Korea, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Both DOD and the Department of State (State) report that cooperation between the U.S. and its allies Japan and South Korea is essential for confronting regional and global challenges. The decades-long forward presence of the U.S. military in those countries has undergirded these security alliances. DOD has about 55,000 troops in Japan, its largest forward-deployed force in the world. DOD has about 28,500 troops in South Korea. It spends billions of dollars annually and maintains dozens of facilities in both countries, ranging from tens of thousands of acres for training sites to single antenna outposts, in support of this presence. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on the security benefits derived from the forward presence of the U.S. military in Japan and South Korea and the costs associated with it for calendar years 2016 through 2019. This report describes (1) the identified benefits to U.S. national and regional security derived from the U.S. military presence in Japan and South Korea, (2) the funds obligated by the U.S. military for its presence in Japan and South Korea for 2016 through 2019, and (3) the direct and indirect burden sharing contributions made by Japan and South Korea for 2016 through 2019."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Transportation Safety: DOT Has Taken Steps to Verify and Publicize Drug and Alcohol Testing Data but Should Do More, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Since 1988, DOT [Department of Transportation] has regulated the process by which employers in the different transportation industries (aviation, trucking, rail, transit, pipeline, and maritime) are required to test their employees for drug and alcohol use. Employers must self-report these test results annually to DOT or when requested by DOT. In a 2018 statute, Congress required DOT to publish the aggregate drug and alcohol testing data on DOT's website and included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the website and these data. This report examines: (1) how DOT uses drug and alcohol testing data, (2) how DOT verifies that data are reliable, and (3) whether DOT follows key actions for transparently reporting drug and alcohol testing data."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Freedom of Information Act: Actions Needed to Improve Agency Compliance with Proactive Disclosure Requirements, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "FOIA [Freedom of Information Act], enacted into law more than 50 years ago, requires federal agencies to provide the public with access to government records and information, including through proactive disclosures. FOIA proactive disclosures enhance transparency by ensuring that certain information about the operations and activities of the government is publicly available. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal agencies' efforts to implement FOIA requirements regarding proactive disclosures. This report assesses the extent to which selected agencies (1) aligned their policies and procedures with FOIA requirements, and (2) tracked and reported these disclosures. GAO also assessed the effectiveness of the tools, resources, and oversight provided by DOJ [Department of Justice] and NARA [National Archives and Records Administration] to address known challenges to agencies' FOIA compliance."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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COVID-19 Housing Protections: Moratoriums Have Helped Limit Evictions, but Further Outreach is Needed, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Millions of renters and property owners continue to experience housing instability and financial challenges during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. To address these concerns, Congress and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] created eviction moratoriums, and Congress appropriated $25 billion to Treasury to disburse to state and local grantees to administer emergency rental assistance programs to help those behind on their rent. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to monitor federal efforts related to COVID-19. This report examines, among other objectives, (1) how eviction moratoriums have contributed to housing stability during the pandemic and (2) Treasury's implementation of the Emergency Rental Assistance program."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Electricity Grid Resilience: Climate Change is Expected to Have Far-Reaching Effects and DOE and FERC Should Take Actions, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Document: "According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, changes in the earth's climate are under way and expected to increase, posing risks to the electricity grid that may affect the nation's economic and national security. Annual costs of weather-related power outages total billions of dollars and may increase with climate change, although resilience investments could help address potential effects, according to the research program. Private companies own most of the electricity grid, but the federal government plays a significant role in promoting grid resilience--the ability to adapt to changing conditions; withstand potentially disruptive events; and, if disrupted, to rapidly recover. DOE [Department of Energy], the lead agency for grid resilience efforts, conducts research and provides information and technical assistance to industry. FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] reviews mandatory grid reliability standards. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine U.S. energy infrastructure resilience. This report describes: (1) potential climate change effects on the electricity grid; and (2) actions DOE and FERC have taken since 2014 to enhance electricity grid resilience to climate change effects, and additional actions these agencies could take. GAO reviewed reports and interviewed agency officials and 55 relevant stakeholders."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: Actions Needed to Ensure Organizational Changes Result in More Effective Cybersecurity for Our Nation, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Threats to the nation's critical infrastructures and the information technology systems that support them require a concerted effort among federal agencies; state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; and the private sector to ensure their security. The seriousness of the threat was reinforced by the December 2020 discovery of a cyberattack that has had widespread impact on government agencies, critical infrastructures, and private-sector companies. Federal legislation enacted in November 2018 established CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] to advance the mission of protecting federal civilian agencies' networks from cyber threats and to enhance the security of the nation's critical infrastructures in the face of both physical and cyber threats. To implement this legislation, CISA undertook a three-phase organizational transformation initiative aimed at unifying the agency, improving mission effectiveness, and enhancing the workplace experience for CISA employees. GAO was asked to review CISA's organizational transformative initiative and its ability to coordinate effectively with stakeholders. The objectives of GAO's review were to (1) describe CISA's organizational transformation initiative, (2) assess the current progress of the initiative, (3) determine the extent to which CISA's transformation efforts align with key practices for effective agency reform, and (4) identify any challenges in CISA's coordination with stakeholders, and assess strategies the agency has developed to address such challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Program Evaluation: Key Terms and Concepts
From the Document: "Both the executive branch and congressional committees need evaluative information to help them make decisions about the programs they oversee-information that tells them whether and why a program is working well or not. The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) and GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) established a framework for performance management and accountability within the federal government. Building on that foundation, Congress has since passed, among other laws, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) to strengthen the evidence-building efforts of executive branch agencies. The Evidence Act, for example, created a framework for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to federal evidence-building efforts. This product updates our previous glossary (GAO-11-646SP) to highlight different types of evaluations for answering questions about program performance, as well as relevant issues to ensure study quality."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Imported Seafood Safety: FDA Should Improve Monitoring of Its Warning Letter Process and Better Assess Its Effectiveness, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of most imported seafood. FDA relies, in part, on inspections of importers' facilities and of processors' foreign facilities to ensure compliance with federal law. If FDA identifies significant violations, such as firms not identifying food safety hazards likely to occur during processing, the agency can issue the firm a warning letter. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review FDA's efforts to use warning letters to ensure the safety of imported seafood. This report examines the extent to which FDA (1) ensures it is following key procedures and meeting key goals for its warning letter process for imported seafood and (2) assesses the effectiveness of its warning letters in ensuring the safety of imported seafood. GAO reviewed FDA procedures and data and interviewed FDA officials. [...] GAO recommends that FDA (1) establish a process to monitor whether the agency is following the procedures and meeting the goals established for its warning letter process for imported seafood, and (2) develop performance goals and measures to assess how effective warning letters are at ensuring the safety of imported seafood. FDA agreed with GAO's recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Hypersonic Weapons: DOD Should Clarify Roles and Responsibilities to Ensure Coordination Across Development Efforts, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Hypersonic missiles, which are an important part of building hypersonic weapon systems, move at least five times the speed of sound, have unpredictable flight paths, and are expected to be capable of evading today's defensive systems. DOD has begun multiple efforts to develop offensive hypersonic weapons as well as technologies to improve its ability to track and defend against them. NASA and DOE [Department of Energy] are also conducting research into hypersonic technologies. The investments for these efforts are significant. This report identifies: (1) U.S. government efforts to develop hypersonic systems that are underway and their costs, (2) challenges these efforts face and what is being done to address them, and (3) the extent to which the U.S. government is effectively coordinating these efforts. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO [Government Accountability Office] issued in January 2021. Information that DOD deemed to be sensitive has been omitted. GAO collected and reviewed information from DOD, DOE, and NASA to identify hypersonic weapons development efforts from fiscal years 2015 through 2024. GAO also analyzed agency documentation and interviewed agency officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Decennial Census: Bureau Should Assess Significant Data Collection Challenges as it Undertakes Planning for 2030, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The 2020 Census was conducted under extraordinary circumstances. In response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and related Commerce [Department of Commerce] decisions, the Bureau [Census Bureau] made a series of late changes to the design of the census. As GAO [Government Accountability Office] previously reported, these changes introduced risks to the quality of data that the Bureau provides for congressional apportionment and redistricting purposes. GAO was asked to review the Bureau's implementation of the 2020 Census. This report assesses the Bureau's implementation of the: (1) nonresponse follow-up operation, (2) group quarters enumeration, and (3) plans to assess those operations. To address these objectives, GAO conducted a series of surveys of all 248 census offices during the collection of data for those operations. GAO also monitored the cost and progress of operations and interviewed census field supervisors for each operation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Department of Defense: Additional Actions to Improve Suspense Account Transactions Would Strengthen Financial Reporting, Report to the Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "DOD remains the only major federal agency that has been unable to obtain a financial audit opinion. One contributing factor is DOD's long-standing control deficiency in suspense account transactions. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review DOD's suspense accounts and determine their impact on DOD's consolidated financial reporting. This report examines the extent to which DOD has (1) established and implemented policies and procedures for recording, reconciling, and clearing suspense account transactions at the DOD consolidated level and (2) addressed identified deficiencies in recording, reconciling, and clearing suspense account transactions that may affect the reliability of DOD's financial information. GAO reviewed DOD and DFAS [Defense Finance and Accounting Service] policies and procedures, interviewed DOD and DOD OIG [Office of Inspector General] officials, and reviewed initiatives related to suspense account transactions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Drug Misuse: Most States Have Good Samaritan Laws and Research Indicates They May Have Positive Effects, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO (Government Accountability) Highlights: "Since 1999, more than 800,000 people have died from a drug overdose in the United States, with over 86,000 occurring during the 12-month period ending in July 2020, according to the most recent provisional data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In recent years, some states have enacted Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access laws to help reduce overdose deaths and respond to opioid overdoses. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 included a provision for GAO to review these laws. This report addresses the following: (1) the efforts ONDCP [Office of National Drug Control Policy] has taken to collect and disseminate information on Good Samaritan and Naloxone Access laws, (2) the extent to which states, territories, and D.C. have these laws and the characteristics of them, and (3) what research indicates concerning the effects of Good Samaritan laws."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
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Biomedical Research: Information on Federal Contributions to Remdesivir, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Remdesivir is an antiviral drug patented and manufactured by Gilead. Along with its parent compound, remdesivir was originally developed to treat viral hepatitis and a viral respiratory infection. Remdesivir was later studied for antiviral activity against multiple viruses. It was the first drug approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Public interest organizations have raised questions about the extent of federal support for the development of remdesivir. Federal support can benefit the public by creating new inventions and may result in certain intellectual property rights, including patents, for the federal government. Multiple federal agencies support biomedical research and development, which can directly or indirectly contribute to the development of new drugs like remdesivir. These federal agencies include NIH [National Institutes of Health]--the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world--as well as CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and DOD. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal contributions to the development of remdesivir. This report examines: (1) scientific and funding contributions provided by CDC, DOD, and NIH for the development of remdesivir, and (2) agencies' patent rights related to those contributions. GAO reviewed relevant laws and regulations; reviewed documentation from CDC, DOD, and NIH; and interviewed officials and scientists from the agencies and two universities. We also obtained information from and interviewed representatives of Gilead."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03
