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Federal Budget: A Few Agencies and Program-Specific Factors Explain Most Unused Funds, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Laws limit the time that agencies have available to use fixed-term appropriations for obligations and expenditures. However, agencies do not always obligate and outlay these funds in time, which ultimately results in cancelled appropriations. Efforts to limit the amount of cancelled appropriations result in more accurate budget estimation and fiscal projections, a more efficient appropriations process, and better service to the public. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the status of cancelled appropriations. This report addresses (1) the extent of appropriations that were cancelled in fiscal years 2009 through 2019 and how the rate of cancelled appropriations and other characteristics differ across agencies, (2) factors that contribute to the level of cancelled appropriations in selected accounts at agencies, and (3) efforts selected agencies make to prevent the cancellation of funds."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05
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Management Report: Improvements Needed in FDIC's Internal Control Over Contract-Payment Review Processes
From the Document: "On February 18, 2021, we issued our report on the results of our audits of the 2020 and 2019 financial statements of the two funds the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) administers: the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation Resolution Fund (FRF). Our report states we identified deficiencies in FDIC's controls over contract-payment review processes. These deficiencies collectively represent a significant deficiency in FDIC's internal control over financial reporting that merits attention by those charged with FDIC governance. Although it did not affect our opinion on the 2020 financial statements of the DIF and the FRF, because of this significant deficiency, misstatements may have occurred in unaudited financial information FDIC reported internally and externally. The purpose of this report is to present the deficiencies we identified during our audit testing of FDIC's 2020 non-payroll operating expenses internal controls, and our recommendations related to these deficiencies. GAO [Government Accountability Office] had no prior recommendations to FDIC related to the financial statement audit or internal controls over financial reporting. This report is intended for FDIC management use."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dalkin, James R.; Hansen, Michael D.; Galvan-Treviño, Lisa M. . . .
2021-05-13
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Federal Highway Administration: Administrative Expenses Funded from the Highway Trust Fund
From the Document: "In December 2015, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act authorized funds for fiscal years 2016 through 2020 from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for the administrative expenses of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The FAST Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to submit a report describing the FHWA administrative expenses funded from the HTF every 5 years following an initial report. Our initial report was issued in June 2016 and covered fiscal years 2013 through 2015. Our objectives were to describe (1) the types and amounts of administrative expenses funded by HTF for the FHWA programs and offices during the 5 most recent fiscal years (2016 through 2020); (2) the extent to which FHWA adequately designed tracking and monitoring internal controls over its administrative expenses as of September 30, 2020; and (3) the extent to which FHWA has the flexibility, under existing laws and regulations, to reallocate administrative monies funded from the HTF between general operating expenses and other functions. This report transmits briefing slides regarding the final results of our work in response to the provision in the FAST Act."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Towler, LaDonna; Bhojwani, Tulsi; Burrows, Troy . . .
2021-05-13
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Retirement Security: Debt Increased for Older Americans Over Time, but the Implications Vary by Debt Type, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "GAO [Government Accountability Office] reported in 2019 that an estimated 20 percent of older American households aged 55 or older had less than $22,000 in income in 2016 and GAO reported in 2015 that about 29 percent of older households had neither retirement savings accounts (such as a 401(k) plan) nor a defined benefit plan in 2013. Older Americans held nearly half of the total outstanding debt in 2020--and these debts may affect retirement security. The Census Bureau projects the number of older Americans will increase. GAO was asked to report on debt held by older Americans. This report examines (1) how the types, levels, and outcomes of debt changed for older Americans over time, including for different demographic and economic groups; (2) how the types and levels of debt held by the same older Americans changed as they aged, including for those in different demographic groups; and (3) the implications of these debt trends for the general retirement security of older Americans and their families."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-04
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GAO Health Care Capsule: Veterans' Growing Demand for Mental Health Services
From the Document: "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expects demand for its mental health services to grow nationwide, projecting a 32 percent increase in outpatient mental health services over 10 years. This capsule examines how VA plans to meet this need among veterans."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05
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Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Veterans Affairs, May 10, 2021
From the Document: "[T]he purpose of this letter is to provide an update on the overall status of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) implementation of GAO's [Government Accountability Office] recommendations and to call your personal attention to areas where open recommendations should be given high priority. In November 2020, we reported that on a government-wide basis, 77 percent of our recommendations made 4 years ago had been implemented. As of May 2021, VA's implementation rate was 73 percent for these recommendations and VA had a total of 233 recommendations that had not been implemented. Implementing these recommendations could significantly improve agency operations. Since our April 2020 letter identifying 33 priority recommendations, VA has implemented 13 of them. In doing so, VA improved care coordination, as well as its ability to ensure that veterans receive evidence-based mental health treatment. VA also took steps to collect complete and reliable information about employee misconduct and disciplinary actions, among other things. We ask for your attention to the remaining 20 priority recommendations. We are also adding 8 new recommendations, including recommendations related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in state veterans homes, community care, succession planning, sexual harassment, on-campus veteran suicides, and supply chain management. This brings the total number of priority recommendations to 28."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-10
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Home Mortgage Disclosure Act: Reporting Exemptions Had a Minimal Impact on Data Availability, but Additional Information Would Enhance Oversight, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "HMDA [Home Mortgage Disclosure Act] generally requires mortgage lenders to collect and report certain information from loan applications and originations. Congress amended HMDA to require the reporting of additional data, but later provided regulatory relief to some smaller-volume banks and credit unions by exempting them from having to report almost all of the additional data. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review how partial exemptions affect HMDA data availability at the national and local levels. This report (1) identifies the uses and benefits of the new HMDA data; (2) assesses how partial exemptions have changed the extent of HMDA data availability; and (3) examines federal regulators' oversight activities related to partial exemptions from HMDA reporting."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05
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Homeland Security: DHS Needs to Fully Implement Key Practices in Acquiring Biometric Identity Management System, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "DHS currently uses an outdated system, implemented over 27 years ago, for providing biometric identity management services (i.e., fingerprint matching and facial recognition technology services), known as the Automated Biometric Identification System, or IDENT. In 2016, DHS initiated a multi-billion dollar program known as HART [Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology], which is intended to replace the existing system. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to evaluate the HART program. Its specific objectives, among others, were to (1) determine the status of the program, (2) assess the extent to which the DHS CIO [Chief Information Officer] was accurately reporting risk and meeting applicable oversight requirements, and (3) assess the extent to which the program was identifying and managing its risks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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National Science Foundation: COVID-19 Affected Ongoing Construction of Major Facilities Projects
From the Document: "Since GAO's [Government Accountability Office] April 2020 report on the status of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) major facilities projects, the Large Hadron Collider High Luminosity Upgrade program began construction, and it along with the four other major facilities projects in construction (see figure), have weathered schedule delays associated with the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. To partially account for increased costs associated with the pandemic, such as the cost of paying project staff while work is paused, NSF has authorized $38.9 million in total project cost increases to the award recipients constructing three of the five projects: [1] $18.9 million for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, [2] $10.0 million for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and [3] $10.0 million for Regional Class Research Vessels. Because the pandemic is ongoing and its full effects are not yet known, NSF expects to make further adjustments to the cost and schedule of all five major projects in construction. Design work on an additional major facility project continued without significant interruption from the pandemic. Further, NSF made awards to begin the agency's first three mid-scale research infrastructure projects."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06-08
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Federal Protective Service: Better Documented Cost Estimates Could Help Stakeholders Make Security Decisions, Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Over one million employees and a range of visitors seeking services at federal facilities depend on FPS [Federal Protective Service] to ensure the safety of both people and property at these locations. This report examines stakeholders' perspectives on FPS's performance of three key activities. GAO [Government Accountability Office] identified key activities from FPS data on work hours. GAO held discussion groups with stakeholders from 27 randomly selected facilities where FPS provided guard services and responded to incidents in fiscal year 2019 and analyzed stakeholder responses from 2017-2019 to GSA's [General Services Administration] and FPS's feedback instruments. These sources of stakeholder views are not representative but collectively provide insight into stakeholders' satisfaction with how FPS is performing key activities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Department of Energy: Environmental Liability Continues to Grow, but Opportunities May Exist to Reduce Costs and Risks
From the Document: "The Department of Energy (DOE) has the difficult task of cleaning up hazardous and radioactive waste at sites across the country. The waste was created by nuclear weapons research and production dating back to World War II and the Cold War. DOE's cleanup mission includes addressing contaminated soil and groundwater; deactivating and decommissioning contaminated facilities; and designing, constructing, and operating facilities to treat millions of gallons of radioactive waste. [...] We prepared this report under the authority of the Comptroller General to assist Congress with its oversight responsibilities. This report describes the status of DOE's environmental liability and challenges and opportunities GAO [Government Accountability Office] has identified that DOE faces in managing its cleanup responsibilities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06-08
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Federal Criminal Restitution: Most Debt is Outstanding and Oversight of Collections Could Be Improved
From the Highlights: "One of the goals of federal criminal restitution is to restore victims of federal crimes to the position they occupied before the crime was committed by providing compensation. Various entities within the federal government are involved in the process of requesting, ordering, and collecting restitution for crime victims, including DOJ [Department of Justice] and the judiciary. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the federal criminal restitution process for fiscal years 2014 through 2016. This report addresses, among other things: (1) the extent to which information is available on restitution requested by DOJ and ordered by courts; (2) the amount of restitution debt DOJ collected and the amount that remains outstanding; and, (3) the extent to which DOJ has conducted oversight on the collection of restitution. GAO analyzed laws, policies and procedures as well as USSC [U.S. Sentencing Commission] data on restitution orders and DOJ data on restitution collected from fiscal years 2014 through 2016. GAO also selected a non-generalizable sample of six federal judicial districts based on restitution collections and spoke with USAO [U.S. Attorney's Office] officials and federal probation officers."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2018-02-02
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Crop Insurance: In Areas with Higher Crop Production Risks, Costs Are Greater, and Premiums May Not Cover Expected Losses, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The federally subsidized crop insurance program, which helps farmers manage the risk inherent in farming, has become one of the most important programs in the farm safety net. Since 2000, the government's costs for the crop insurance program have increased substantially. The program's cost has come under scrutiny as the nation's budgetary pressures have been increasing. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to identify the costs to the federal government for insuring crops in areas with higher production risks. This report examines, for these areas, (1) the government's cost of the crop insurance program and (2) the extent to which RMA's [Risk Management Agency] premium rates, as implemented, cover expected losses."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-02
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Pipeline Safety: Information on Keystone Accidents and DOT Oversight, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Since it began operating in 2010, Keystone has transported over 3 billion barrels of crude oil from Canada to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas, according to its operator, TC [TransCanada] Energy. Prior to construction, TC Energy requested and obtained a special permit from PHMSA [Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration] to operate certain portions of the pipeline at a higher stress level than is allowed under PHMSA's regulations. Since TC Energy was the first and remains the only hazardous liquid pipeline operator to request a waiver of this particular regulation, the Keystone special permit is unique. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review PHMSA's oversight of the Keystone Pipeline. This report discusses: (1) PHMSA's actions to approve the Keystone special permit and allow the pipeline to operate at a higher stress level, (2) how Keystone accidents compare to accidents on all U.S. crude oil pipelines since 2010, and (3) PHMSA's actions in response to Keystone safety issues."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07
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Defense Budget: DOD Has Adopted Practices to Manage Within the Constraints of Continuing Resolutions, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "For 11 of the past 12 fiscal years, DOD has operated under a CR [Continuing Resolution] for some part of the fiscal year. CRs provide funding for agencies to continue operating when Congress has not enacted its regular appropriation acts before the beginning of the new fiscal year. From fiscal years 2010 through 2021--with the exception of fiscal year 2019 during which there was no CR--DOD has operated under CRs ranging from 76 to 216 days. DOD officials have stated publicly that delays in knowing when and how much funding will ultimately be available for the fiscal year hampers the military services' ability to accomplish key mission requirements and carry out management functions. The conference report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO to review the effects of CRs on DOD. This report examines, among other things, (1) the effects of constraints on the military services' spending and acquisitions during CRs, and what practices they use to minimize these effects; (2) how DOD personnel prepare for and operate under CRs; and (3) DOD's hiring of civilian personnel during CRs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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Veterans Justice Outreach Program: Further Actions to Identify and Address Barriers to Participation Would Promote Access to Services, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In response to the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data show the agency hired 51 Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) specialists, though VA completed its hiring and reporting after the statute's deadline. The program relies on nearly 400 VJO specialists-- primarily social workers--who work with jails and municipal courts to identify and assess the needs of arrested or incarcerated veterans, and connect them to VA health care services. In addition, VA's reporting to Congress lacked required information, such as the number of veterans who lack access to VJO specialists. Although VA does not collect these data, VJO program officials said that future research will help them estimate this number. VA has identified and taken some steps to address barriers that veterans may face in accessing VJO specialists and receiving services. GAO [Government Accountability Office] additionally found that veterans with other-than-honorable discharges--often at greater risk of mental health issues and suicide--may not know they are eligible under a 2020 VA policy that extends mental health care services to certain members of this subgroup. In addition, this policy change and newly available services are not reflected in training for VJO specialists. As a result, veterans may not meet with VJO specialists and miss an opportunity to get help accessing VA's health care services."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09-14
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Federal Real Property Asset Management: Additional Direction in Government-Wide Guidance Could Enhance Natural Disaster Resilience, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The federal government spends billions of dollars each year to manage real property assets, such as buildings, levees, and roads. The rising frequency and severity of natural disasters expose these assets to damage and the government to fiscal liabilities. In 2020, the United States experienced 22 separate billion-dollar natural disasters. As the owner of real property assets, federal agencies can enhance the natural disaster resilience of real property through asset management. This can include actions to prepare for disasters. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to determine how agencies prevent or reduce damage to real property caused by natural disasters. This report addresses (1) how selected agencies have incorporated natural disaster resilience into their assets and (2) the extent to which government-wide guidance directs agencies to incorporate natural disaster resilience into asset management. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed key characteristics and principles for asset management and natural disaster resilience from GAO's prior work; reviewed agency documents; interviewed officials from four selected agencies that owned a large number of assets (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, General Services Administration, National Park Service, and FWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]); and reviewed OMB [Office of Management and Budget] guidance. GAO recommends that OMB direct agencies to incorporate assessments of natural disaster risk information, such as from vulnerability assessments, into asset management investment decisions. OMB had no comments on this recommendation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09-14
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Public Transportation: Identifying Lessons Learned Could Help Improve FTA's Process to Manage Safety Risks, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In recent years, new laws gave the Department of Transportation's FTA [Federal Transit Administration] additional requirements and authorities to oversee transit safety. In turn, FTA now requires, among other things, transit agencies to develop new safety plans that incorporate SMS [Safety Management Systems] to manage and mitigate safety risk. FTA also incorporated SMS in its transit agency oversight to better identify and assess safety risks, and determine appropriate mitigation efforts, including mandatory safety standards. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine how FTA is implementing its new responsibilities and authorities. This report examines (1) selected transit agencies' experiences in incorporating SMS in their new safety plans; (2) steps FTA is taking to identify, assess, and mitigate safety risks; and (3) FTA's status on mandating safety standards and stakeholders' views on the benefits and challenges of such standards. GAO reviewed FTA documents on safety oversight policies and practices and interviewed officials from 12 transit agencies and their 9 respective state oversight agencies. GAO selected transit agencies to reflect a variety of modes, sizes, age, and geographic diversity. GAO recommends that FTA identify and document lessons learned from the camera pilot, including a plan to implement needed changes. DOT [Department of Transportation] concurred with this recommendation and provided technical changes to the draft report, which we incorporated as appropriate."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09-14
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: Actions Needed to Address Pending Caseload, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] is the federal agency charged with adjudicating applications and petitions for immigration benefits, such as humanitarian relief, naturalization, and employment authorization. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to USCIS's caseload. This report examines (1) what USCIS data indicate about its caseload, including its pending caseload, and factors affecting it; (2) how USCIS monitors its case processing operations, including efforts to reduce its pending caseload; and (3) the extent to which USCIS has implemented workforce planning strategies to address its pending caseload. GAO analyzed USCIS documentation and data for fiscal year 2015 through the second quarter of fiscal year 2020 and interviewed officials from USCIS program offices, directorates, and eight field locations and from three external stakeholder organizations. GAO also analyzed USCIS processing time data for seven types of applications and petitions, selected based on various factors, including volume of pending caseload and benefit category. [...] GAO is making six recommendations, including that USCIS develop performance measures for monitoring the timeliness of its case processing for certain forms, develop a long-term workforce plan, and identify the resources necessary to address its pending caseload. DHS concurred with five recommendations and did not concur with the recommendation that USCIS develop a long-term workforce plan. GAO continues to believe that such a plan would help USCIS better address its workforce challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
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Electronic Health Records: DOD Has Made Progress in Implementing a New System, but Challenges Persist, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD relies on multiple legacy electronic health record systems to create, maintain, and manage patient health information. DOD has determined that these systems, implemented over the past 3 decades, require modernization and replacement. The department has sought to replace these legacy systems with a comprehensive, real-time electronic health record. The conference report accompanying the 'Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019' and 'Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019' included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review DOD's electronic health record deployment. GAO's objectives were to (1) determine what progress DOD has made toward implementing a new electronic health record system, and (2) identify the challenges and key risks to MHS [Military Health System] GENESIS implementation and what steps DOD is taking to address them."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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Climate Resilience: Options to Enhance the Resilience of Federally Funded Roads and Reduce Fiscal Exposure, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Changes in the climate pose a risk to the safety and reliability of the U.S. transportation system, according to the 2018 'Fourth National Climate Assessment'. Congress authorized about $45 billion per year in federal funding for roads through 2021 and appropriated about $900 million per year in disaster assistance for fiscal years 2016 through 2020. In 2013, GAO [Government Accountability Office] included 'Limiting the Federal Government's Fiscal Exposure by Better Managing Climate Change Risks' on its High-Risk List. Enhancing climate resilience--acting to reduce potential losses by planning for climate hazards such as extreme rainfall--can help manage climate risks. GAO was asked to review climate resilience efforts for federally funded roads. This report examines (1) FHWA [Federal Highway Administration]'s climate resilience efforts and (2) options to further enhance them. GAO reviewed FHWA documents and a non-generalizable sample of projects that used FHWA's climate resilience resources, analyzed the content of 53 reports and pieces of legislation to identify options, interviewed stakeholders and agency officials, and analyzed options and FHWA efforts using GAO's October 2019 'Disaster Resilience Framework'."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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DOD Fraud Risk Management: Actions Needed to Enhance Department-Wide Approach, Focusing on Procurement Fraud Risks, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to DOD's fraud risk management. DOD obligated $421.8 billion in fiscal year 2020 on contracts. GAO has long reported that DOD's procurement processes are vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. In 2018, DOD reported to Congress that from fiscal years 2013- 2017, over $6.6 billion had been recovered from defense-contracting fraud cases. In 2020, the DOD Office of Inspector General reported that roughly one-in-five of its ongoing investigations are related to procurement fraud. This report assesses the steps DOD took in fiscal year 2020 (1) to combat departmentwide fraud risks and (2) to conduct a fraud risk assessment and ensure that DOD's component organizations reported procurement fraud risks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
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Paycheck Protection Program: Program Changes Increased Lending to the Smallest Businesses and in Underserved Locations, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic resulted in significant turmoil in the U.S. economy, leading to temporary and permanent business closures and high unemployment. In response, in March 2020, Congress established PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] under the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act and ultimately provided commitment authority of approximately $814 billion for the program over three phases. When initial program funding ran out in 14 days, concerns quickly surfaced that certain businesses were unable to access the program, prompting a series of changes by Congress and SBA [Small Business Administration]. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to monitor the federal government's efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO has issued a series of reports on this program, and has made a number of recommendations to improve program performance and integrity. This report describes trends in small business and lender participation in PPP."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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Coast Guard: A More Systematic Process to Resolve Recommended Actions Could Enhance Future Surge Operations, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The U.S. Coast Guard has multimission responsibilities to support response efforts and help protect life, property, and the environment. The Coast Guard must often rely on surge operations to reduce the impacts of catastrophic events, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017. The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the Coast Guard's surge capacity to respond to catastrophic events. This report addresses (1) the number of major surge operations the Coast Guard conducted from 2007 through 2020, and what personnel and assets it used to support these operations; (2) the extent the Coast Guard documents lessons learned and best practices from its major surge operations and resolves related recommended actions; and (3) how surge operations have affected the Coast Guard's ability to conduct its statutory missions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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Missile Warning Satellites: Comprehensive Cost and Schedule Information Would Enhance Congressional Oversight, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The U.S. Space Force plans to spend around $14.4 billion over the next 5 years to develop the Next Gen OPIR [Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared] system, comprised of satellites and a ground system to detect and track missiles, among other things. The Air Force experienced significant problems when it developed the predecessor to Next Gen OPIR--it was roughly 9 years late and cost more than three times its initial estimate. A report to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 contained a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review Next Gen OPIR efforts. This report (1) identifies the challenges Next Gen OPIR acquisition efforts face and the extent to which the Space Force is addressing them, and (2) assesses the extent to which Next Gen OPIR capabilities will address missions supported by the current system. GAO reviewed program documentation, acquisition strategies, and Air Force and DOD acquisition guidance, and interviewed DOD officials. GAO assessed this information against acquisition and collaboration best practices. Information that DOD deemed to be sensitive has been omitted."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel: Congressional Action Needed to Break Impasse and Develop a Permanent Disposal Solution, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Commercial spent nuclear fuel is extremely dangerous if not managed properly. About 86,000 metric tons of this fuel is stored on-site at 75 operating or shutdown nuclear power plants in 33 states, an amount that grows by about 2,000 metric tons each year. The NWPA [Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982], as amended, requires DOE [Department of Energy] to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and specifies that the only site that may be considered for the permanent disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel is a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. However, in 2010, DOE terminated its efforts to license a repository at Yucca Mountain, and Congress stopped funding activities related to the site. Since then, policymakers have been at an impasse on how to meet the federal disposal obligation, with significant financial consequences for taxpayers. This report examines actions that experts identified as necessary to develop a solution for spent nuclear fuel disposal."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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Workforce Diversity: Analysis of Federal Data Shows Hispanics Are Underrepresented in the Media Industry
From the Document: "As the U.S. population has become more diverse, many media companies have come to recognize the importance of employing a diverse workforce and reflecting diverse perspectives on screen and in print. However, news reports, studies, and policymakers have raised ongoing questions about racial and ethnic diversity in the media industry, including for Hispanic workers. [...] To describe representation of Hispanics within the media industry, we analyzed workforce data from the annual American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the Census Bureau and from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) annual Employer Information Reports (EEO-1)."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09-21
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National Credit Union Administration: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen Oversight, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "NCUA [National Credit Union Administration] oversees federally insured credit unions and administers the NCUSIF [National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund] (which insures the accounts of credit union members). Credit union failures--145 from 2010 through 2020--resulted in more than $1.55 billion in losses to the NCUSIF. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act contains a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review MLRs [material loss reviews] and make recommendations to improve NCUA's supervision of credit unions. Among its objectives, this report examines (1) credit union failures since 2010, and (2) NCUA use of supervisory information for deteriorating credit unions and its reporting on failures."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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U.S. Postal Service Primer: Answers to Key Questions About Reform Issues, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "USPS [United States Postal Service] is the largest postal service in the world, delivering an estimated 49 percent of all mail sent globally and playing a critical role in the nation's communications and commerce. Congress designed USPS to be a self-sustaining entity that, like a business, would cover its operating costs primarily with revenues from selling certain products and services. However, starting in fiscal year 2007, USPS's expenses began exceeding its revenue. This has led to total net losses of $87 billion from fiscal years 2007 through 2020, and $188 billion in total unfunded liabilities and debt as of the end of fiscal year 2020. GAO [Government Accountability Office] created this primer to help explain why USPS's financial condition has deteriorated so dramatically and to discuss some options for addressing the situation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
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IT Modernization: USDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In 2017, USDA combined three of its agencies under the FPAC [Farm Production and Conservation] mission area to, among other things, improve customer service for farmers, ranchers, and foresters. For fiscal year 2020, FPAC reported obligating a total of $229 million on IT [information technology] investments to support its mission. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was requested to review USDA's IT modernization efforts to improve customer service for farmers and ranchers. For this report, GAO examined the extent to which (1) USDA and FPAC are effectively overseeing the development of Farmers.gov; and (2) FPAC's IT workforce planning, efforts to reduce duplication and overlap, and customer service are consistent with leading practices."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09
