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Defined Contribution Plans: Federal Guidance Could Help Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks in 401(k) and Other Retirement Plans, Report to Congressional Requestors
From the Highlights: "Cyber attacks against information systems (IT) are perpetuated by individuals or groups with malicious intentions, from stealing identities to appropriating money from accounts. DC [defined contribution] plans, which allow individuals to accumulate tax-advantaged retirement savings, increasingly rely on the internet and IT systems for their administration. Accordingly, the need to secure these systems has become paramount. Ineffective data security controls can result in significant risks to plan data and assets. In 2018, DC plans enrolled 106 million participants and held nearly $6.3 trillion in assets, according to DOL [Department of Labor]. This report examines (1) the data that sponsors and providers exchange during the administration of DC plans and their associated cybersecurity risks, and (2) efforts to assist sponsors and providers to mitigate cybersecurity risks during the administration of DC plans."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-02
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Firearms Trafficking: U.S. Efforts to Disrupt Gun Smuggling into Mexico Would Benefit from Additional Data and Analysis, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The U.S. 'Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy: 2020' identified the trafficking of firearms from the U.S. into Mexico as a threat to the safety and security of both countries. The Mexican government has estimated that 200,000 firearms are smuggled from the United States each year. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to report on U.S. efforts to counter firearms trafficking to Mexico. This report examines (1) the extent of U.S. agencies' knowledge about firearms trafficking to Mexico and (2) U.S. agencies' efforts to disrupt this trafficking and the extent to which they have assessed those efforts. GAO reviewed firearms tracing data, related analysis, and program information for fiscal years 2014 through 2020. GAO also interviewed U.S. and Mexican officials. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in December 2020."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-02
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Federal Low-Income Programs: Use of Data to Verify Eligibility Varies Among Selected Programs and Opportunities Exist to Promote Additional Use, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Various federal programs provide billions of dollars in assistance to low-income beneficiaries whose eligibility is partially based on their income and, in some cases, assets. Administering agencies, including federal, state, and local agencies, typically verify beneficiaries' income and asset information by comparing it against other sources. To improve program administration and integrity, agencies have increasingly used electronic data to conduct this verification. GAO was asked to review such verification among low-income programs. This report examines the federal requirements for verifying beneficiaries' income and assets for selected programs and reported data sources used, and reported advantages and challenges for administering agencies and beneficiaries when using data verification. GAO selected six federal programs that provide assistance ranging from tax credits to housing, were among the largest in terms of spending, and varied in administrative structure. GAO reviewed relevant federal requirements and confirmed them with the federal agencies, identified data sources reported in state plans, and reviewed research studies. GAO also interviewed federal officials, officials with associations representing state or local program administrators, and researchers."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-02
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Small Business Innovation Research: Three Agencies Made Awards to Businesses Majority-Owned by Investment Companies and Funds
From the Document: "The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established to enable federal agencies to support R&D [research and development] projects carried out by small businesses. [...] The Small Business Act, as amended, includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct a study of the impact of requirements relating to the involvement of investment companies and funds in the SBIR program and submit a report to Congress regarding the study every 3 years. Our first review covered fiscal years 2013 and 2014, and in December 2018, we issued our second report on this issue, for fiscal years 2015 through 2018. This third report addresses (1) SBIR participating agencies' awards to qualified small businesses in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 and (2) reasons participating agencies cited for allowing or not allowing the participation of qualified small businesses in the SBIR program."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-29
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U.S. Ports of Entry: Update on CBP Public-Private Partnership Programs
From the Document: "On a daily basis in fiscal year 2020, over 650,000 passengers and pedestrians and nearly 78,000 truck, rail, and sea containers carrying goods worth approximately $6.6 billion entered the United States through 328 U.S. land, sea, and air ports of entry (POE), according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Within the DHS, CBP is the lead federal agency charged with a dual mission of keeping terrorists and their weapons, criminals and their contraband, and other inadmissible individuals out of the country while facilitating the flow of legitimate international travel and trade through the nation's POEs. CBP's Office of Field Operations is responsible for conducting passenger and cargo processing activities related to security, trade, immigration, and agricultural inspection at the nation's POEs. Since 2013, CBP has entered into public-private partnerships with stakeholders, such as port authorities or local municipalities that own or manage the ports or private companies that conduct business through the ports, under its Reimbursable Services Program (RSP) to cover CBP's cost of providing certain services at POEs[...] This fourth annual report updates key information from our January 2020 report by examining the status of CBP public-private partnership program agreements, including the purposes for which CBP has used the funds and donations from these agreements in 2020."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-28
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Cyber Diplomacy: State Should Use Data and Evidence to Justify Its Proposal for a New Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies
From the Document: "The United States and its allies are facing expanding foreign cyber threats, as international trade, communication, and critical infrastructure become increasingly dependent on cyberspace. The United States also faces challenges to build consensus within international organizations on setting standards for how to govern the internet and cultivating norms for acceptable government behavior in cyberspace. [...] In June 2019, State [Department of State] notified Congress of its intent to establish a new Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET). [...] This report examines the extent to which State used data and evidence to develop and justify its proposal to establish CSET."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-28
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Afghanistan Reconstruction: GAO Work since 2002 Shows Systemic Internal Control Weaknesses that Increased the Risk of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
From the Document: "The U.S. government has allocated approximately $141 billion for reconstruction in Afghanistan since 2002. We have issued over 400 reports covering U.S. government activities in Afghanistan during this period, about a quarter of which involved U.S.-funded reconstruction efforts. You asked us to report on waste, fraud, and abuse that GAO [Government Accountability Office] uncovered with respect to U.S. reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. In this report, we summarize the systemic internal control weaknesses that increased the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse related to Afghanistan reconstruction we identified in prior GAO work."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-27
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Information on the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program
From the Document: "The Upper Mississippi River system provides approximately $1 billion in annual benefits to the nation's economy through boating, fishing, and other uses, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The river system also supports irreplaceable habitats and ecosystems-- including more than 2.5 million acres of aquatic, wetland, forest, grassland, and agricultural habitats across the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. In 1986, Congress declared its intent to recognize the Upper Mississippi River system as a nationally significant commercial navigation system and a nationally significant ecosystem. The Corps is responsible for operating and maintaining the navigation infrastructure along the Upper Mississippi River system and for managing, restoring, and protecting the surrounding ecosystem. According to the Corps, balancing the navigational importance of the river system with the need to protect the ecosystem is challenging. The Corps operates 37 lock and dam sites and maintains 1,200 miles of 9-foot deep navigation channels along the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois Waterway, which connects with the Mississippi River and lies within the Upper Mississippi River basin."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-22
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GPS Modernization: DOD Continuing to Develop New Jam-Resistant Capability, but Widespread Use Remains Years Away, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD has been developing the capability to use its more jam-resistant military-specific GPS [Global Positioning System] signal for 2 decades. The Air Force launched the first GPS satellite capable of broadcasting the M-code [military code] signal in 2005, but is only now completing development of the software and other equipment needed to use it. The GPS modernization effort spans DOD and the military services, but an Air Force program office is developing M-code cards for eventual production and integration into weapon systems. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 included a provision that the Air Force provide quarterly reports to GAO [Government Accountability Office] on next-generation GPS acquisition programs, and that GAO brief congressional defense committees. Since 2016, GAO has provided briefings and reported on various aspects of GPS. This report discusses DOD's progress and challenges (1) developing M-code receiver cards, and (2) developing receivers and taking other steps to make M-code-capable receivers available for fielding. GAO reviewed schedules and cost estimates for the Air Force's MGUE [Military GPS User Equipment] programs; military service and DOD M-code implementation data; and test and integration plans for aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles. GAO also reviewed strategies for continued access to microelectronics and interviewed officials from the MGUE programs, military services, and DOD, and representatives from microelectronics developers."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-19
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Freedom of Information Act: Update on Federal Agencies' Use of Exemption Statutes, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] requires federal agencies to provide the public with access to government records and information based on the principles of openness and accountability in government. FOIA also specifies nine exemptions agencies may cite to withhold information when responding to FOIA requests. These exemptions cover information related to national defense or foreign policy; internal agency personnel rules and practices; certain nondisclosure provisions in other statutes; trade secrets and commercial information; privileged interagency or intra-agency memorandums; personal privacy; law enforcement; the regulation of financial institutions; and geological information. FOIA's exemption 3, also referred to as the (b)(3) exemption, specifically authorizes withholding information on the basis of another federal statute that prohibits disclosure of that information. GAO was asked to review federal agency use of (b)(3) exemptions. This report describes the (b)(3) exemption statutes cited by agencies and the frequency of their use from fiscal years 2010 through 2019, and key statistics related to the use of (b)(3) exemption statutes from fiscal years 2017 through 2019. GAO reviewed FOIA data reported by agencies for fiscal years 2010 through 2019; updated the catalog of (b)(3) statutes GAO reported in June 2018 to include fiscal years 2017 to 2019; reviewed relevant documentation; and interviewed Department of Justice officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-12
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Aircraft Noise: Better Information Sharing Could Improve Responses to Washington, D.C. Area Helicopter Noise Concerns, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Helicopter noise can potentially expose members of the public to a variety of negative effects, ranging from annoyance to more serious medical issues. FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] is responsible for managing navigable U.S. airspace and regulating noise from civil helicopter operations. Residents of the D.C. area have raised concerns about the number of helicopter flights and the resulting noise. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to helicopter flights and noise within the D.C. area. Among its objectives, this report examines: (1) what is known about helicopter flights and noise from flights in the D.C. area, and (2) the extent to which FAA and helicopter operators have taken action to address helicopter noise in the D.C. area."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Federal Real Property: Additional Documentation of Decision Making Could Improve Transparency of New Disposal Process, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "GAO [Government Accountability Office] designated federal real property management, including the disposal of properties, as a high-risk area in 2003. FASTA [Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act] included a provision for GAO to review the recommendations and selection processes such as those used in the first round of identifying and recommending high-value properties as candidates for disposal. This report examines: (1) how stakeholders implemented FASTA to identify and evaluate high-value properties as potential disposal candidates and (2) stakeholder views on the extent to which FASTA helped agencies with the disposal of unneeded high-value properties and addressed long-standing challenges in disposing of federal properties."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Telecommunications: FCC Has Implemented the Lifeline National Verifier but Should Improve Consumer Awareness and Experience, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "FCC's [Federal Communications Commission] Lifeline program discounts phone and internet service for eligible low-income consumers. In 2019, FCC authorized $982 million in support for 6.9 million eligible consumers. FCC created the Verifier with the stated goals of reducing fraud and costs and improving the consumer experience. The Verifier includes an online application, connections to state and federal benefits databases, and a standardized manual review process. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review FCC's implementation of the Verifier. This report examines: (1) the status of the Verifier; (2) FCC's coordination with stakeholders and efforts to educate consumers and facilitate tribal stakeholders' involvement; and (3) the extent to which the Verifier is meeting its goals."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Unmanned Aircraft Systems: FAA Could Strengthen Its Implementation of a Drone Traffic Management System by Improving Communication and Measuring Performance, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] have potential to provide significant social and economic benefits in the U.S. FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] is tasked with safely integrating UAS into the national airspace. UTM [UAS traffic management ecosystem], as planned, will be a traffic management system where UAS operators and service providers are responsible for the coordination and management of operations at low altitudes (below 400 feet), with rules established by FAA. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review infrastructure requirements for monitoring UAS at low altitude. This report examines, among other things, the actions FAA has taken to develop UTM and additional steps needed to achieve UTM's implementation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Macroprudential Oversight: Principles for Evaluating Policies to Assess and Mitigate Risks to Financial System Stability
From the Document: "In response to the 2007-2009 financial crisis, Congress passed the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), which provided for a broad range of financial regulatory reforms. For example, the act established the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to identify risks to financial stability, promote market discipline, and respond to emerging threats to financial stability in the United States. Other countries have created similar entities with comparable mandates. We created the following framework to serve as criteria for assessing the financial stability efforts of FSOC and its member agencies."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Southwest Border: DHS and DOJ Have Implemented Expedited Credible Fear Screening Pilot Programs, but Should Ensure Timely Data Entry, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Individuals apprehended by DHS and placed into expedited removal proceedings are to be removed from the U.S. without a hearing in immigration court unless they indicate a fear of persecution or torture, a fear of return to their country, or express an intent to apply for asylum. Asylum officers conduct such 'fear screenings,' and EOIR [Executive Office for
Immigration Review] immigration judges may review negative USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] determinations. In October 2019, DHS and DOJ [Department of Justice] initiated two pilot programs to further expedite fear screenings for certain apprehended noncitizens. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review DHS's and DOJ's management of these pilot programs. This report examines (1) actions DHS and EOIR took to implement and expand the programs along the southwest border, and (2) what the agencies' data indicate about the outcomes of individuals' screenings and any gaps in such data."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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COVID-19: Critical Vaccine Distribution, Supply Chain, Program Integrity, and Other Challenges Require Focused Federal Attention, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "As of January 15, 2021, the U.S. had about 23 million cumulative reported cases of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and more than 387,000 reported deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The country also continues to experience serious economic repercussions. Four relief laws, including the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act, were enacted as of November 2020 to provide appropriations to address the public health and economic threats posed by COVID-19. As of November 30, 2020, of the $2.7 trillion appropriated by these four laws, the federal government had obligated a total of $1.9 trillion and expended $1.7 trillion of the COVID-19 relief funds, as reported by federal agencies. In December 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, provided additional federal assistance for the ongoing response and recovery. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines the federal government's continued efforts to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Department of Energy Contracting: Improvements Needed to Ensure DOE Assesses Its Full Range of Contracting Fraud Risks, Report to the Honorable Gary C. Peters, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "DOE [Department of Energy] relies primarily on contractors to carry out its missions at its laboratories and other facilities, spending approximately 80 percent of its total obligations on contracts. GAO [Government Accountability Office] and DOE's Inspector General have reported on incidents of fraud by DOE contractors and identified multiple contracting fraud risks. GAO was asked to examine DOE's processes to manage contracting fraud risks. This report examines, for DOE, (1) types of contracting fraud schemes and their financial and nonfinancial impacts, (2) steps taken to commit to combating contracting fraud risks and the extent to which these risks have been assessed, and (3) steps taken to design and implement an antifraud strategy and to evaluate and adapt its approach."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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DOD Critical Technologies: Plans for Communicating, Assessing, and Overseeing Protection Efforts Should Be Completed, Report to the Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The federal government spends billions annually to develop and acquire advanced technologies. It permits the sale and transfer of some of these technologies to allies to promote U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic interests. However, the technologies can be targets for adversaries. The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 requires the Secretary of Defense to develop and maintain a list of acquisition programs, technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and research areas that are critical for preserving U.S. national security advantages. Ensuring effective protection of critical technologies has been included on GAO's [Government Accountability Office] high-risk list since 2007. This report examines (1) DOD's efforts to identify and protect its critical technologies, and (2) opportunities for these efforts to inform government protection activities. GAO analyzed DOD critical acquisition program and technologies documentation, and held interviews with senior officials at DOD and other federal agencies responsible for protecting critical technologies."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Nuclear Waste: Congressional Action Needed to Clarify a Disposal Option at West Valley Site in New York, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The West Valley Demonstration Project Act, enacted in 1980, requires DOE [Department of Energy] to assist with cleanup activities at the site of the nation's only commercial facility for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. The site contained 600,000 gallons of liquid high-level waste, radioactively contaminated structures and soils, and buried radioactive waste. In 2011, DOE began the first phase of its decommissioning plan, which included demolishing aboveground structures and removing contaminated soils. The West Valley Reauthorization Act and the Senate Committee Report No. 116-48 included provisions for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review progress on the cleanup at West Valley. GAO's report examines (1) the status of the cleanup and (2) DOE's options for disposing of the remaining radioactive waste."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Environmental Liabilities: NASA's Reported Financial Liabilities Have Grown, and Several Factors Contribute to Future Uncertainties, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Decades of NASA's research for space exploration relied on some chemicals that can be hazardous to human health and the environment. NASA identified 14 centers around the country with hazardous chemicals that require environmental cleanup and restoration. NASA's Environmental Compliance and Restoration Program oversees the agency's environmental cleanup. NASA's environmental liabilities estimate is reported annually in the agency's financial statement. Federal accounting standards require agencies responsible for contamination to estimate and report their future cleanup costs when they are both probable and reasonably estimable. This report describes (1) NASA's environmental liabilities for restoration projects from fiscal years 2014 to 2019--the most recent data available at the time of our review--and (2) factors that could contribute to uncertainties in NASA's current or future environmental liabilities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Farmworkers: Additional Information Needed to Better Protect Workers from Pesticide Exposure, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The use of pesticides contributes to U.S. agricultural productivity by protecting crops against pests or weeds, but this use may pose risks to human health. To reduce the consequences of pesticide exposure to farmworkers' health, EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] revised the WPS [Agricultural Worker Protection Standard] in 2015 to include a provision that allows a farmworker to identify a person who can request, for their benefit, certain pesticide information from their employer--this is called the designated representative provision. This report examines (1) what is known about the extent of use and effect of the designated representative provision on the availability of pesticide information and (2) what is known about any misuse of information obtained through the provision."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Hanford Cleanup: DOE's Efforts to Close Tank Farms Would Benefit from Clearer Legal Authorities and Communication, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The Hanford site in Washington State contains about 54 million gallons of nuclear waste, which is stored in 177 underground storage tanks. In fiscal years 1997 through 2019, DOE [U.S. Department of Energy] spent over $10 billion to maintain Hanford's tanks and retrieve waste from them. DOE expects to spend at least $69 billion more on activities to retrieve tank waste and close tanks, according to a January 2019 DOE report. Senate Report 116-48, accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the status of tank closures at Hanford. GAO's report examines the status of DOE's efforts to retrieve tank waste, challenges DOE faces in its effort to close the C-farm, as well as DOE's approach for closing the remaining tank farms."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Department of Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Accounting of Intradepartmental Transactions, Report to the Honorable Jackie Speier, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Since 1995, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has designated DOD financial management as high risk because of pervasive weaknesses in its financial management systems, controls, and reporting. DOD's longstanding intradepartmental eliminations material weakness reflects DOD's inability to adequately record and reconcile its intradepartmental transactions, and has affected DOD's ability to prepare auditable financial statements. GAO was asked to evaluate DOD's process for performing intradepartmental eliminations. This report examines the extent to which DOD has (1) identified and taken steps to address issues related to intradepartmental eliminations and (2) established and implemented policies and procedures related to intradepartmental eliminations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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DHS Annual Assessment: Most Acquisition Programs Are Meeting Goals but Data Provided to Congress Lacks Context Needed for Effective Oversight, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DHS plans to spend more than $7 billion on its portfolio of major acquisition programs--with life-cycle costs over $300 million-- in fiscal year 2021 to help execute its many critical missions. The Explanatory Statement accompanying the DHS Appropriations Act, 2015, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review DHS's major acquisitions on an ongoing basis. This report, GAO's sixth review, assesses the extent to which (1) DHS's major acquisition programs are meeting baseline goals, (2) DHS's guidance for developing acquisition documentation is consistent with DHS acquisition policy, and (3) DHS is reporting relevant information to Congress on its portfolio of major acquisition programs. GAO assessed 24 acquisition programs, including DHS's largest programs that were in the process of obtaining new capabilities as of April 2018, and programs GAO or DHS identified as at risk of poor outcomes. GAO assessed cost and schedule progress against baselines; assessed DHS's congressional reporting requirements; and interviewed DHS officials and congressional appropriations committee staff."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Chemical Security: Overlapping Programs Could Better Collaborate to Share Information and Identify Potential Security Gaps, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Facilities with hazardous chemicals could be targeted by terrorists to inflict mass casualties or damage. Federal regulations applicable to chemical safety and security have evolved over time as authorizing statutes and regulations established programs for different purposes, such as safety versus security, and with different enforcement authorities. GAO [Government Accountability Office] has reported that such programs may be able to achieve greater efficiency where overlap exists by reducing duplication and better managing fragmentation."
United States. General Accounting Office
2021-01
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Close Air Support: Actions Needed to Enhance Friendly Force Tracking Capabilities and Fully Evaluate Training, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The use of ordnance delivered by aircraft to support U.S. military forces that are in close proximity to enemy forces on the ground requires detailed planning, seamless communications, and effective training. Mistakes in communications or procedures used to identify and maintain an awareness of the positions of friendly forces on the battlefield during CAS [close air support] can result in the loss of U.S. military personnel. Senate Report 116-48 and House Report 116-120, accompanying bills for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, included provisions for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to evaluate issues related to friendly-force identification capabilities in CAS missions. Among other things, this report evaluates the extent to which DOD has (1) implemented initiatives to enhance friendly-force identification capabilities during CAS, and (2) evaluated training for forces that participate in CAS. GAO analyzed documentation and interviewed officials regarding DOD efforts to develop and implement friendly force tracking capabilities for CAS; reviewed CAS training programs; and analyzed training data, including the number of hours that DOD used non-military contract aircraft for CAS training from 2017 through 2019."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Immigration Enforcement: ICE Can Further Enhance Its Planning and Oversight of State and Local Agreements, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The 287(g) program authorizes ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to assist with enforcing immigration laws. The program expanded from 35 agreements in January 2017 to 150 as of September 2020. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review ICE's management and oversight of the program. This report examines (1) the extent to which ICE has developed performance goals and measures to assess the 287(g) program; (2) how ICE determines eligibility for 287(g) program participation and considers program resources; and (3) how ICE conducts oversight of 287(g) program participant compliance and addresses noncompliance."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Pregnant Women in DOJ Custody: U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons Should Better Align Policies with National Guidelines, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Policymakers and advocacy groups have raised questions about the treatment of incarcerated pregnant women, including the use of restrictive housing--removal from the general prisoner population with the inability to leave the cell for the majority of the day--and restraints. Within DOJ [Department of Justice], USMS [United States Marshals Service] is responsible for prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing. BOP [Federal Bureau of Prisons] is responsible for sentenced prisoners. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to pregnant women in USMS and BOP custody."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
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Immigration Detention: Actions Needed to Improve Planning, Documentation, and Oversight of Detention Facility Contracts, Report to the Chairman Committee on Homeland Security House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The Department of Homeland Security's ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] detained approximately 48,500 foreign nationals a day, on average, for 72 hours or more in fiscal year 2019. ICE was appropriated about $3.14 billion in fiscal year 2020 to operate the immigration detention system. ICE has three ways of acquiring detention space--IGSAs [intergovernmental service agreements] with state or local government entities; agreements with Department of Justice U.S. Marshals Service to join an existing contract or agreement (known as a 'rider'); or contracts. This report examines (1) what data show about the characteristics of contracts and agreements; (2) the extent to which ICE developed and implemented processes and a strategic approach to acquire space; and (3) the extent to which ICE has overseen and enforced contracts and agreements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01
