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Fair Lending: Opportunities Exist to Enhance OCC's Oversight of Banks' Lending Practices, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibit discrimination in access to most forms of credit transactions based on race, national origin, and other characteristics. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review OCC's [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency] oversight of fair lending laws. This report examines (1) how OCC identifies and addresses any deficient fair lending practices at supervised banks and refers potential violations to DOJ, (2) the extent to which OCC examiners followed policies and procedures in selected fair lending examinations, and (3) how changes to examination selection processes have affected oversight."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Federal Personal Property: Better Internal Guidance and More Action from GSA Are Needed to Help Agencies Maximize Use of Excess, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Every year, executive agencies purchase billions of dollars of personal property while also disposing of property that is excess, or no longer needed. This excess personal property represents a significant government investment and its reuse maximizes government assets and minimizes new purchase costs. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal use of excess personal property. This report: (1) describes what is known about the extent that agencies obtained excess personal property and (2) assesses the extent to which selected agencies' internal guidance addressed elements from the FMR [Federal Management Regulation] for considering excess property and opportunities for GSA [General Services Administration] to promote the use of excess."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Guantánamo Bay: Accessing Detainee Medical Records as Part of Military Commissions' Proceedings, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Since 2002, the U.S. has operated military detention facilities at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay (NSGB) Cuba. Military commissions' proceedings were first established in 2001 to try non-U.S. citizens who aided, abetted, or conspired to commit acts of terrorism against the U.S. However, detainee defense teams have cited concerns about the completeness of detainee medical records and their timely access to them as part of military commissions' proceedings. These defense claims have been disputed by the prosecution. House Report 116-120 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to examine the policies at NSGB related to detainee medical records and their interaction with the military commissions' process. This reports describes (1) federal law and DOD's policies and regulations governing the access to detainee medical records; (2) DOD's process for making detainee medical records available; and (3) DOD's efforts to decrease the classification of detainees' medical records within the context of military commissions' proceedings. Additionally, GAO has an ongoing review assessing the policies and procedures for providing health care to detainees and challenges associated with providing care."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Stimulus Checks: Direct Payments to Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Document: "In 2020 and 2021, IRS and Treasury issued $931 billion in direct payments to individuals to ease financial stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some eligible Americans never received payments. We made recommendations to strengthen Treasury and IRS's outreach and communications efforts for the billions of dollars in similar tax credits IRS administers, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Global Food Security: Coordination of U.S. Assistance Can Be Improved, Report to the Acting Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, House Committee on Appropriations
From the Highlights: "The number of food-insecure people has increased since 2014, and an estimated 768 million people were undernourished in 2020, according to the United Nations. The Global Food Security Act of 2016 required the President to coordinate the development and implementation of a whole-of-government global food security strategy. According to the GFSS [U.S. Government Global Food
Security Strategy], increased interagency engagement is intended to build effective coordination among agencies that contribute to global food security. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review U.S. global food security assistance. This report examines (1) U.S. agency coordination of global food security assistance at the global level and in selected countries; (2) the extent to which U.S. agencies coordinate this assistance in accordance with leading collaboration practices; and (3) U.S. agencies' management of any duplication, overlap, or fragmentation of assistance in the selected countries. GAO reviewed GFSS documents and interviewed representatives of GFSS agencies and other stakeholders, including implementing partners and host governments in Bangladesh, Guatemala, Kenya, and Niger. GAO selected these countries using criteria such as geographic diversity and high levels of U.S. food security funding. [...] GAO is making two recommendations to USAID to ensure all relevant agencies are included in planning and coordination of food security assistance and can readily access information about each other's current and planned assistance. USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] concurred with both recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Hanford Cleanup: DOE Has Opportunities to Better Ensure Effective Startup and Sustained Low-Activity Waste Operations, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOE [Department of Energy] created the DFLAW [Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste] program to treat part of the least radioactive portion of the 54 million gallons of radioactive liquid waste held in 177 aging and leak-prone underground storage tanks at the Hanford Site in Washington State. DOE estimates that the DFLAW program will cost $8.3 billion when complete and begin treating waste in December 2023. DOE is currently in negotiations with the contractor on a possible contract extension for certain DFLAW facilities that may require additional work. Senate Report 116-236 accompanying S. 4049, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the DFLAW program. Among other things, GAO's report describes the status of facilities needed to start DFLAW operations and examines the challenges DOE faces in starting and sustaining DFLAW operations. GAO reviewed agency documents and DFLAW program data from December 2020 through May 2021; analyzed DOE documents on DFLAW starting and operating challenges and risks, including DOE plans to manage them; and interviewed DOE officials. [...] GAO is making four recommendations, including that DOE ensures that existing challenges and problems in facilities, systems, and components related to DFLAW are resolved by the end of hot commissioning and the start of normal operations. DOE agreed with GAO's recommendations and stated that it is taking steps to implement them by December 31, 2022."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Los Alamos National Laboratory: Contractor Improving in Safety and Other Areas but Still Faces Challenges, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] relies heavily on an M&O [management and operating] contractor to carry out complex and dangerous work related to nuclear weapons production at LANL [Los Alamos National Laboratory]. Following substantial operational interruptions due to safety lapses, in 2018, NNSA awarded a new contract to manage and operate LANL to Triad. NNSA made changes to the contract with the intent over 10 years to improve safety performance, realize cost savings, and achieve other benefits. NNSA is now seeking to expand plutonium pit production and other missions at LANL and, in turn, increase the laboratory's workforce. The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019 includes a provision for NNSA to report on the costs and benefits of competing any new M&O contract, and for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to issue two associated reviews. This is GAO's second review on NNSA's contract with Triad (for GAO's first review, see GAO-20-292R [hyperlink]). In this review, GAO examines (1) steps Triad has taken to improve safety performance at LANL, and how NNSA and other organizations have assessed these steps; and (2) the extent to which anticipated cost savings and other benefits have been realized under the current contract thus far. GAO reviewed NNSA performance evaluations, policies, and regulations, and interviewed DOE and NNSA officials and Triad representatives."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Export Controls: Enforcement Agencies Should Better Leverage Information to Target Efforts Involving U.S. Universities, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Over 2 million foreign students and scholars studied at U.S. universities in 2019, in many cases contributing to U.S. research. The U.S. government implements export controls to, among other things, mitigate the risk of foreign students' and scholars' obtaining controlled and sensitive information that could benefit foreign adversaries. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review agencies' efforts to address risks associated with foreign students and scholars who may seek to evade export control regulations. This report examines the extent to which agencies are assessing universities' risk of unauthorized deemed exports to prioritize outreach. GAO reviewed related laws and regulations; analyzed agency data; and interviewed agency officials in Washington, D.C., and 15 U.S. field offices. GAO based its selection of these offices on their proximity to research universities, their geographic dispersion, and other agencies' field office locations. This is a public version of a sensitive report issued in March 2022 that included additional information on (1) challenges agencies face in efforts to enforce export control regulations, particularly for deemed exports at universities, and (2) the extent to which agencies coordinate their efforts and share information. Information that agencies deemed sensitive has been removed. [...] GAO is making eight recommendations to strengthen Commerce's, DHS's, and FBI's ability to prioritize outreach to at-risk universities. All three agencies concurred with the recommendations"
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Business Systems: DOD Needs to Improve Performance Reporting and Cybersecurity and Supply Chain Planning, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "For fiscal year 2022, DOD requested approximately $38.6 billion for its unclassified IT [Information technology] investments. These investments included programs such as communications and command and control systems. They also included major IT business programs, which are intended to help the department carry out key functions, such as financial management and health care. The NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act] for FY 2019 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to assess selected DOD IT programs annually through March 2023. GAO's objectives for this review were to (1) examine how DOD's portfolio of major IT acquisition business programs has performed; (2) determine the extent to which the department has implemented software development, cybersecurity, and supply chain risk management practices; and (3) describe actions DOD has taken to implement legislative and policy changes that could affect its IT acquisitions. To address these objectives, GAO determined that DOD's major IT business programs were the 25 that DOD reported to the federal IT Dashboard as of December 2021 (The IT Dashboard is a public website that includes information on the performance of IT investments). GAO examined DOD's planned expenditures for these programs from fiscal years 2020 through 2022, as reported in the department's FY 2022 submission to the Dashboard."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Yemen: State and DOD Need Better Information on Civilian Impacts of U.S. Military Support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The United Nations has characterized the conflict in Yemen as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The U.S. has long-standing security relationships with Saudi Arabia and UAE [United Arab Emirates]--two primary actors in the conflict--and has continued to provide them military support, including for operations in Yemen since 2015. Public law 116-283 calls for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review U.S. military support to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. This report examines the (1) total financial value of military support provided by DOD to Saudi Arabia and UAE in fiscal years 2015-2021, (2) extent to which DOD and State have assessed the use of U.S. military support in Yemen and to which this support contributed to or reduced civilian harm, and (3) extent to which State certifications and a DOD report submitted in response to two congressional mandates were timely and complete."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Water Quality: Agencies Should Take More Actions to Manage Risks from Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Harmful algal blooms--overgrowths of algae in water bodies--can produce toxins that harm humans and animals. These blooms are an environmental problem in all 50 states, according to EPA. Harmful algal blooms are also associated with some occurrences of hypoxia--depleted oxygen levels in a water body in which most animals cannot survive. Hypoxia can harm fisheries and disrupt ecosystems. Under the act, the interagency working group, with NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] and EPA leadership, is to maintain and enhance a national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program, develop a comprehensive research plan and action strategy, and submit various reports to Congress. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal efforts to manage harmful algal bloom and hypoxia risks. This report examines, among other things, (1) working group efforts to implement a national program; (2) agencies' actions to monitor and forecast harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events; and (3) agencies' actions to help state, local, and tribal governments respond to these events."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Air Force and Navy Aviation: Actions Needed to Address Persistent Sustainment Risks, Report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The Air Force and Navy spend billions of dollars annually to maintain their aircraft. The ability of the Air Force and Navy to complete aircraft maintenance directly affects military readiness, as maintenance delays reduce the time during which aircraft are available for operations and training. House Report 116-442 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to examine unit-level aviation maintenance. Among other things, this report assesses (1) trends in mission capability rates and related maintenance metrics for selected aircraft since fiscal year 2015 (2) the extent to which the Air Force and Navy have mitigated sustainment risks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Alternatives to Detention: ICE Needs to Better Assess Program Performance and Improve Contract Oversight, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] has wide discretion to detain or release individuals of foreign nationality awaiting resolution of their immigration court proceedings, except for individuals subject to mandatory detention. The ATD [Alternatives to Detention] program, which ICE administers through a $2.2 billion contract, uses electronic monitoring and case management to help ensure that individuals enrolled comply with release conditions, such as appearing at immigration court hearings. The explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the ATD program. This report examines, among other objectives, (1) what data show about participation in the ATD program, (2) the extent to which ICE has assessed ATD performance, and (3) how ICE manages and oversees the ATD contractor."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Cyber Insurance: Action Needed to Assess Potential Federal Response to Catastrophic Attacks, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Cyber threats to critical infrastructure represent a significant economic challenge. Although cyber incident costs are paid in part by the private cyber insurance market, growing cyber threats have created uncertainty in this evolving market. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to study cyber risks to U.S. critical infrastructure and available insurance for these risks. This report examines the extent to which (1) cyber risks for critical infrastructure exist; (2) private insurance covers catastrophic cyber losses and TRIP [Terrorism Risk Insurance Program] provides a backstop for such losses; and (3) cognizant federal agencies have assessed a potential federal response for cyberattacks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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COVID-19: Pandemic Lessons Highlight Need for Public Health Situational Awareness Network, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has drawn attention to the urgent need for public health officials to access realtime information about emerging threats to enable them to make timely, responsive decisions. For over a decade, federal law has mandated that HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] improve the nation's situational awareness of these threats. The most recent mandate, enacted in 2019, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on HHS's efforts to implement these improvements. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act also included a provision for GAO to conduct monitoring and oversight of the federal response to the pandemic. This report examines (1) the extent to which HHS has made progress toward implementing the requirements in the 2019 act; and (2) the challenges and lessons learned from COVID-19 that HHS could incorporate in planning for a situational awareness and biosurveillance network."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Interagency Council on Homelessness: Written Policies for Implementing Statutory Requirements Are Needed, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The mission of USICH [United States Interagency Council on Homelessness] is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and partner with the private sector and state and local governments to prevent and end homelessness. Under its governing statute, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, USICH must perform certain duties and functions, such as annually updating its national strategic plan to end homelessness, providing technical assistance to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations, and recommending improvements to programs that assist homeless individuals. House Report No. 116-452 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review USICH's policies and procedures to ensure compliance with certain statutory requirements. This report addresses policies and procedures USICH used in fiscal years 2017-2021 to perform duties and functions under its governing statute and comply with certain appropriations requirements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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COVID-19: Agencies Increased Use of Some Regulatory Flexibilities and Are Taking Steps to Assess Them, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Federal regulations can generate substantial benefits to society, but benefits can diminish if regulations are not adapted to meet emerging public needs. Federal agencies have implemented regulatory flexibilities to address the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic's substantial effect. Regulatory flexibilities are actions taken, at least in part, to temporarily reduce regulatory burdens or constraints imposed on regulated entities. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its COVID-19 pandemic oversight efforts. GAO was also asked to look at regulatory flexibilities available to agencies in responding to COVID-19. For this report, GAO examines (1) agencies' implementation of regulatory flexibilities in response to the pandemic; (2) the plans, policies, and other tools selected agencies used to identify and design regulatory flexibilities; and (3) efforts these selected agencies took to assess the impacts of regulatory flexibilities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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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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Federal Budget: Selected Agencies and Programs Used Strategies to Manage Constraints of Continuing Resolutions, Report to Congressional Requestors
From the Highlights: "In all but 3 of the last 46 fiscal years, Congress enacted a CR [continuing resolution]. This allowed federal agencies and programs to continue operations when Congress and the President had not reached agreement on and enacted their regular appropriations by the start of the federal fiscal year. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review how CRs affect federal agencies and programs. This report describes (1) the history and characteristics of CRs for fiscal years 2010 through 2022 and (2) how selected agency and program operations and services to the public have been affected by CRs, as well as the actions taken to mitigate these effects. GAO reviewed enacted CR legislation and selected agency- and program-specific documents. GAO selected three agencies and programs based on criteria such as whether they provide benefits and services to individuals with low incomes and receive the majority of their funds through discretionary, 1-year appropriations. The three agencies and programs selected were USDA's [United States Department of Agriculture] Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance, Education's PBI [Predominantly Black Institutions] Formula Grants, and HHS' [Department of Health and Human Services's] LIHEAP [Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program]. GAO interviewed selected agency budget officials, program staff, and a nongeneralizable sample of program recipients and national organizations that represent program recipients."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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K-12 Education: Student Population Has Significantly Diversified, but Many Schools Remain Divided Along Racial, Ethnic, and Economic Lines, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "It is widely recognized that a history of discriminatory practices has contributed to inequities in education, intertwined with disparities in wealth, income, and housing. Because district boundaries typically define the schools a student can attend and public education is partially funded by local property tax revenues, lower-income communities generally have fewer resources available for schools. For example, GAO previously reported that students who are poor, Black, and Hispanic generally attend schools with fewer resources and worse outcomes. GAO was asked to examine the prevalence and growth of segregation in K-12 [kindergarten through twelfth grade] public schools. This report examined the extent of (1) racial, ethnic, and economic divisions in K-12 public schools, and (2) district secession and any resulting student demographic shifts. To determine the extent of divisions along racial, ethnic, and economic lines in schools, GAO analyzed demographic data from Education's Common Core of Data by school type, region, and community type, covering school years 2014-15 to 2020-21, the most recent available data since GAO last reported on this topic in 2016. To identify the number and location of districts that seceded from school year 2009-10 through 2019-20, GAO analyzed and compared school district data from the Common Core of Data for the new and remaining districts in the year after secession to identify and describe any differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Social Security Disability, SSA Expedited Most Critical Cases at Hearings Level but Lacks Consistent Policy Implementation, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Individuals who do not agree with an initial decision on a claim for Social Security disability benefits can appeal and eventually receive a hearing before an administrative law judge. SSA [Social Security Administration] prioritizes certain disability appeals as critical for medical or financial reasons in order to resolve them more quickly. From fiscal years 2010 through 2020, SSA identified about 425,000 critical cases out of over 7 million appeals at the hearings level. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review challenges that disability applicants who file appeals face. GAO examined (1) how SSA identifies critical cases at the hearings level and (2) the extent to which SSA expedites these cases. [...] GAO is making two recommendations: that SSA (1) review the use of documentation of dire needs situations for consistency and (2) examine its handling of cases that indicate homelessness, eviction, or other critical need, to ensure these are expedited in accordance with policy. SSA agreed with our recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Tribal Broadband: National Strategy and Coordination Framework Needed to Increase Access, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Broadband is critical to modern life. Despite federal efforts, broadband access on tribal lands has traditionally lagged behind the rest of the country. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal efforts for improving broadband on tribal lands. This report examines: (1) the extent to which federal funding programs have supported the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands; (2) barriers tribes and providers face in accessing federally funded programs to serve tribal lands; and (3) the extent to which federal agencies focus on tribal issues related to broadband access."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Maritime Cargo Security: CBP Should Provide Additional Guidance for Certain Non-Containerized Cargo Inspections, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In 2020, non-containerized cargo accounted for about 32 percent of the $1.5 trillion total maritime cargo value. Non-containerized cargo includes goods, such as liquids, grains, and those transported individually or packaged and shipped on pallets or crates. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CBP's [U.S. Customs and Border Protection 's] policies and procedures for securing non-containerized maritime cargo. This report examines the extent to which CBP's inspections of inbound non-containerized maritime cargo vary across selected U.S. seaports. GAO reviewed CBP policies, procedures, and documentation for inspecting inbound non-containerized maritime cargo. GAO also interviewed CBP headquarters and field officials to gather information about how the agency implemented the policies and procedures. This included interviewing officials from a non-generalizable sample of 11 U.S. seaports and four field offices. GAO selected seaports that varied based on port size (i.e. total volume of cargo processed), types of non-containerized maritime cargo processed, and geographic location. [...] GAO recommends that CBP (1) identify additional actions that CBP personnel at seaports should take to address the identified risks of crated cargo and (2) update national maritime cargo processing guidance to reflect the identified actions. The Department of Homeland Security concurred with these recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Electronic Health Information: HHS Needs to Improve Communications for Breach Reporting, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "The use of IT [information technology] allows health care providers and others to share health care information electronically, which enhances care delivery, public health and research; and empowers providers to make informed decisions regarding patient health. HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] sets and enforces standards for protecting electronic health information. To implement the provisions of HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act], HHS issued regulations that govern PHI [protected health information] transmitted or maintained by covered entities, such as health plans and health care providers, and their business associates. GAO was asked to review covered entities' required reporting to HHS on data breaches. This report examines (1) the number of breaches and affected individuals reported to HHS since 2015; (2) the extent to which HHS established a review process to assess whether covered entities had implemented recognized security practices; and (3) the extent to which improvements can be made related to HHS's breach reporting requirements. To do so, GAO reviewed privacy and information security laws; analyzed HHS documentation, policies, and procedures; and interviewed cognizant OCR [Office for Civil Rights] officials. GAO also surveyed HIPAA covered entities and business associates. [...] GAO is making one recommendation to HHS to establish a feedback mechanism to improve the effectiveness of its breach reporting process. HHS concurred with GAO's recommendation and described actions it would take to address it."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05-27
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Coast Guard IT: Actions Needed to Improve Processes for Overseeing Non-Major Acquisition Programs, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "The U.S. Coast Guard, a component within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), invests millions of dollars in IT [information technology] systems to help execute its various missions. DHS oversees the Coast Guard's major IT acquisition programs--assets with total costs of $300 million or more--while the Coast Guard generally manages non-major IT acquisition programs--assets with total costs of less than $300 million. Since 2017, GAO has identified gaps in the Coast Guard's oversight of its non-major acquisition programs, including IT systems. GAO was asked to review the Coast Guard's management of its non-major IT acquisitions. This report addresses the extent to which the Coast Guard (1) developed and implemented a process to identify non-major IT acquisition programs and (2) effectively oversees its non-major IT acquisition programs. GAO reviewed relevant DHS and Coast Guard policies, guidance, and documentation. GAO also interviewed DHS and Coast Guard officials. [...] GAO is making three recommendations to improve Coast Guard non-major IT acquisition oversight processes, including defining risk levels to evaluate potential acquisition programs, and clearly communicating how programs should establish, revise, and communicate baseline information consistently. DHS concurred with all three recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05-26
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Energy Resilience: DOE's Northeast Petroleum Product Reserves
From the Document: "The Department of Energy (DOE) maintains two regional petroleum product reserves to reduce the impact of severe disruptions in the supply of petroleum products in the Northeast. Such disruptions could occur when extreme storms or pipeline outages limit the supply or distribution of petroleum products or dramatically increase their price. DOE established the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve (NEHHOR) in 2000 after home heating oil prices nearly doubled in the winter of 1999-2000. DOE established the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR) in 2014 in the aftermath of gasoline supply issues following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. [...] NEHHOR was used following Hurricane Sandy to provide fuel for first responder vehicles when the storm shut down other supplies. This was the only time either reserve has been used. [...] This report (1) assesses the effectiveness of the existing product reserves in mitigating supply risks in the Northeast and (2) identifies the extent to which DOE has considered future risks to petroleum product supplies and the benefits of alternative federal actions to mitigate these risks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05-25
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Management Report: IRS Needs to Improve Financial Reporting and Information System Controls
From the Document: "On November 10, 2021, we issued our auditor's report on the results of our audit of the fiscal years 2021 and 2020 financial statements of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As part of this audit, we assessed IRS's key financial reporting controls, including information system controls. As we reported in connection with our audit of IRS's fiscal years 2021 and 2020 financial statements, although certain internal controls could be improved, IRS maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021. Those controls provided reasonable assurance that misstatements material to IRS's financial statements would be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. However, our fiscal year 2021 audit continued to identify two significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting concerning IRS's unpaid assessments and financial reporting systems. We also identified other deficiencies in IRS's internal control over financial reporting that we do not consider to be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. Nonetheless, these deficiencies warrant IRS management's attention. This report presents the new control deficiencies we identified during our fiscal year 2021 testing of IRS's internal control over financial reporting. This report also includes the results of our follow-up on the status of IRS's corrective actions to address recommendations from our prior years' reports related to internal control over financial reporting that remained open as of September 30, 2020."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05-25
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Workplace Safety and Health: Data and Enforcement Challenges Limit OSHA's Ability to Protect Workers During a Crisis, Statement of Thomas M. Costa, Director Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic raised concerns about OSHA's preparedness for a future crisis. OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration], within the Department of Labor, helps ensure safe and healthful worker conditions by setting mandatory standards, conducting inspections, and investigating incoming complaints and referrals, among other efforts. This testimony is based on work in GAO's October 2021 CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act report (GAO-22-105051) and January 2021 report on OSHA's injury and illness reporting requirement (GAO-21- 122). It examines OSHA's efforts regarding (1) COVID-19-related enforcement actions, (2) developing and using standards related to COVID19, and (3) obtaining injury and illness data to support its enforcement efforts. For the prior reports, GAO reviewed OSHA policies and federal laws and regulations, analyzed OSHA enforcement and employer-reported injury and illness data, and interviewed OSHA officials. For this testimony, GAO obtained updated data covering OSHA enforcement activity from February 2020 through December 2021, reviewed documentation, and interviewed OSHA officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Costa, Thomas
2022-05-25
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Technology Modernization Fund: Past Awards Highlight Need for Continued Scrutiny of Agency Proposals, Statement of David B. Hinchman, Acting Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "Enacted in 2017, the provisions commonly referred to as the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act established the TMF [Technology Modernization Fund] in recognition of the challenges in modernizing federal information systems. OMB [Office of Management and Budget] and GSA [General Services Administration] administer the TMF, and a Technology Modernization Board comprised of federal IT [information technology] executives reviews agency project proposals. Since the program's creation, it has received over $1.1 billion in appropriations and made awards to over 20 projects that sought to address the federal technology challenges on which GAO has extensively reported. The MGT Act included a provision for GAO to report biannually on the TMF and the projects receiving these funds. This testimony summarizes past GAO reporting on the TMF, including (1) the status of the fund and approved projects and (2) the reliability of selected projects' cost saving estimates. This statement is primarily based on the results of GAO's prior work, which includes the reports cited in this statement. GAO also reviewed the status of approved projects as of May 2022, and agencies' efforts to address its recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Hinchman, David B.
2022-05-25
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Alaska Native Issues: Federal Agencies Could Enhance Support for Native Village Efforts to Address Environmental Threats, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "Erosion, flooding, and thawing permafrost can pose environmental threats to lives and infrastructure in Alaska Native villages. According to the United States Global Change Research Program, climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats. GAO identified 10 federal agencies that administer programs that support Alaska Native village efforts to address and build resilience to environmental threats. GAO was asked to review federal efforts to help Alaska Native villages address environmental threats. This report examines (1) information about environmental threats to Native villages; (2) federal funding provided to address such threats, and actions supported by that funding; and (3) opportunities to better support efforts to build resilience to such threats. GAO analyzed federal risk information and obligations data from 10 federal agencies for fiscal years 2016 through 2020; reviewed agency documents and other relevant reports; and interviewed agency officials and representatives from selected Alaska Native villages and tribal organizations. [...] Congress should consider establishing a coordinating entity to assist Native villages facing environmental threats. GAO is also making eight recommendations, including that seven agencies change programs to reduce barriers that hinder Native villages' accessing federal assistance. Six of these agencies agreed with GAO's recommendations, and the seventh agency stated it agreed with the report's findings."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05-18
